Sorry in Hindi
How to apologise in Hindi — माफ़ कीजिए (maaf kijiye) — across formal and casual registers, how to express genuine regret, and how “sorry” differs from “excuse me”.
The core idea behind “sorry” in Hindi is forgiveness. The everyday verb is माफ़ करना (maaf karna, “to forgive”), from माफ़ (maaf, “pardon”), an Urdu/Persian-origin word. Asking politely, you say माफ़ कीजिए (maaf kijiye) — “please forgive me” in the respectful आप form. With friends or anyone you’re informal with, drop to माफ़ करना (maaf karna).
When you want to express real remorse rather than a quick “oops”, Hindi uses a “regret” construction: मुझे खेद है (mujhe khed hai), literally “I have regret.” This is formal and sincere — the kind of thing in a written apology or a serious moment. A more Sanskritic, elevated way to ask forgiveness is क्षमा करें (kshama karein), common in literature, speeches, and religious contexts.
Formal vs casual ways to say sorry
| English | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sorry / forgive me (polite, आप) | माफ़ कीजिए | maaf kijiye |
| Sorry (informal, to a friend) | माफ़ करना | maaf karna |
| I regret it / I’m sorry (formal) | मुझे खेद है | mujhe khed hai |
| Please forgive me (Sanskritic/formal) | क्षमा करें | kshama karein |
| Sorry (casual, English loan) | सॉरी | sorry |
“Sorry” vs “excuse me”
English “sorry” and “excuse me” overlap, and so do their Hindi equivalents — but the everyday choices differ. To get someone’s attention, native speakers most often say सुनिए (suniye, “listen / please”) rather than a literal “excuse me”. माफ़ कीजिए can open a polite question too.
| Situation | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Apology: “I’m sorry.” | माफ़ कीजिए। | maaf kijiye. |
| Getting attention: “Excuse me…” | सुनिए… | suniye… |
| Excuse me (before asking) | माफ़ कीजिए, एक बात पूछनी थी | maaf kijiye, ek baat poochhni thi |
| “Please let me pass.” | ज़रा रास्ता दीजिए। | zara raasta dijiye. |
Example sentences
| English | Hindi | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Sorry, I’m late. | माफ़ कीजिए, मुझे देर हो गई। | maaf kijiye, mujhe der ho gayi. |
| Sorry, it was my mistake. | माफ़ करना, यह मेरी ग़लती थी। | maaf karna, yah meri galti thi. |
| I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. | असुविधा के लिए मुझे खेद है। | asuvidha ke liye mujhe khed hai. |
| Please forgive me, I didn’t mean it. | क्षमा करें, मेरा वह इरादा नहीं था। | kshama karein, mera vah iraada nahin tha. |
Translate your own text
Need to write a specific apology — to a colleague, a friend, or in a message? Type it in English and get a natural Hindi version.