Sorry in Thai: khǎw-thôot and other apologies
What you will be able to do
Apologise in Thai at the right weight for the moment, from bumping someone in a queue to a real mistake, use the same word to say excuse me, and recognise the formal apology on signs and in messages.
Sorry in Thai is ขอโทษ (khǎw-thôot), and like every polite phrase it takes a particle: ขอโทษครับ (khǎw-thôot khráp) if you are a man, ขอโทษค่ะ (khǎw-thôot khâ) if you are a woman. You will see it spelled kho thot or khor toht in English. The first syllable rises and the second falls, and the t at the end is not released. Literally it is "ask for pardon", and it does the work of both "sorry" and "excuse me".
Sorry and excuse me: the same word
Use ขอโทษครับ or ขอโทษค่ะ to get a stranger's attention before you ask a question, to interrupt someone at a counter, or when you bump into someone. To squeeze past people on a crowded bus or in a narrow soi, the more exact phrase is ขอทางหน่อย (khǎw thaang nàwy), literally "ask for the way a little", with a particle on the end.
Softer and stronger apologies
ขอโทษนะ (khǎw-thôot ná) is softer and warmer, the apology between friends or to someone you have kept waiting. For a real mistake, add จริงๆ (jing-jing), really: ขอโทษจริงๆครับ (khǎw-thôot jing-jing khráp). A serious apology to someone older, to a teacher or to your partner's parents is often made with a wai, and a lower one than you would use to greet them.
Khǎw à-phai: the formal apology
On signs, in announcements and in company messages you will meet ขออภัย (khǎw à-phai), the formal written form of sorry. The standard line is ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก (khǎw à-phai nai khwaam mâi sà-dùak), sorry for the inconvenience, on road works, closed counters and delayed trains. You do not need to say it yourself in conversation, but you will read it every week.
Sǐa-jai is not an apology
English uses sorry for two different things, and Thai does not. เสียใจ (sǐa-jai) means sad or sorry about something that has happened, not sorry for something you did. เสียใจด้วย (sǐa-jai dûay) is "I'm sorry to hear that" or "my condolences", said about a death, an illness or bad news. Say ขอโทษ when you are at fault and เสียใจด้วย when you sympathise.
How to reply to an apology
When someone apologises to you, the reply is ไม่เป็นไร (mâi bpen rai): never mind, it's fine, no harm done. It is the most common answer in the language, and Mai pen rai: the Thai never mind explains why Thai people use it so readily. Keep your voice level while you say it; a calm reply matters more than the words.
Examples
| Thai | Sound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ขอโทษครับ | khǎw-thôot khráp | sorry, excuse me (said by a man) |
| ขอโทษค่ะ | khǎw-thôot khâ | sorry, excuse me (said by a woman) |
| ขอโทษนะ | khǎw-thôot ná | sorry (softer, friendly) |
| ขอโทษจริงๆ | khǎw-thôot jing-jing | I am really sorry |
| ขอทางหน่อย | khǎw thaang nàwy | excuse me, can I get past |
| ขออภัยในความไม่สะดวก | khǎw à-phai nai khwaam mâi sà-dùak | sorry for the inconvenience (formal) |
| เสียใจด้วย | sǐa-jai dûay | I am sorry to hear that |
| ไม่เป็นไร | mâi bpen rai | never mind, it is fine |
Common mistake
The mistake to fix first is using เสียใจ to apologise. Say เสียใจ after stepping on someone's foot and you have told them you feel sad about it, not that you are sorry you did it. The second is saying ไม่เป็นไร yourself after you have caused a problem: that is the other person's line, and from you it sounds as if you are brushing it off.