How to Say Sorry in Portuguese: Casual and Formal

The quick answer

The everyday word is Desculpa (dish-KOOL-pa in Portugal, jis-KOOW-pa in Brazil) for casual situations, and Desculpe (dish-KOOL-peh) for formal ones. Both mean sorry or excuse me and cover small mistakes and interruptions.

When you truly feel bad, say Sinto muito (SEEN-too MWEEN-too), meaning I'm very sorry. It carries real weight and is also used to express sympathy, like the English I'm so sorry for your loss.

Casual ways to say sorry

With friends and family, Desculpa is the natural choice. In Brazil you will also hear Me desculpa (me jis-KOOW-pa), which puts the me up front and sounds warm and personal. A light Foi mal (foy mal, my bad) is very common casual slang in Brazil for small slips.

For a quick, low-stakes apology, Desculpa on its own is enough. You can soften it with Desculpa aí in Brazil or add tá (okay) to check things are fine. These feel relaxed and friendly.

Formal and polite apologies

In formal settings, use Desculpe or the fuller Desculpe-me (dish-KOOL-peh-meh), meaning excuse me / forgive me. To ask pardon more explicitly, say Peço desculpa (Portugal) or Peço desculpas (Brazil), literally I ask forgiveness.

A single, slightly formal Perdão (per-DOWN) works as pardon when you interrupt or need to get by. In writing or serious apologies, Sinto muito and Lamento (I regret / I'm sorry) both read as sincere and composed.

Brazil vs Portugal

The words are the same, but the sounds and habits differ. In Brazil, the initial de often softens toward a ji sound, so Desculpa comes out like jis-KOOW-pa, and the final l in -cul- turns into a w sound. In Portugal it stays crisper: dish-KOOL-pa.

Brazilians favor Me desculpa and Desculpa in speech and use Foi mal casually. In Portugal, Desculpe and Peço desculpa are heard often. Both varieties understand each other easily, so you will be fine either way, but matching the local rhythm helps.

Portuguese sorry phrases at a glance

• Desculpa (dish-KOOL-pa / jis-KOOW-pa) — sorry / excuse me, informal
• Desculpe (dish-KOOL-peh) — sorry / excuse me, formal
• Me desculpa (me jis-KOOW-pa) — sorry (warm, common in Brazil)
• Sinto muito (SEEN-too MWEEN-too) — I'm very sorry / my condolences
• Peço desculpa (PEH-soo dish-KOOL-pa) — I apologize, formal
• Perdão (per-DOWN) — pardon
• Desculpe-me (dish-KOOL-peh-meh) — excuse me / forgive me, formal
• Foi mal (foy mal) — my bad, casual slang (Brazil)

Match the moment: Desculpa or Desculpe for slips, Sinto muito for real regret.

Common mistakes learners make

First, do not use Sinto muito as an excuse-me. It means genuine regret, so saying it just to pass someone sounds strange. Use Desculpa, Desculpe, or Perdão for that.

Second, watch the final vowel. Desculpa ends in an a and is the informal form; Desculpe ends in an e and is the polite one. Swapping them changes the register.

Third, the -ão in Perdão is a nasal sound, roughly -own through the nose. It takes practice, and rushing it makes the word hard to recognize.

How to respond to an apology

When someone says sorry, common replies are Não tem problema (no problem), Tudo bem (it's all fine), Não faz mal (it doesn't matter), and Imagina (don't mention it, very common in Brazil). These are warm and reassuring.

Learning the answers is just as useful as learning the apology, because you will be on both sides of these exchanges. A quick Tudo bem, imagina smooths things over instantly.

Make it automatic

Apologies come out on reflex, so the goal is to have Desculpa, Desculpe, and Sinto muito ready without translating in your head. Saying them out loud is what fixes the nasal vowels and the softened Brazilian sounds that reading alone will not teach you.

Try a few small scenes aloud: bumping someone on the street, arriving late to meet a friend, telling a colleague you made a mistake. Pick the right phrase for each. Practicing these short exchanges out loud, even with an AI speaking partner, builds the reflex and the accent together.