How to Say ‘I'm sorry’ in German
Tut mir leid
toot meer light
[toot meer light]
💬 Usage Tip: Word for word, this is "it does me sorrow". The es "it" at the start is usually dropped, leaving Tut mir leid.
Phrase Breakdown
Tut
[toot]
does (in 'I'm sorry')
Form of 'tun' (to do); in this fixed apology phrase it has no literal meaning.
Es tut mir sehr leid.
I am very sorry.
mir
[meer]
to me
Dative pronoun used to show that something matters or happens to the speaker.
Mir ist eine offene Kommunikation besonders wichtig.
Open communication is especially important to me.
leid
[light]
sorrow; sorry
This word conveys regret and completes the apology phrase.
Es tut mir leid, das war mein Fehler.
I am sorry, that was my mistake.
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