How to Say "apology" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “apology” is “disculpa” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
Te debo una disculpa por mi comportamiento de ayer.
I owe you an apology for my behavior yesterday.
El director aceptó mis disculpas.
The director accepted my apologies.
Su única disculpa fue que tenía mucho trabajo.
His only excuse was that he had a lot of work.
How to Say 'To Apologize'
In Spanish, you don't 'give' an apology, you 'ask for' one. The most common way to say 'I apologize' is 'pido disculpas'. Think of it as asking the other person to forgive you.
Mixing up 'apology' and 'excuse'
Mistake: “Although 'disculpa' can mean 'excuse', it's more about a reason for a mistake. If you mean a flimsy excuse, 'pretexto' is often a better word.”
Correction: Use 'disculpa' for a sincere reason ('Mi disculpa es que el tren llegó tarde') and 'pretexto' for a weak excuse ('Puso el pretexto de que le dolía la cabeza').
Related Translations
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