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Questions & Answers about ขอโทษ ค่ะ
What is the literal translation of ขอโทษ?
The word is made of two parts. ขอ means 'to ask for' and โทษ means 'blame' or 'punishment'. So when you say ขอโทษ, you are literally asking for the blame or asking for forgiveness.
Can I use ขอโทษ to say 'excuse me' if I need to get past someone?
Yes! This word is used both to apologize ('I am sorry') and to politely get someone's attention or ask them to move ('Excuse me').
I see women use both ค่ะ and คะ. Why is it ค่ะ in this sentence?
Female speakers use ค่ะ (falling tone) for statements and คะ (high tone) for questions. Since an apology is a statement, you use ค่ะ. Male speakers would use ครับ instead.
Does the word ขอโทษ change if I am talking to a stranger versus a friend?
The word ขอโทษ stays the same regardless of who you are speaking to. Adding the polite particle ค่ะ (or ครับ for men) makes it polite enough for strangers and elders, while still being perfectly normal to use with friends.