How to Say ‘Is sorry / I'm sorry’ in German
Tut mir leid
toot meer lite
[toot meer lite]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally "does me sorrow"—but it simply means "I'm sorry." German idioms can be wonderfully strange!
🇩🇪 In Germany: A standard apology in polite service language.
Phrase Breakdown
Tut
[toot]
does / makes
From the verb 'tun'; in this phrase it forms part of 'I am sorry.'
Es tut weh.
It hurts.
mir
[meer]
to me
A dative pronoun meaning 'to me' or 'for me.'
Das hilft mir.
That helps me.
leid
[lite]
sorry
In this phrase, it expresses regret or sympathy.
Das ist mir leid.
I am sorry about that.
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