How do you apologise appropriately in French?
When you interact with people at work it's unavoidable that sometimes you might find yourself in situations where you will have to apologise. In your mother tongue this goes naturally, but in French you may not immediately know how to react and what to say. So it's best to prepare!
If you want to build a relationship at work with your colleagues or clients it's important to being able to apologise. You don't want to come across rude by not being able to say something or by saying the wrong apology.
Especially with French speakers, it is important to know the right nuances and to apologise in the right way. Depending on the context or circumstances you find yourself in there are many ways to say sorry or to politely apologise in French.
We give you an overview of useful expressions in French you can use in a formal work setting to apologise or respond to an apology.
1. How to formally apologise in French
There are several ways to say sorry depending on the situation. It's important to understand the differences between these expressions because using the wrong one could make you sound rude in certain circumtstances.
How to say sorry for something you did
- Je suis désolé(e).
- Excusez-moi.
- Pardon.
- Désolé(e). [more formal]
How to say sorry in certain worksituations
At work you might land in certain situations where you'll want to apologise to a colleague. Let's give you some expressions you can use in these cases:
- Pardon, je n'ai pas compris. [If you'd like someone to repeat wht they've said.]
- Pardon / (Je suis) Désolé(e) pour la réponse tardive. (e.g. email)
- Pardon / (Je suis) Désolé(e) pour le retard. (e.g. for a meeting)
- Pardon / (Je suis) Désolé(e) de ne pas avoir pu participer à la réunion.
- Pardon / (Je suis) désolé(e) de vous déranger, mais... [If you interrupt someone and ask for something.]
How to say sorry when you made a mistake
When you made a mistake at work it's important you are able to admit it to your colleagues. Everyone makes mistakes. As terrible as it might feel in the moment, by admitting your mistake you take your first step to regain trust and minimise any possible damage.
- Je suis désolé(e).
- Désolé(e), ce n'était pas voulu. ([For a minor, unintentional mistake.]
- Pardon, je ne l'ai pas fait exprès. [For a minor, unintentional mistake.]
- C'est ma faute. [To acknowledge your wrongs in an informal way.]
- Au temps pour moi. [To take the blame in a more formal way.]
How to say sorry in formal letters or emails
- Veuillez accepter mes sincères excuses pour ...
- Je suis vraiment désolé(e) pour ...
- Je prends l'entière responsabilité de ...
- C'était une erreur de notre part.
- Je regrette profondément que cela se soit produit.
2. How to appropriately respond to an apology in French
If someone apologises to you, it is equally important to be able to respond appropriately. Here, too, you have many options in French to express that you accept or refuse someone's apology.
How to accept someone's apology
- Ne vous inquiétez pas.
- Ce n'est pas grave. / Ce n'est rien.
- Aucun problème. / Il n'y a pas de souci. [More informal.]
- Ne vous inquiétez pas. Ça peut arriver à tout le monde.
- J'accepte vos excuses. [Very formal.]
How to refuse someone's apology
- J'apprécie vos excuses, mais ...
- Je suis désolé(e) mais je ne peux pas accepter vos excuses.
- Je ne te le pardonnerai pas. [More personal and informal.]
Do you need help to expand your business vocabulary in French and to feel more confident using certain expressions?
Then you can consult one of our language coaches at Squidll. Together you can broaden your vocabulary and practise useful expressions until you can actively and confidently use them.
Sign up on Squidll, find a business language coach who fits your needs and start on Squidll today.
