“Es tut mir leid”
I'm sorry
ApologiesGeneralA1
Literal Translation
Word for word: “It does me sorrow”
Pronunciation
/ɛs tuːt miːɐ̯ laɪ̯t/
When to Use This Phrase
'Es tut mir leid' expresses genuine remorse and empathy. Use it for serious apologies. For smaller things like bumping into someone, 'Entschuldigung' suffices.
Example Sentences
Es tut mir leid, das wollte ich nicht.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean that.
Es tut mir wirklich leid!
I'm really sorry!
Word Breakdown
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