😔🙏

How to Say ‘Oh, I'm sorry about that.’ in German

Oh, das tut mir leid.

oh dahs toot meer lite

[oh dahs toot meer lite]

💬 Usage Tip: leid here comes from leidtun "to be sorry", which splits apart: tut sits in the middle and leid goes to the end. Swap in someone else: das tut ihm leid "he's sorry about that".

Phrase Breakdown

Oh, das tut

oh dahs toot

Oh, that does

'Oh' expresses sympathy. Say it with a short pause before continuing.

Example

Oh, das tut weh!

Oh, that hurts!

Words in this phrase

[oh]

Exclamation of surprise.

Example

Oh, wie schön!

Oh, how nice!

das

[dahs]

that; it

Refers back to a previous statement or situation, often translated as 'that' or 'it.'

Example

Das hat einen positiven Eindruck hinterlassen.

That left a positive impression.

tut

[toot]

does

Form of 'tun' (to do); with 'leid' it expresses regret.

Example

Das tut weh.

That hurts.

mir leid.

meer lite

(make) me sorry

Together with 'das tut', this completes 'I'm sorry'. 'Leid' rhymes with 'side'.

Example

Das tut mir wirklich leid.

I'm really sorry.

Words in this phrase

mir

[meer]

to me

Dative pronoun used to show that something matters or happens to the speaker.

Example

Mir ist eine offene Kommunikation besonders wichtig.

Open communication is especially important to me.

leid

[lite]

sorry, regret

Used in 'leid tun' to express being sorry.

Example

Das tut uns leid.

We are sorry about that.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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