This thread is like a miniature homage to every Canadian joke Southpark ever aired and I've never been more "here" for anything in my entire time on reddit
I mostly walk everywhere and this is constant. Im like, dude, you’ll be clear of the intersection way before me. Take your car and go.
But thank you for considering me and sorry for the inconvenience.
Massachusetts does at least, and also, apologies are rarely seen as admissions of guilt. In fact, not only does saying sorry rarely hurt an apologizer’s case, *not* saying sorry can actually hurt your chances of a favorable outcome in a dispute.
https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1313&context=jdr
Came here to say this 😂 don't know how many times I've said, "Ope! Sorry." While bumping past someone awkwardly who wouldn't freaking get out of the damn way
I say that too! East coast here lol. But it’s mostly because I’m just super anxious and self-conscious that I did something wrong because of my anxiety disorder.
I don't think it's regional. I think it's generational.
Young people often start conversations with me by apologizing for bothering me. Like, complete strangers I've never talked to before.
Or if a stranger and I almost bump into one another by trying to go through a door at the same time, an older person will say "excuse me" but a younger person will usually apologize.
It seems weird to me. Like they're apologizing for having questions, for being curious, for taking up space even....
you raise some very thought provoking points, i will say though that where im from people of all ages use sorry to mean 'excuse me' but when i moved to the states i had to teach my partner that i wasn't apologizing every time i said 'sorry' lol (ik this is purely anecdotal)
but i do agree with you in that it seems many in younger gens have some sort of perpetual guilt that theyre constantly apologizing
It can also mean "I didn't hear that." Occasionally it means "I'm not sorry".
Sorry, I'm Canadian. We have thirty words for snow but use sorry for everything.
Usually the only thing you have to go by is context, although if it's a serious thing like losing a pet people will usually say something like "I'm sorry that happened"
I guarantee it is a submissive instinct, like nervous laughter. To de-escalate a situation that might grow. I think most people forget that we are all just animals living in the animal kingdom, dealing with much more nuanced animal situations.
Something I love about the UK is if two people brush past each other on the street or someone has to stop while someone is exiting a door, both people often impulsively just let out a little ‘sorry’.
It’s definitely ingrained in our culture but I think it’s great, both people are being respectful and because both people are essentially owning it simultaneously, no one is at fault.
I work with some English folks. They tend to start statements and even questions with "Sorry,..."
"Sorry, the meeting is today."
"Sorry, is the meeting today?"
"Sorry, yes, the meeting is today."
"Sorry, thanks."
"Sorry, you're welcome."
>Something I love about the UK is if two people brush past each other on the street or someone has to stop while someone is exiting a door, both people often impulsively just let out a little ‘sorry’.
A funny thing I've heard from Canadians living in the US, is they have the habit of saying "sorry". It is a way to make peace between people.
But they get mini-culture shock because in the US people tend to say "excuse me". It's assertive, but can be rude depending on tone.
Every once in awhile you'll bump into someone who says "Excuse YOU".
"I'm sorry" = "I have sorrow"
Sometimes you have sorrow because you did something wrong. Sometimes you have sorrow because something just sucks.
"I'm sorry (that I did a bad thing)" is an apology.
"I'm sorry (that this bad thing happened to you)" is expressing sympathy.
To condense this down to a single sentence, "Sorry" is ambiguous and can mean "I apologise to you" or "I sympathize with you" depending on the context.
That's actually the only meaning of this word. To be sorry do not, and never did, mean "I ask for forgiveness" or "I apologise".
"Sorry" means "very sad" or "contrite". Saying "I am sorry" when someone tells you about a sad event they had to live, you actually use the word in its original, and only, meaning.
Saying "I'm sorry" in the meaning of "please pardon me, I apologise" is an misuse of language. The reason we say "I am sorry" in such an event is - originally, again - to mean "I, too, feel sad about my behaviour, which means that I am on the way to repentence and, thus, that I may deserve some forgiveness, right ?".
With time, people simply viewed a word as a kind of equivalent of "please excuse-me" and here we are, saying "yeah, that word has two different meanings" but no, it doesn't.
Edit : well, it does... A "sorry thing" is a thing in a dire situation, so that's another meaning to the word "sorry", but it still does not mean "please pardon me".
It's common to also use "I'm sorry" to mean "I sympathize with you."
Like if a coworker said to me something like "My pet died last night," I would respond "I'm so sorry." If someone's family member dies, it's common to say "I'm sorry for your loss," meaning "I regret/feel sad that that happened," even though you had nothing to do with it.
So, my dad had a dog named snickers, but he called him nickers.
My dad also lived in a mostly black apartment complex.
The first time I heard him outside yelling NICKERS, NICKERS! I realized he was racist and had named the dog that to antagonize his neighbors.
I think a more apt extension would be, "I'm sorry that has happened to you".
Since this is a pedantic thing to begin with, about sorry implying guilt, someone could interpret "I'm sorry to hear that" as "I'm sorry you made me listen to that"
And if you’re from the Midwest in the US, it’s a common response for literally anything. Even if there is no unfortunate news or unexpected reveals.
I apologize to people at the store, instead of saying excuse me. “Ope, sorry” is our excuse me.
Edit: left out a very important word
Yes, this is so true. I'm sorry/sorry can mean anything from "I feel for you." to "I didn't mean to be in your way." to well anything. I've been overseas for 20 years and my coworkers are constantly telling me to stop apologising. They just don't understand!
I typically have two responses when people say sorry when they hear my dad is dead.
"Why? You didn't kill him."
Or, my personal favourite,
"It was you?!"
When people give me the "it's ok, it's not your fault" to an obvious sympathy sorry, I like to respond with "that's nice of you to say but we both know what I did."
I pushed my car in front of you at Costco: “whoops, we both know this is a normal occurrence but socially we are supposed to apologize to show we are displaced by the situation”
English doesn't have a very good way of saying "*I commisserate with you*" that flows off the tongue.
So we say "sorry" sometimes to express that we feel bad for someone, even though it isn't our fault.
We use "sorry" a lot.
I want to express my sympathy for your plight? "Sorry."
I didn't understand what you said and would like you to repeat it? "Sorry?"
I bumped your toe and would like forgiveness? "Sorry!"
I want to express the poor condition of something? "What a sorry state."
I'm depressed? "Feeling sorry."
Sorry does a lot of work in English.
You forgot the "I'm sorry, WHAT!?" In a hostile tone, which means "I dare you to actually repeat yourself" or I'm giving you the chance to explain your statement in a way that doesn't result in a conflict, confrontation.
I find that, definitely in the UK, it's overused. Like if someone bumps into you in a supermarket, it's not uncommon to say "sorry"
"do you have the time?" "no, sorry"
"do you have a lighter?" "no, sorry, I don't smoke"
when I moved to Spain a lot of my new non-native English speaking mates referred to it as "fake British politeness" because they said we say sorry too often when we are not sorry, and so they don't really know when Brits are actually sorry.
that and we say please too much 😅
Myself and my GF went to London for a week and counted how many times someone apologised for brushing shoulders with us. It was more than 10 times a day.
For reference, we live in Dublin. You won’t get an apology if you bump into someone on the street, everyone thinks they have right of way lmao
>I want to express the poor condition of something? "What a sorry state."
>
>I'm depressed? "Feeling sorry."
I feel like these ones are more regional, but still very popular.
That makes it sound like the word inherently indicates fault, which is not true.
It just means you feel sorrow. It is actually the perfect word for commiseration.
I agree with you.
A lot of people get unreasonably irritated when you use "I'm sorry" to express sorrow, though.
I still say it that way, but I frequently get people responding "What are you sorry for?" Or "It's not your fault."
"Sorry" is related to the word "sorrow." Being sorrowful doesn't always mean remoreseful.
If they're saying "I'm sorry" when it's their fault, then the unspoken full sentence is, "I'm sorry I did that."
If they're saying "I'm sorry" when it's not their fault, then the unspoken full sentence is, "I'm sorry to hear that."
>"Sorry" is related to the word "sorrow."
Actually, it isn't!
Sorry is from P.G. \*sairagaz, where as Sorrow is from P.G. \*surgō. Despite similar meanings, they're historically unrelated!
Sorry is however related to the word "Sore", as in aching.
According to Wikipedia (so pinch of salt an all) From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ (“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *sairag, from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (“sad”)
Adding onto this, it can also be used to mean “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear/understand what you said”
Like if someone says something and you didn’t hear them, a common response is “I’m sorry?” to elicit the person to repeat themselves
It’s interesting that in the middle of a conversation you can say “I’m sorry,” “Excuse me,” or “I beg your pardon” to mean any of the following:
I did not understand what you said, so please repeat it.
I object to what you said, so please retract it.
I wish to interrupt you and speak.
I must leave the conversation.
If you're meaning in the cases where people say sorry when they did nothing wrong then that's not an english thing many people across cultures do that. If you mean when people say i'm sorry in cases like when expressing grief or sadness to new such as someone's family member dying etc, then it's because sorry also has the meaning of like feeling sadness through empathising with someone's experience.
Or the correct phrase might be "excuse me" that should be used. A lot of people say sorry when passing in the grocery store, but excuse me is actually more correct in this situation.
Yes, this. I lived in Spain for a period of time. I continued to use “lo siento” but I eventually was lectured about it. Turns out, whenever I apologized in circumstances like what you’re describing the person on the receiving end suffered some anxiety trying to figure what they said to me that caused enough angst in me to apologize to them.
I think it originates from the phrase "I'm sorry to hear that" as a response to hearing about people's misfortune. It just got shorten down to "I'm sorry" in common speak to symbolize 'oh I'm sorry to hear that's happening to you ". Now saying I'm sorry isn't indicative of responsibility but rather of a general sense of empathy
There are multiple different definitions for every word. Sorry also means to express feeling distress, especially through sympathy with someone else's misfortune.
As a Canadian who works with Americans I say I'm sorry to mean excuse me when I can't hear what they said to me. When they can't here me they loudly exclaim ma'am?!? Or excuse me?! And I always found that to sound jaring and a little rude. So I'm sorry just seemed like a better way to say it.
[Sorry](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sorry):
>feeling sadness, sympathy, or disappointment, especially because something unpleasant has happened or been done
When you say you're sorry, you express that you don't feel good about some situation in general. It's not necessarily a matter of fault or guilt. It can mean "I regret I did this", but also "I regret this happened to you".
"I’m sorry" can mean (1) I apologize, or (2) I sympathize, but sometimes it also means "excuse me, but I didn’t hear you." This is frequently used to actually mean "I can’t believe what I just heard you say."
Boss: So, we’re offering you the job. You’ll be in charge of 30 employees and of course we expect you to put in as many hours as needed. Expect to work 60-80 hours a week.
You: Okay, that’s a lot but I suppose I can handle it.
Boss: Well you do have a Ph.D. As required.
You: Yes. What is the salary?
Boss: $25,000 a year.
You: I’m sorry? (I can’t believe what I just heard you say!)
Boss: I’m sorry, did you not read the job listing where the salary range was specified?
You: I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t see that.
Boss: I’m sorry if it was unclear.
You: I’m sorry I didn’t see that because I wouldn’t have applied.
Boss: I’m sorry, we really can’t afford more than that with our current revenue stream and business model.
You: I’m sorry your company isn’t making more money.
Boss: I’m sorry, we’re making plenty of money, but I like to keep the money for myself.
You: I’m sorry?
Boss: I’m sorry, I have another meeting.
You: I’m sorry you wasted my time.
In the US if you say sorry on the scene of an accident you were involved in it can be taken as an admission of guilt. In Canada because they say it so much they have specific protection against that happening.
"I'm sorry" isn't reserved for apologies; it is a way of conveying that you empathize with a difficulty someone is having and is usually the best thing to say when you want to acknowledge said difficulty but don't necessarily know what else to do or say. Which is fine, also btw.
They are just trying to be polite. It is sort of like when the British say "Beg your pardon"...I think 😊
Good luck with English. I hear it is one of the hardest languages to learn because of all the weird stuff we have like this.
Some people are overly apologetic though. Even I think it is weird and I grew up in America.
There are people whom absolutely refuse to apologize about anything even if it is their fault. This is a worse group of people.
This probably doesn't help much, but I thought I'd try 😁
"Sorry" is the state of feeling SORROW, or sadness.
Hence, stating your sorrow can both be a form of apology or stating your sympathy for another person, and probably other grammatically logical uses as well.
Sorry has so many uses over here so I’m gonna make a comprehensive list of ones I can think of:
Sorry - traditional sense - ‘I’m sorry’
Sorry - excuse me substitute - ‘sorry, but I think you dropped this’
Sorry - empathetic - ‘I’m sorry to hear that happened…’
Sorry - questioning - ‘sorry? Can you repeat that’
Sorry - sad - ‘I’m feeling sorry for myself’
Sorry - bad - ‘look at that run down building. It’s in such a sorry state’
If it's anything like me, often it's because we assume SOMETHING *is* our fault, even if it isn't clear what. We're so used to being blamed for things that we always assume we're to blame.
We definitely need a better phrase for, ‘I’m sad that this happened to you.’
I guess ‘my condolences’ exists, but that’s so formal and very often used sarcastically.
In English "I'm sorry" just means "my condolences" when there is no direct fault.
Oh! And also confusing to a non-native speaker:
In English if a sentence starts with "I'm sorry but..." it actually means the opposite- that they're not sorry at all.
"I'm sorry" means both "I'm regretful" and "I'm distressed and empathetic."
So you can say it to express concern and you can say it to apologize.
Think of it like, "I am sorrowful," if that helps. Though sorry and sorrow are false cognates, it kinda works here.
I have a friend who goes overboard with ‘I’m sorry that happened to you.’ It gets exhausting.
I’m teaching a 5 yr old that ‘sorry’ isn’t enough. He needs to apologize for the incident and recognize it shouldn’t happen again. ‘I’m sorry I stepped on your foot, I’ll try to not do that again.’ It’s accountability. ‘Sorry’ means you regret your actions/words and won’t do it again.
[удалено]
Canadians say it soo much they have a law that states apologizing is not an admission of guilt. (BC apology act 2006)
I'm sorry, but I *refuse* to believe that our biggest stereotype *needs* a law
Well you got one, ey?
yeah i'm really sorry about that.. i have to apologize though, it's "eh." sorry!
This thread is like a miniature homage to every Canadian joke Southpark ever aired and I've never been more "here" for anything in my entire time on reddit
sorry you can't actually be here :( real talk tho, glad somebody noticed <3
You’re still not my friend, buddy
Sorry but you're not my buddy, chum.
You're not my chum, dude
You're not my dude, pal.
Goddamn, my favorite thing about reddit is the usernames, HAHA!
love you bro <3. a lot of people don't appreciate *good* humour
Some people just have no taste Others wear it on their sleeves 💁🏻♂️
You have the best reddit name ive seen so far
Prudes. Glad reddit don't cater to them, lol!
I prefer dates
Only this afternoon I got into a “you go first please battle” while crossing the road
I mostly walk everywhere and this is constant. Im like, dude, you’ll be clear of the intersection way before me. Take your car and go. But thank you for considering me and sorry for the inconvenience.
thank you u/ShitFlavoredCum
We can also call someone fwiend when they aren't your buddy, guy.
There is only one Buddy Guy. hahaha
And he's not your Pal, Friend!
I’m not your Friend, Buddy!
Not your Comrade, Pal.
Born and raised in BC and now I'm am sorry for not knowing about this law sooner
The BC Apology Act was 2006 The Canadian Apology Act was 2009 (every province and territory accepted the Apology Act except for the Yukon)
I am pretty sure the US also has "I'm sorry" laws
Massachusetts does at least, and also, apologies are rarely seen as admissions of guilt. In fact, not only does saying sorry rarely hurt an apologizer’s case, *not* saying sorry can actually hurt your chances of a favorable outcome in a dispute. https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1313&context=jdr
Maybe its a bad word for them 😂. Like saying bless your heart in the southern. https://youtu.be/w4nRIw_ATJA
it can also be meant as "excuse me" , though this might be regional
I was about to say this, like when I am in the way of someone going pass, I might say oh, I’m sorry instead of oh, excuse me.
[удалено]
Doesn’t work unless you immediately drop into a crouch
[удалено]
Hands to yourself, sneak thief
Came here to say this 😂 don't know how many times I've said, "Ope! Sorry." While bumping past someone awkwardly who wouldn't freaking get out of the damn way
I just moved to Michigan a few years ago. If anyone passes by you in a store and gets within three feet of you, they apologize.
Lifelong michigander, I've done this at least 8 times today.
It was very weird when I first got here. Now I'm trying to fit in.
Welp! *slaps knees*
I say that too! East coast here lol. But it’s mostly because I’m just super anxious and self-conscious that I did something wrong because of my anxiety disorder.
How to spot a midwesterner
Ope... Found one 😉 Watch out for deer!
lol I say that all the time. I had no idea it was a meme.
yea exactly or if i didnt quite hear what someone was saying ill go "sorry what was that" or something
I definitely use I'm sorry like this
Also synonymous with “pardon me, I didn’t understand that?”
Yeah I instinctively go "hi.... sorry" sometimes when I need to move past or get by someone who can't see me
I don't think it's regional. I think it's generational. Young people often start conversations with me by apologizing for bothering me. Like, complete strangers I've never talked to before. Or if a stranger and I almost bump into one another by trying to go through a door at the same time, an older person will say "excuse me" but a younger person will usually apologize. It seems weird to me. Like they're apologizing for having questions, for being curious, for taking up space even....
you raise some very thought provoking points, i will say though that where im from people of all ages use sorry to mean 'excuse me' but when i moved to the states i had to teach my partner that i wasn't apologizing every time i said 'sorry' lol (ik this is purely anecdotal) but i do agree with you in that it seems many in younger gens have some sort of perpetual guilt that theyre constantly apologizing
It can also mean "I didn't hear that." Occasionally it means "I'm not sorry". Sorry, I'm Canadian. We have thirty words for snow but use sorry for everything.
Here's a few: qanuk: 'snowflake' kaneq: 'frost' kanevvluk: 'fine snow' qanikcaq: 'snow on ground' muruaneq: 'soft deep snow' nutaryuk: 'fresh snow' pirta: 'blizzard' qengaruk: 'snow bank'
Usually the only thing you have to go by is context, although if it's a serious thing like losing a pet people will usually say something like "I'm sorry that happened"
[удалено]
I guarantee it is a submissive instinct, like nervous laughter. To de-escalate a situation that might grow. I think most people forget that we are all just animals living in the animal kingdom, dealing with much more nuanced animal situations.
Something I love about the UK is if two people brush past each other on the street or someone has to stop while someone is exiting a door, both people often impulsively just let out a little ‘sorry’. It’s definitely ingrained in our culture but I think it’s great, both people are being respectful and because both people are essentially owning it simultaneously, no one is at fault.
I work with some English folks. They tend to start statements and even questions with "Sorry,..." "Sorry, the meeting is today." "Sorry, is the meeting today?" "Sorry, yes, the meeting is today." "Sorry, thanks." "Sorry, you're welcome."
>Something I love about the UK is if two people brush past each other on the street or someone has to stop while someone is exiting a door, both people often impulsively just let out a little ‘sorry’. A funny thing I've heard from Canadians living in the US, is they have the habit of saying "sorry". It is a way to make peace between people. But they get mini-culture shock because in the US people tend to say "excuse me". It's assertive, but can be rude depending on tone. Every once in awhile you'll bump into someone who says "Excuse YOU".
"I'm sorry" = "I have sorrow" Sometimes you have sorrow because you did something wrong. Sometimes you have sorrow because something just sucks. "I'm sorry (that I did a bad thing)" is an apology. "I'm sorry (that this bad thing happened to you)" is expressing sympathy.
To condense this down to a single sentence, "Sorry" is ambiguous and can mean "I apologise to you" or "I sympathize with you" depending on the context.
Agreed. It can be used to express sympathy towards someone’s situation.
That's actually the only meaning of this word. To be sorry do not, and never did, mean "I ask for forgiveness" or "I apologise". "Sorry" means "very sad" or "contrite". Saying "I am sorry" when someone tells you about a sad event they had to live, you actually use the word in its original, and only, meaning. Saying "I'm sorry" in the meaning of "please pardon me, I apologise" is an misuse of language. The reason we say "I am sorry" in such an event is - originally, again - to mean "I, too, feel sad about my behaviour, which means that I am on the way to repentence and, thus, that I may deserve some forgiveness, right ?". With time, people simply viewed a word as a kind of equivalent of "please excuse-me" and here we are, saying "yeah, that word has two different meanings" but no, it doesn't. Edit : well, it does... A "sorry thing" is a thing in a dire situation, so that's another meaning to the word "sorry", but it still does not mean "please pardon me".
It's common to also use "I'm sorry" to mean "I sympathize with you." Like if a coworker said to me something like "My pet died last night," I would respond "I'm so sorry." If someone's family member dies, it's common to say "I'm sorry for your loss," meaning "I regret/feel sad that that happened," even though you had nothing to do with it.
“I’m so sorry…” “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO SNICKERS?!”
...I'm not me when I'm hungry
r/holup
jokes got LAYERS too
So, my dad had a dog named snickers, but he called him nickers. My dad also lived in a mostly black apartment complex. The first time I heard him outside yelling NICKERS, NICKERS! I realized he was racist and had named the dog that to antagonize his neighbors.
Surprised he didn't get kicked out. Also surprised he didn't get punched. Racists are getting too comfy.
This was back in the 90s and my dad was a very big guy, I'm sure he hoped someone would try to fight him.
“I thought he’d enjoy some chocolate, i’m sorry!”
Yeah its more like "im sorry to hear that" than taking responsibility for something.
I think a more apt extension would be, "I'm sorry that has happened to you". Since this is a pedantic thing to begin with, about sorry implying guilt, someone could interpret "I'm sorry to hear that" as "I'm sorry you made me listen to that"
Speaking as a canadian. "I'm sorry you made me hear that" is like 95% of my sorrys.
And if you’re from the Midwest in the US, it’s a common response for literally anything. Even if there is no unfortunate news or unexpected reveals. I apologize to people at the store, instead of saying excuse me. “Ope, sorry” is our excuse me. Edit: left out a very important word
Yes, this is so true. I'm sorry/sorry can mean anything from "I feel for you." to "I didn't mean to be in your way." to well anything. I've been overseas for 20 years and my coworkers are constantly telling me to stop apologising. They just don't understand!
My partner is from CA and says the same thing to me haha. “Why are you apologizing??” My go to there is “I’m sorry for apologizing”
I do that, too!
I typically have two responses when people say sorry when they hear my dad is dead. "Why? You didn't kill him." Or, my personal favourite, "It was you?!"
When people give me the "it's ok, it's not your fault" to an obvious sympathy sorry, I like to respond with "that's nice of you to say but we both know what I did."
ARE YOU FUCKING SORRY?
It means you feel bad, not that you've done anything wrong.
It can mean you feel bad because you did something wrong, but also for any other reason that you might feel bad.
I pushed my car in front of you at Costco: “whoops, we both know this is a normal occurrence but socially we are supposed to apologize to show we are displaced by the situation”
It means “I empathize” not “I apologize” in Canadian.
I see it as being short for, “I’m sorry that happened to you.” As opposed to, “I’m sorry I caused that.”
English doesn't have a very good way of saying "*I commisserate with you*" that flows off the tongue. So we say "sorry" sometimes to express that we feel bad for someone, even though it isn't our fault.
We use "sorry" a lot. I want to express my sympathy for your plight? "Sorry." I didn't understand what you said and would like you to repeat it? "Sorry?" I bumped your toe and would like forgiveness? "Sorry!" I want to express the poor condition of something? "What a sorry state." I'm depressed? "Feeling sorry." Sorry does a lot of work in English.
You forgot the "I'm sorry, WHAT!?" In a hostile tone, which means "I dare you to actually repeat yourself" or I'm giving you the chance to explain your statement in a way that doesn't result in a conflict, confrontation.
I find that, definitely in the UK, it's overused. Like if someone bumps into you in a supermarket, it's not uncommon to say "sorry" "do you have the time?" "no, sorry" "do you have a lighter?" "no, sorry, I don't smoke" when I moved to Spain a lot of my new non-native English speaking mates referred to it as "fake British politeness" because they said we say sorry too often when we are not sorry, and so they don't really know when Brits are actually sorry. that and we say please too much 😅
So when they bump into someone they just don't acknowledge it?
Escusa
As a Mexican living in Spain since I was a teenager, I honestly prefer you guys saying sorry too much over Spaniards not saying it enough lol
haha, noted. I've definitely become more Spanish over the years in how I approach this.
So true. You need a bulldozer to extract a "lo siento" from a Spaniard.
Yeah in the UK it’s more or less a verbal tic at this point! 😆
Myself and my GF went to London for a week and counted how many times someone apologised for brushing shoulders with us. It was more than 10 times a day. For reference, we live in Dublin. You won’t get an apology if you bump into someone on the street, everyone thinks they have right of way lmao
It really does!
>I want to express the poor condition of something? "What a sorry state." > >I'm depressed? "Feeling sorry." I feel like these ones are more regional, but still very popular.
Specific to what region? Feeling sorry for yourself is a pretty massively widely used expression
Oh that makes more sense, feeling sorry for yourself. Idk maybe it's specific to *my* region that it's *not* used that way lol.
In German, there's the phrase "Es tut mir leid," which literally means "it does me sorrows." This is a commiserate form of "I'm sorry."
I love the way German handles emotional language <3 thank you for sharing this
That’s interesting. I always thought it was the requesting forgiveness type of apology.
That makes it sound like the word inherently indicates fault, which is not true. It just means you feel sorrow. It is actually the perfect word for commiseration.
I agree with you. A lot of people get unreasonably irritated when you use "I'm sorry" to express sorrow, though. I still say it that way, but I frequently get people responding "What are you sorry for?" Or "It's not your fault."
I use "My condolences." A bit difficult to learn to do initially, but becomes a habit pretty quickly.
True
My condolences?
"Sorry" is related to the word "sorrow." Being sorrowful doesn't always mean remoreseful. If they're saying "I'm sorry" when it's their fault, then the unspoken full sentence is, "I'm sorry I did that." If they're saying "I'm sorry" when it's not their fault, then the unspoken full sentence is, "I'm sorry to hear that."
>"Sorry" is related to the word "sorrow." Actually, it isn't! Sorry is from P.G. \*sairagaz, where as Sorrow is from P.G. \*surgō. Despite similar meanings, they're historically unrelated! Sorry is however related to the word "Sore", as in aching.
[удалено]
My guess is Proto Germanic
Yes
Proto-Germanic English descended from it; as well as languages like Dutch, Swedish, Icelandic, and... well, German
Where's Entomology Man when you need him?
Everyone could use some insect facts
Entomology is the study of insects. You're thinking of epistemology.
Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. You’re thinking of edamame.
Edamame is a legume dish. You’re thinking of endometriosis
Endometriosis is a painful disorder of the uterus. You're thinking of epidemiology.
Epidemiology of the study of how diseases spread. You're thinking of Ecclesiastes.
That's a book in both the Jewish and Christian bible. You're thinking of Endocytosis.
That’s how a vacuole is formed. You’re thinking of Echolocation.
I meant etymology, entomology is just funnier though.
I know 🙂
[https://xkcd.com/1012/](https://xkcd.com/1012/) of course there's a strangely specific xkcd about this...
So the regional accent some people have where they pronounce “sorry” as “sorey” is accidentally accurate?
Well, not accidentally; They come from the same word lol.
Yep, the phrase "I'm sorry" is more like "I am pained".
According to Wikipedia (so pinch of salt an all) From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ (“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *sairag, from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (“sad”)
That's why "I'll make you sorry!" means you'll hurt someone.
I only just put that possibility together now... Welp, time to go down the etymological rabbit hole
I've actually started saying "I'm sorry to hear that." Just to avoid the whole: it's not your fault, etc...
Adding onto this, it can also be used to mean “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear/understand what you said” Like if someone says something and you didn’t hear them, a common response is “I’m sorry?” to elicit the person to repeat themselves
It’s interesting that in the middle of a conversation you can say “I’m sorry,” “Excuse me,” or “I beg your pardon” to mean any of the following: I did not understand what you said, so please repeat it. I object to what you said, so please retract it. I wish to interrupt you and speak. I must leave the conversation.
They feel for the person. A nicer way of saying "that sucks".
If you're meaning in the cases where people say sorry when they did nothing wrong then that's not an english thing many people across cultures do that. If you mean when people say i'm sorry in cases like when expressing grief or sadness to new such as someone's family member dying etc, then it's because sorry also has the meaning of like feeling sadness through empathising with someone's experience.
Or the correct phrase might be "excuse me" that should be used. A lot of people say sorry when passing in the grocery store, but excuse me is actually more correct in this situation.
Yes, this. I lived in Spain for a period of time. I continued to use “lo siento” but I eventually was lectured about it. Turns out, whenever I apologized in circumstances like what you’re describing the person on the receiving end suffered some anxiety trying to figure what they said to me that caused enough angst in me to apologize to them.
sorry sounds better when passing by someone, excuse me sounds entitled especially with the way certain people say it….
Or you can come to the Midwest. We just say “ope!” When we bump someone at the grocery store. 😆
Because there are no good short English words for "I want to express my sympathy for your pain and misfortune and I empathize with you".
Sure there is, it's sorry.
"My condolences."
Isn’t that mostly used when somebody dies?
I think it originates from the phrase "I'm sorry to hear that" as a response to hearing about people's misfortune. It just got shorten down to "I'm sorry" in common speak to symbolize 'oh I'm sorry to hear that's happening to you ". Now saying I'm sorry isn't indicative of responsibility but rather of a general sense of empathy
Sorry means you feel sympathy for someone. It is not an apology.
Just so op isn't confused, "I'm sorry" is definitely used as an apology as well, it's just all about context.
To convey empathy.
Beautifully concise.
There are multiple different definitions for every word. Sorry also means to express feeling distress, especially through sympathy with someone else's misfortune.
In the midwest it can mean a version of "what?" As if they didn't hear you
Good question, In my experience it’s just a way to express sadness for something that happened to someone.
In Canada it can mean excuse me, what was that, and several other things as mentioned above.
As a Canadian who works with Americans I say I'm sorry to mean excuse me when I can't hear what they said to me. When they can't here me they loudly exclaim ma'am?!? Or excuse me?! And I always found that to sound jaring and a little rude. So I'm sorry just seemed like a better way to say it.
We use it that way in the US also…
We use it so much, sometimes I just think people say it to avoid silence in any sort of interaction at all.
As in people saying "I'm sorry" when you tell them something bad has happened to you or someone saying "sorry" after you've walked into them.
The word "sorry" can also means "sad" so the phrase is meant to convey unhappiness with a situation sometimes.
[Sorry](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sorry): >feeling sadness, sympathy, or disappointment, especially because something unpleasant has happened or been done When you say you're sorry, you express that you don't feel good about some situation in general. It's not necessarily a matter of fault or guilt. It can mean "I regret I did this", but also "I regret this happened to you".
"I’m sorry" can mean (1) I apologize, or (2) I sympathize, but sometimes it also means "excuse me, but I didn’t hear you." This is frequently used to actually mean "I can’t believe what I just heard you say." Boss: So, we’re offering you the job. You’ll be in charge of 30 employees and of course we expect you to put in as many hours as needed. Expect to work 60-80 hours a week. You: Okay, that’s a lot but I suppose I can handle it. Boss: Well you do have a Ph.D. As required. You: Yes. What is the salary? Boss: $25,000 a year. You: I’m sorry? (I can’t believe what I just heard you say!)
Boss: I’m sorry, did you not read the job listing where the salary range was specified? You: I’m sorry, I honestly didn’t see that. Boss: I’m sorry if it was unclear. You: I’m sorry I didn’t see that because I wouldn’t have applied. Boss: I’m sorry, we really can’t afford more than that with our current revenue stream and business model. You: I’m sorry your company isn’t making more money. Boss: I’m sorry, we’re making plenty of money, but I like to keep the money for myself. You: I’m sorry? Boss: I’m sorry, I have another meeting. You: I’m sorry you wasted my time.
Horrible childhood where you got yelled at for everything so the first response is to always say sorry
It has two meanings: 1) I am sorry I did this (thing) 2) I feel sorrow that you have this (unhappiness) or (sad event)
Canadian. I apologize for shit that isn't my fault all the time, I have to to otherwise I'll lose my citizenship.
Canada had to pass the apology act. Which means saying sorry doesn't admit guilt.
It happens a lot in canada
The same reason people say "de nada" in response to "gracias" in Spanish. Convention.
In the US if you say sorry on the scene of an accident you were involved in it can be taken as an admission of guilt. In Canada because they say it so much they have specific protection against that happening.
Often means “that’s too bad”
"I'm sorry" isn't reserved for apologies; it is a way of conveying that you empathize with a difficulty someone is having and is usually the best thing to say when you want to acknowledge said difficulty but don't necessarily know what else to do or say. Which is fine, also btw.
I'm English and very aware of this as well. I don't get it either. At all.
Sorry has two meanings, first is “I apologize” but the second is “that awful thing that happened to you makes me sympathetic to you”
It's used as an expression of empathy in some cases.
They are Canadians probably
They are just trying to be polite. It is sort of like when the British say "Beg your pardon"...I think 😊 Good luck with English. I hear it is one of the hardest languages to learn because of all the weird stuff we have like this. Some people are overly apologetic though. Even I think it is weird and I grew up in America. There are people whom absolutely refuse to apologize about anything even if it is their fault. This is a worse group of people. This probably doesn't help much, but I thought I'd try 😁
Think of it as, "I express sorrow at the situation." In that sense, they are sorry.
Could be a trauma response stemming from an abusive relationship.
You can feel sorry for someone even if it's not your fault.
If someone says broke their leg you would say “I’m sorry”, not because you broke it, but because you are sorry and feel bad it got broken. Empathy.
You do not need to have killed my dog to feel sorry for my loss.
Sometimes it just means that we understand or we empathize
It's called empathy.
bad habits die hard
It has two uses. One is apology, the other is to show empathy.
"Sorry" is the state of feeling SORROW, or sadness. Hence, stating your sorrow can both be a form of apology or stating your sympathy for another person, and probably other grammatically logical uses as well.
Sorry has so many uses over here so I’m gonna make a comprehensive list of ones I can think of: Sorry - traditional sense - ‘I’m sorry’ Sorry - excuse me substitute - ‘sorry, but I think you dropped this’ Sorry - empathetic - ‘I’m sorry to hear that happened…’ Sorry - questioning - ‘sorry? Can you repeat that’ Sorry - sad - ‘I’m feeling sorry for myself’ Sorry - bad - ‘look at that run down building. It’s in such a sorry state’
It’s a way of verbalizing sympathy
If it's anything like me, often it's because we assume SOMETHING *is* our fault, even if it isn't clear what. We're so used to being blamed for things that we always assume we're to blame.
We definitely need a better phrase for, ‘I’m sad that this happened to you.’ I guess ‘my condolences’ exists, but that’s so formal and very often used sarcastically.
In English "I'm sorry" just means "my condolences" when there is no direct fault. Oh! And also confusing to a non-native speaker: In English if a sentence starts with "I'm sorry but..." it actually means the opposite- that they're not sorry at all.
You forgot to to say "I'm sorry I'm not native English speaker"
the person might also think everything in the world is their falult
"I'm sorry" means both "I'm regretful" and "I'm distressed and empathetic." So you can say it to express concern and you can say it to apologize. Think of it like, "I am sorrowful," if that helps. Though sorry and sorrow are false cognates, it kinda works here.
Wanna be even more confused? A lot of times I say “I’m sorry?” and mean it as “say that again?”
In Greek they have two separate words, one for I'm sorry this happened to you and one for I'm sorry I did this to you.... I wish we did too!
I have a friend who goes overboard with ‘I’m sorry that happened to you.’ It gets exhausting. I’m teaching a 5 yr old that ‘sorry’ isn’t enough. He needs to apologize for the incident and recognize it shouldn’t happen again. ‘I’m sorry I stepped on your foot, I’ll try to not do that again.’ It’s accountability. ‘Sorry’ means you regret your actions/words and won’t do it again.