Przepraszam, ale czasami jem kolację późno.

Sorry, but I sometimes eat dinner late.

Breakdown of Przepraszam, ale czasami jem kolację późno.

• ja: I
• ale: but
• czasami: sometimes
• jeść: to eat

Questions & Answers about Przepraszam, ale czasami jem kolację późno.

Why is there a comma after Przepraszam?

In Polish, Przepraszam can work like a short interjection (“Excuse me / Sorry”) that’s separated from the main sentence. The comma marks that pause: Przepraszam, ale…
You’ll often see this pattern with other sentence openers too, e.g. Szczerze mówiąc, … (“Honestly, …”).

What exactly does Przepraszam mean here—“sorry” or “excuse me”?

Both are possible in general, but in this kind of sentence it’s usually a polite “sorry” used to soften what you’re about to say (like “Sorry, but…”).
Przepraszam can also mean “excuse me” to get someone’s attention (in a shop, on the street), but then it’s often a standalone word or followed by a request/question.

Why use ale (“but”) after Przepraszam?

Przepraszam, ale… is a very common softening formula. It introduces a contrast: “I’m sorry, but (this is the situation / I have to say…)”.
It can sound more polite than stating the fact directly.

What part of speech is czasami, and can it move around in the sentence?

Czasami is an adverb meaning “sometimes.” It’s flexible in position:

• Czasami jem kolację późno. (neutral)
• Jem czasami kolację późno. (also fine; slightly different emphasis)
• Jem kolację późno czasami. (possible, but less natural)Polish word order is more about emphasis than fixed rules.