Apologizing and Excuse-Me

Greek does not use one expression for every English use of sorry. The central choice is between συγγνώμη, which acknowledges an intrusion or fault, and λυπάμαι, which expresses regret or sympathy about an unfortunate situation. Choosing the speech act matters more than translating the English word literally.

Συγγνώμη: an apology or a request for attention

Συγγνώμη is the ordinary neutral formula for admitting a small fault: being late, bumping into someone, interrupting, or misunderstanding. It can stand alone, but συγγνώμη που + clause makes the reason explicit. The formula itself does not encode familiar or polite address, so the surrounding pronouns and verb forms show the relationship.

The same word also introduces a question or gets someone's attention. In this use, English often says excuse me, not sorry. The speaker is politely claiming a moment of the other person's attention before making the real request.

Με συγχωρείτε: a more careful excuse-me

Με συγχωρείτε literally asks the listener to forgive you. With the polite/plural verb συγχωρείτε, it is (formal) or carefully polite and works well when interrupting a stranger, correcting yourself in public, or addressing someone in an official setting. Με συγχωρείς is the familiar singular version, but everyday friends are often more likely simply to use συγγνώμη.

This phrase is polite, but it can sound ceremonious for a tiny mishap among close friends. Register is relational: an older stranger may receive με συγχωρείτε, while the same speaker may say συγγνώμη to a sibling. The politeness formulas page explains the wider choice between familiar and polite address.

Λυπάμαι: regret and sympathy

Λυπάμαι means “I am sorry” in the sense “I regret this” or “I feel sorrow about this.” It is therefore natural when the bad event is not a minor intrusion that you are repairing: disappointing news, illness, a cancelled plan, or bereavement. Λυπάμαι πολύ and λυπάμαι βαθιά are appropriate in serious sympathy; tone and context keep them from sounding like routine apologies.

There is some overlap: λυπάμαι που σε στενοχώρησα sincerely regrets harm that you caused. Even then, συγγνώμη is the clearer conventional apology. By contrast, σε λυπάμαι means “I pity you” and can sound condescending; it is not a condolence formula.

Accepting an apology

Common friendly responses include δεν πειράζει “it doesn't matter / it's all right” and κανένα πρόβλημα “no problem.” They accept the repair without making the other speaker repeat the apology. Τι να κάνουμε; literally asks “what can we do?” and expresses resignation about something that cannot now be changed. It is warmer and more fatalistic than a simple “no problem,” so it suits a shared setback better than serious harm.

A response should match the seriousness of the event. Δεν πειράζει is generous after a harmless mistake, but it may sound dismissive if someone has disclosed grief. In that setting, acknowledge the feeling instead of trying to erase it.

Spelling and grammar of συγγνώμη

The standard spelling is συγγνώμη, with γγ and ω. The frequent spelling × συγνώμη drops one gamma and should be avoided in edited Standard Greek. In ζητώ συγγνώμη “I ask forgiveness,” the noun is the direct object and therefore accusative, but this feminine noun has the same visible form in nominative and accusative singular.

The expression ζητώ συγγνώμη is more explicit and often more serious than a stand-alone συγγνώμη. It occurs in careful speech and public statements as well as personal apologies.

Common Mistakes

Using λυπάμαι merely to attract attention

English sorry before a question tempts learners to use λυπάμαι. That reports regret; it does not normally open a request to a stranger.

Treating σε λυπάμαι as a condolence

The object construction σε λυπάμαι means “I pity you” and can place the speaker above the listener. For sympathy, use an impersonal reason or refer to the news.

Misspelling the apology

Write συγγνώμη, not × συγνώμη. The spelling does not change when the word is the object of ζητώ.

Using τι να κάνουμε after serious harm

Τι να κάνουμε appropriately accepts an unavoidable inconvenience; it can trivialize loss or injury. Match the response to what happened.

Key Takeaways

• Συγγνώμη repairs a fault or politely claims attention; με συγχωρείτε is more careful or formal.
• Λυπάμαι expresses regret or sympathy, especially about bad news and loss.
• Δεν πειράζει and κανένα πρόβλημα accept minor apologies; τι να κάνουμε accepts an unavoidable setback.
• Standard spelling is always συγγνώμη, including in ζητώ συγγνώμη.