How to Say Sorry in Hebrew: Casual and Formal
Hebrew has one easy, everyday sorry word plus a phrase that changes depending on whether the speaker is male or female. Here are the main ways to apologize, with transliteration, pronunciation, and gender notes.
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What's in this guide
The quick answer
The word you will use constantly is סליחה slicha (slee-KHA). It means both sorry and excuse me, so it covers apologizing, interrupting, and getting attention. It does not change with gender, which makes it easy.
When you feel genuine regret, use מצטער mitzta'er (meets-ta-ER) if you are male, or מצטערת mitzta'eret (meets-ta-ER-et) if you are female. Both mean I'm sorry.
Why the word changes with the speaker
Hebrew verbs and adjectives agree with the speaker's gender, and מצטער is one of them. A man says mitzta'er; a woman says mitzta'eret, adding the -et ending. It depends on who is speaking, not who is listening.
The full phrase is אני מצטער ani mitzta'er (I'm sorry, male) or אני מצטערת ani mitzta'eret (I'm sorry, female). Good news: the everyday word סליחה slicha stays the same for everyone.
Casual ways to say sorry
Among friends, סליחה slicha is the natural, all-purpose choice for small slips and getting by. It is friendly and light. Israelis also use the English sorry in very casual speech and texting.
For a quick minor apology, slicha on its own is plenty. If you truly feel bad, switch to mitzta'er or mitzta'eret so it reads as sincere rather than routine.
Formal and sincere apologies
Hebrew is fairly informal, so סליחה and אני מצטער / מצטערת cover most needs politely. To strengthen an apology, say אני ממש מצטער ani mamash mitzta'er (I'm really sorry), adjusting to mitzta'eret for a female speaker.
To ask forgiveness more explicitly, תסלח לי tislach li (tees-LAKH lee) means forgive me to a male, and תסלחי לי tislachi li (tees-le-KHEE lee) to a female. Here the ending matches the listener, not the speaker.
Hebrew sorry phrases at a glance
- סליחה slicha (slee-KHA) — sorry / excuse me, all-purpose (no gender change)
- מצטער mitzta'er (meets-ta-ER) — I'm sorry, said by a male
- מצטערת mitzta'eret (meets-ta-ER-et) — I'm sorry, said by a female
- אני מצטער / אני מצטערת ani mitzta'er / ani mitzta'eret — I'm sorry (male / female)
- אני ממש מצטער/ת ani mamash mitzta'er/et — I'm really sorry
- תסלח לי / תסלחי לי tislach li / tislachi li — forgive me (to a male / to a female)
Match speaker and setting: slicha for a light sorry, mitzta'er/mitzta'eret for real regret.
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Common mistakes learners make
The main mistake is a man saying מצטערת or a woman saying מצטער. Remember: mitzta'er for male speakers, mitzta'eret (with -et) for female speakers.
Second, the ch in slicha is the throaty kh sound (like the ch in Bach), not an English ch. Say slee-KHA, with a soft rasp at the end.
Third, do not overthink סליחה. Because it never changes for gender, learners sometimes assume there must be a catch. There is not; it is genuinely the easy, universal word.
How to respond to an apology
When someone apologizes, common replies are אין בעיה ein be'aya (ayn beh-ah-YA, no problem), זה בסדר ze beseder (zeh beh-SEH-der, it's fine), and לא נורא lo nora (lo no-RA, it's not terrible / no big deal). A warm זה בסדר is the everyday reassurance.
These short answers help you accept an apology smoothly. They come up all the time in Hebrew, so learn them alongside the apologies.
Make it automatic
The throaty kh in slicha and the male versus female endings only settle when you say them out loud. Practice your own correct form, mitzta'er or mitzta'eret, until it is instant, and get comfortable with the soft rasp in slicha.
Try a few small scenes aloud: getting past someone (slicha), apologizing sincerely, asking forgiveness. Use your own gender ending where it matters. Rehearsing these short exchanges out loud, even with an AI speaking partner, builds the reflex so you never fumble the ending when it counts.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the most common way to say sorry in Hebrew?
Slicha is the everyday all-purpose word, meaning both sorry and excuse me. It does not change with gender, so anyone can use it.
Why does mitzta'er change to mitzta'eret?
Because it agrees with the speaker's gender. A man says mitzta'er and a woman says mitzta'eret, adding the -et ending. It depends on who is speaking.
How do you pronounce slicha?
Roughly slee-KHA. The ch is a throaty kh sound like the ch in Bach, not an English ch.
How do I ask someone to forgive me in Hebrew?
Say tislach li to a male or tislachi li to a female. Here the ending matches the listener you are addressing, not the speaker.