Sorry!
You may know that British people are famous for using the word ‘sorry’ all the time.
In this episode, I talk about this habit and how much truth is behind it, but I also share the different situations in which we would say ‘sorry’ in the UK – and maybe more generally in the English-speaking world too.
Sorry is so much more than a word used when you make a mistake and it can have many different meanings.
There are also many different ways to apologise and say you’re sorry depending on how serious the situation is, so in the second half of this episode, I cover these different phrases.
When to Say 'Sorry'
Politeness or Social Etiquette
Getting someone’s attention: “Sorry, could you pass me the menu?”
Asking someone to repeat themselves: “Sorry, what was that?”
Asking a question: “Sorry, do you know where the nearest station is?”
Expressing Empathy
Hearing bad news: “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that.”
Showing understanding: “Sorry, that must have been difficult for you.”
Avoiding Conflict
When someone else bumps into you: “Sorry!”
If you disagree with someone gently: “Sorry, but I don’t quite agree with that.”
Softening a Statement
Correcting someone: “Sorry, but I think it’s actually over there.”
Expressing disagreement: “Sorry, I don’t think that’s the right way to do it.”
Making a request: “Sorry, can I just squeeze past you?”
Leave an example in the comments. Write about a mistake you made and apologise for it.
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Hi, it was awesome episode. I used to wander why when someone pass away they said sorry,and then after studying English I realized that is part of the culture and to be honest as a learner I found this very easy to communicate with others but we have to be careful with the tone 🤭by the way in my language we have the same thing we use good word with an angry tone.
Cool to hear that our languages have some differences and similarities! Glad you found this one useful 🙂