How to Say ‘I'm sorry.’ in German
Das tut mir leid.
dahs toot meer lite
[dahs toot meer lite]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally, "That does me sorrow"—but it means "I'm sorry" or "I'm sorry to hear that." German can be poetic by accident.
🇩🇪 In Germany: A standard polite response in customer service or landlord conversations.
Phrase Breakdown
Das
[dahs]
that
Points to a situation or thing already mentioned.
Das tut mir leid, ich kümmere mich darum.
I’m sorry about that, I’ll take care of it.
tut
[toot]
does
Here part of the expression tun leid, used to say you are sorry.
Das tut mir leid wegen des Warmwassers.
I’m sorry about the hot water situation.
mir
[meer]
to me
Dative pronoun phrase used in the expression mir leid tun.
Das tut mir leid, ich rufe sofort an.
I’m sorry, I’ll call right away.
leid
[lite]
sorry
Part of the fixed phrase Das tut mir leid, meaning I am sorry.
Das tut mir leid, der Klempner kommt heute.
I’m sorry, the plumber is coming today.
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