😔🙏

How to Say ‘I'm really sorry.’ in French

Je suis vraiment désolé.

zhuh swee vray-mon day-zoh-LAY

[zhuh swee vray-mon day-zoh-LAY]

💬 Usage Tip: A woman writes désolée, with an extra e. It sounds exactly the same.

Phrase Breakdown

Je suis

zhuh swee

I am

Subject 'je' plus the verb 'être'. In casual speech it often sounds like 'chuis'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

suis

[swee]

First person singular present of 'to be'.

Example

Je suis fatigué.

I am tired.

vraiment désolé.

vray-mon day-zoh-LAY

really sorry.

'Vraiment' (really) intensifies 'désolé' (sorry). A woman writes 'désolée', but it sounds the same.

Example

Il est vraiment désolé.

He is really sorry.

Words in this phrase

vraiment

[vray-mon]

really / truly

Adverb used to emphasize an opinion; more expressive than “très” in some contexts.

Example

Ce studio a un style Vraiment original.

This studio has a really original style.

désolé

[day-zoh-LAY]

sorry

An adjective meaning sorry; masculine form.

Example

Je suis désolé. Le rendez-vous du plombier est reporté.

I am sorry. The plumber's appointment has been postponed.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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