Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

I would like to apologize belatedly.

Breakdown of Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

• ich: I
• möchten: would like to
• mich: myself
• nachträglich: afterwards
• entschuldigen: to apologize

Questions & Answers about Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

Why is mich used here? Why not just Ich möchte nachträglich entschuldigen?

In German, sich entschuldigen is a reflexive verb: it literally means to apologize oneself.

• Ich möchte mich entschuldigen. = I would like to apologize.
• The reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, etc.) is required; without it, the verb sounds incomplete or wrong in this meaning.

Ich möchte nachträglich entschuldigen sounds like “I would like to excuse/post-justify (something)” and is not how you say I’d like to apologize in German. You almost always need the reflexive pronoun with entschuldigen when you’re talking about yourself apologizing:

• Ich entschuldige mich.
• Er möchte sich entschuldigen.
• Wir haben uns entschuldigt.

Why is entschuldigen in the infinitive and not entschuldige or entschuldige mich?

Because of möchte, which behaves like a modal verb.

In German, when you use a modal verb (like können, wollen, mögen, müssen, etc.):

• The modal is conjugated.
• The main verb goes to the end of the sentence in the infinitive.

So:

• Ich entschuldige mich. – simple present, no modal.
• Ich möchte mich entschuldigen. – möchte = conjugated modal, entschuldigen = infinitive at the end.

Structure:

• Ich (subject)
• möchte (conjugated modal)
• mich (reflexive pronoun)
• nachträglich (adverb)
• entschuldigen (infinitive main verb at the end)

What is the nuance of möchte here compared to Ich entschuldige mich or Ich will mich entschuldigen?

The choice changes how direct or polite the sentence sounds.

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

  • Literally: I would like to apologize belatedly.
  • Polite, tentative, a bit formal. You’re offering your apology, not bluntly stating it.

• Ich entschuldige mich (nachträglich).

  • More direct, like I apologize (now).
  • Can sound neutral, but in some contexts it might feel blunt or like you’re just making a formal statement.

• Ich will mich entschuldigen.

  • Literally: I want to apologize.
  • Stronger, more willful; in many contexts it sounds too direct and less polite than möchte.

In most polite spoken or written contexts (emails, meetings, formal situations), möchte is preferred because it softens the statement and shows consideration.

What exactly does nachträglich mean here, and why is it used?

Nachträglich means after the fact / belatedly / later than would have been appropriate.

In this sentence, it adds the idea that:

• The apology is late.
• You should have apologized earlier, but you are doing it now.

So:

• Ich möchte mich entschuldigen. – I’d like to apologize.
• Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen. – I’d like to apologize belatedly / afterwards, for something that has already happened and should have been addressed earlier.

It’s common in contexts like a late birthday wish, a late apology, or correcting something after the usual time.

Why is the word order mich nachträglich entschuldigen and not nachträglich mich entschuldigen?

German has a fairly flexible middle field, but there is a strong tendency:

• Pronouns (like mich, dich, ihn) usually come before other objects and adverbs.

So the typical order here is:

1. Reflexive pronoun: mich
2. Adverb: nachträglich
3. Main verb (infinitive at the end): entschuldigen

Hence: … mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

You could technically say Ich möchte nachträglich mich entschuldigen, but it sounds odd and unidiomatic to most native speakers. The default, natural order is mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

Is Ich möchte mich entschuldigen actually correct? I’ve heard some people say that only others can “excuse” you.

There is a theoretical/prescriptive argument that:

• entschuldigen = to excuse (someone), so only others can really entschuldigen you.
• Therefore, you should say Ich möchte um Entschuldigung bitten (I’d like to ask for forgiveness), not Ich möchte mich entschuldigen (I’d like to excuse myself).

However, in real, modern German:

• Ich möchte mich (nachträglich) entschuldigen is completely standard and widely accepted.
• You will hear and read it all the time, including in formal contexts.

So from a practical learner’s perspective:

• It is correct and idiomatic.
• The prescriptive criticism is more of a linguistic curiosity than a real usage rule today.

How does this compare to saying Es tut mir leid?

Both are ways of apologizing, but the focus is different.

• Es tut mir leid.

  • Literally: It does sorrow to me.
  • Equivalent to I’m sorry.
  • Expresses regret and emotional apology directly.

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen.

  • Literally: I would like to apologize belatedly.
  • More formal and structured, often used to introduce an apology, especially in letters, emails, speeches.

Often, you might combine them:

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich für mein Verhalten entschuldigen. Es tut mir wirklich leid.
  – I’d like to apologize belatedly for my behavior. I’m really sorry.

How can I say who I’m apologizing to and what I’m apologizing for in this structure?

You add:

• bei + Dativ for the person you’re apologizing to.
• für + Akkusativ for what you’re apologizing for.

Examples:

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich bei dir entschuldigen.
  – I’d like to apologize to you belatedly.

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich für mein Verhalten entschuldigen.
  – I’d like to apologize belatedly for my behavior.

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich bei Ihnen für die Verspätung entschuldigen.
  – I’d like to apologize to you (formal) belatedly for the delay.

Full pattern: Ich möchte mich nachträglich bei [Person, Dativ] für [Sache, Akkusativ] entschuldigen.

Is nachträglich the only way to say “belatedly” here? Could I say später or verspätet instead?

You have options, but they are not fully interchangeable:

• nachträglich

  • Neutral, standard for after the fact / retroactively / belatedly.
  • Very natural with apologies, congratulations, thanks, etc.

• später

  • Just means later, not specifically “belated”.
  • Ich möchte mich später entschuldigen = I’d like to apologize later (in the future), not belatedly.

• verspätet

  • Means late / delayed and is often used as an adjective: eine verspätete Entschuldigung (a belated apology).
  • You normally wouldn’t say Ich möchte mich verspätet entschuldigen; that sounds odd.

For this sentence, nachträglich is the most natural, idiomatic choice.

How would this sentence change with different subjects (you, he, we, etc.)?

Only möchte and the reflexive pronoun change; nachträglich entschuldigen stays the same:

• Ich möchte mich nachträglich entschuldigen. – I would like to apologize belatedly.
• Du möchtest dich nachträglich entschuldigen. – You would like to apologize belatedly.
• Er/Sie/Es möchte sich nachträglich entschuldigen. – He/She/It would like to apologize belatedly.
• Wir möchten uns nachträglich entschuldigen. – We would like to apologize belatedly.
• Ihr möchtet euch nachträglich entschuldigen. – You (plural, informal) would like to apologize belatedly.
• Sie möchten sich nachträglich entschuldigen. – They / You (formal) would like to apologize belatedly.

Pattern: [Subject] + möchte(n/t) + [reflexive pronoun] + nachträglich entschuldigen.