Sorry in Vietnamese: How to Say Xin Lỗi Naturally
The standard way to say sorry in Vietnamese is xin lỗi. It also means "excuse me", so it works after a small mistake or before a polite interruption. For a personal apology, add the relationship terms: em xin lỗi anh or con xin lỗi mẹ. Use rất tiếc instead when English "sorry" expresses regret rather than accepting blame.
Xin Lỗi: The Basic Sorry
Xin lỗi works as a complete apology. Say it after bumping into someone, making a small mistake, or causing an inconvenience. The same phrase politely opens a question or interruption.
After a mistake
Xin lỗi.
Sorry.
Before a polite question
Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi...
Excuse me, may I ask...
Treat it as one phrase
Lỗi means "fault", "mistake", or "error". The history of the full expression is less tidy than a simple word-for-word translation suggests. Learn xin lỗi as the normal fixed phrase for apologizing.
VietnamesePod101
Prefer a ready-made system? Review Northern Vietnamese with native audio, example sentences, and spaced-repetition flashcards tied to structured lessons.
Add the Right Pronouns
A personal Vietnamese apology often names both the speaker and the listener. These terms show the relationship, not just grammatical person. Put xin lỗi between them.
The reusable pattern
speaker term + xin lỗi + listener term
In Em xin lỗi anh, em is the younger speaker and anh is the older male listener.
| Vietnamese | Speaker and listener |
|---|---|
| Em xin lỗi anh. | Younger speaker to an older man |
| Em xin lỗi chị. | Younger speaker to an older woman |
| Con xin lỗi mẹ. | Child to mother |
| Cháu xin lỗi cô. | Younger speaker to a woman around a parent's age |
| Tôi xin lỗi anh / chị. | Neutral or formal workplace apology |
The address terms follow the same relationship system used in Vietnamese greetings. Age matters, but family role, familiarity, and the terms already in use matter too.
A respectful full apology
Dạ, cháu xin lỗi cô ạ.
Dạ acknowledges the older listener at the start. Final ạ adds politeness. The relationship terms still carry most of the sentence.
Apologize for a Specific Mistake
A stronger apology says what went wrong. Use vì before a reason, noun, or clause. Use vì đã before a completed action such as arriving late or forgetting an appointment.
Xin lỗi + person + vì + reason
Xin lỗi anh vì sự chậm trễ. — I am sorry for the delay.
This pattern works when the reason is a noun phrase.
Xin lỗi + person + vì đã + action
Em xin lỗi anh vì đã quên cuộc hẹn. — I am sorry for forgetting the appointment.
Đã places the forgotten action before the apology.
| Vietnamese | English |
|---|---|
| Xin lỗi vì đã đến muộn. | Sorry for arriving late |
| Xin lỗi, tôi không cố ý. | Sorry, I did not mean to |
| Em sẽ cẩn thận hơn. | I will be more careful |
Casual, Serious, and Formal Apologies
The basic phrase stays the same, but the words around it change the weight. A final particle suits a small mistake with a friend. Serious and public apologies use direct intensifiers, a reason, or a request for forgiveness.
| Vietnamese | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Xin lỗi nhé. / Xin lỗi nha. | Sorry | Friendly, small mistake |
| Tôi thật sự xin lỗi. | I am truly sorry | Serious and personal |
| Chúng tôi chân thành xin lỗi vì sự bất tiện này. | We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience | Formal or organizational |
| Mong anh tha thứ cho em. | I hope you can forgive me | Serious request for forgiveness |
| Xin thông cảm. | Please understand | Request for understanding |
| Xin thứ lỗi. | Please forgive me | Formal, literary, or translated |
Thông cảm is not the same as admitting fault
Xin thông cảm asks the listener to understand a difficult situation. Pair it with xin lỗi when you also need to accept responsibility.
Save thứ lỗi for formal language
Xin thứ lỗi appears most often in literary work and translation. Plain xin lỗi fits ordinary conversation better.
Xin Lỗi Also Means Excuse Me
Use xin lỗi before intruding, interrupting, or asking a stranger a question. No mistake has happened yet. The phrase politely acknowledges the attention or space you are about to take.
Asking for directions
A: Xin lỗi chị, cho em hỏi nhà vệ sinh ở đâu ạ? — Excuse me, may I ask where the restroom is?
B: Ở bên kia. — It is over there.
| Vietnamese | English | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi... | Excuse me, may I ask... | Opening a question |
| Xin lỗi anh / chị. | Excuse me | Getting someone's attention |
| Xin lỗi, cho tôi qua. | Excuse me, let me through | Passing in a crowded place |
When Sorry Is Not Xin Lỗi
English uses "sorry" for apology, regret, sympathy, and condolences. Vietnamese separates these meanings. Choose xin lỗi only when you are apologizing or politely intruding.
Xin lỗi
Xin lỗi, tôi đến muộn.
Sorry, I am late.
You caused or anticipate an inconvenience.
Rất tiếc
Rất tiếc, chúng tôi hết phòng đôi rồi ạ.
I am sorry, we are out of double rooms.
You regret an unfortunate fact or deliver bad news.
Xin chia buồn
Xin chia buồn với gia đình.
My condolences to the family.
You are responding to a death or bereavement.
Rất tiếc expresses regret without automatically accepting fault. Chia buồn literally carries the idea of sharing sadness. Neither is a stronger version of xin lỗi; each has a different job.
How to Reply When Someone Says Xin Lỗi
For a small mistake, reply with không sao or the warmer không sao đâu. Both reassure the speaker that the problem is minor. A serious apology may need a real conversation instead of an automatic formula.
| Vietnamese | English | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Không sao. | No problem | Simple and neutral |
| Không sao đâu. | It is okay / Do not worry | Reassuring |
| Không có gì. | It is nothing | Minor issue |
| Đừng lo. | Do not worry | Warm reassurance |
Không có gì also appears as a reply to thank you in Vietnamese. Context tells you whether it means "you are welcome" or "it is nothing".
Northern and Southern Pronunciation
Xin lỗi has the same spelling and uses across Vietnam. The casual final particle and the sound of each vowel or tone can change by region. The largest difference is the ngã tone on lỗi.
| Feature | Northern Vietnamese | Southern Vietnamese |
|---|---|---|
| Core phrase | Xin lỗi | Xin lỗi |
| Friendly particle | Xin lỗi nhé | Xin lỗi nha |
| Vowel in xin | A front i vowel in a Hanoi accent | A more central vowel in a Saigon accent |
| Tone on lỗi | High and rising, with brief constriction | Low, dipping, then rising |
Huế keeps the front vowel in xin, but its tone on lỗi falls from mid to low. That is why a single English respelling such as sin loy cannot represent all three accents. Keep the Vietnamese spelling and copy the regional model you are learning.
Nhé is chiefly northern and common in writing. Nha is common in Central and Southern conversation. Both make a small apology feel friendlier.
Compare the full sound systems in the Northern Vietnamese guide and Southern Vietnamese guide. The Vietnamese alphabet and tone guide explains the mark above ỗ.
Common Mistakes
The phrase itself is easy to remember. Most trouble comes from missing tone marks, translating the wrong kind of "sorry", or choosing a distant pronoun. Fix the context before adding more words.
Writing xin loi
The correct spelling is xin lỗi. The tilde on ỗ is the tone mark, and the circumflex is part of the vowel letter.
Using xin lỗi for sympathy
English "sorry" may express regret without blame. Use rất tiếc for bad news and xin chia buồn for condolences.
Defaulting to tôi with family
Tôi xin lỗi is clear, but con xin lỗi mẹ fits a child speaking to a mother. Reuse the relationship terms already established.
Stopping after two words
Plain xin lỗi suits a small accident. For a serious mistake, name what happened and say what you will do next.
Sorry in Vietnamese: Quick Reference
Start with xin lỗi. Add relationship terms for a personal apology, vì for the reason, and stronger language only when the mistake calls for it.
| Vietnamese | English | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Xin lỗi. | Sorry / Excuse me | Safe default |
| Em xin lỗi anh / chị. | I am sorry | Younger speaker to older listener |
| Xin lỗi vì đã đến muộn. | Sorry for arriving late | Specific completed action |
| Xin lỗi nhé / nha. | Sorry | Friendly, small mistake |
| Tôi thật sự xin lỗi. | I am truly sorry | Serious apology |
| Xin lỗi, cho tôi hỏi... | Excuse me, may I ask... | Polite question |
| Rất tiếc. | I am sorry / Unfortunately | Regret without accepting fault |
| Xin chia buồn. | My condolences | Bereavement |
| Không sao đâu. | It is okay / Do not worry | Reply to a minor apology |
FAQ
Looking for Resources?
Explore our hand-picked learning resources in the library. Browse the full library with filters for dialect, skills and more, to find the best resources for your learning goals.