Apologizing & Making Amends

Saying sorry sincerely and offering to make things right.

You
Discúlpame, fue mi culpa. Lo siento mucho.
dees-COOL-pah-meh, fweh mee COOL-pah. loh SYEHN-toh MOO-choh
Excuse me, it was my fault. I'm very sorry.
"Discúlpame" is more personal than "disculpe" — use the -me form when apologizing directly to someone you know.
Friend
No te preocupes, estas cosas pasan.
noh teh preh-OH-koo-pehs, EHS-tahs KOH-sahs PAH-sahn
Don't worry, these things happen.
You
Déjame compensarte. ¿Te puedo invitar a cenar?
DEH-hah-meh kohm-pehn-SAHR-teh. teh PWEH-doh een-bee-TAHR ah seh-NAHR
Let me make it up to you. Can I take you out to dinner?
"Invitar" in Latin America often means to treat someone — "te invito" means "my treat."
Friend
No hace falta, pero gracias por ofrecerlo.
noh AH-seh FAHL-tah, PEH-roh GRAH-syahs pohr oh-freh-SEHR-loh
That's not necessary, but thanks for offering.
"No hace falta" is a very common way to say something isn't needed — softer than a direct "no."
You
Insisto. Quiero que sepas que lo siento de verdad.
een-SEES-toh. KYEH-roh keh SEH-pahs keh loh SYEHN-toh deh behr-DAHD
I insist. I want you to know that I'm truly sorry.