How to Say ‘I'm sorry.’ in German
Es tut mir leid.
ess toot meer lite
[ess toot meer lite]
💬 Usage Tip: This does not translate word-for-word as "I am sorry." German often says [Es tut mir leid.] where English uses "I'm sorry," so learn it as a whole phrase.
Phrase Breakdown
Es tut mir
ess toot meer
it hurts me / it is causing me
Part of the fixed expression 'Es tut mir leid'; literally 'it does me...'. It introduces the apology.
Es tut mir sehr leid.
I am very sorry.
Words in this phrase
Es
[ess]
it
A fixed part of the common apology 'Es tut mir leid.'
In Es tut mir leid. steht Es am Anfang.
In Es tut mir leid., Es stands at the beginning.
tut
[toot]
does
Part of a set phrase used to say sorry.
In Es tut mir leid. ist tut Teil der Entschuldigung.
In Es tut mir leid., tut is part of the apology.
mir
[meer]
to me
Refers to the speaker in this apology expression.
In Es tut mir leid. bezieht sich mir auf den Sprecher.
In Es tut mir leid., mir refers to the speaker.
leid
[lite]
sorry / regret
In this phrase, 'leid' helps express regret or apology.
In Es tut mir leid. drückt leid Bedauern aus.
In Es tut mir leid., leid expresses regret.
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