Did you do something wrong to your Vietnamese friend? Well, you might want to apologize for what you did. Saying words like “I’m sorry” won’t hurt, but if you want to convey your apology in their mother tongue, here’s a guide to help you say sorry in Vietnamese.
Apologies are often a big thing for most individuals. Let’s also not forget that some people can occasionally be self-centered, and that’s human nature. However, it’s only fitting to apologize if you did something wrong to another person as a sign of respect for his or her existence and feelings. So, if you want to apologize and make up for your mistakes in Vietnam’s official language, here we listed the common ways you can use today. Let’s begin!
6 Effective Ways To Say Sorry In Vietnamese
Are you planning to visit Vietnam? If you are, then you shouldn’t only be mastering the basic words and expressions or preparing your itinerary. One important expression that you need to keep in mind as well is how to say sorry in the local language. It can be handy for multiple situations, whether during your tour or even at the hotel. To help you prepare, we rounded out below the simplest and easiest ways to say sorry in the Vietnamese language.
1. I’m sorry – Tôi Xin Lỗi
The translated version of this phrase may seem alright to use in minor misunderstandings like accidentally tripping over somebody else’s luggage or unintentionally pushing someone. But in Vietnam, saying sorry in Vietnamese come with great weight. If you say this to a stranger, given the situation above, it may give rise to confusion for the person you’re speaking with. This is because it is only used if you actually did something terrible and intentional. Moreover, it’s considered the most native way to say sorry in Vietnamese. So, it can be quite awkward if a foreigner like yourself randomly says it without knowing its weight.
2. I’m Sorry, Please – Xin Lỗi Mà
It’s usually used with your friends. If you say this version in Vietnamese, it usually sounds quite playful and cute since -mà puts a soft emphasis whenever you try to persuade someone.
3. I Sincerely Apologize – Tôi Chân Thành Xin Lỗi
It’s a formal way to say your apologies. However, be wary of using it and reserve it for occasions that certainly need it! If you simply throw off these words quickly, you may get misinterpreted and sound insincere.
4. I Would Like To Apologize – Tôi Muốn Xin Lỗi
This phrase is slightly less formal than the second one. This is usually used when speaking to your elders or anyone who has higher authority than you.
5. I Didn’t Mean It – Tui Không Cố ý/ Tôi Không Cố ý
This is the one we’re looking for! Although this doesn’t exactly translate to “sorry,” you can still use it for minor inconveniences. It can be handy when you encounter minor accidents. You’re also in an excellent position to use this as long as you’re sincere when saying this form of sorry in Vietnamese.
6. I’m Taking Full Responsibility – Tôi Xin Chịu Trách Nhiệm Đầy Đủ
You can say sorry in Vietnamese using this phrase when you’re truly at fault and want to ask for forgiveness. It’s as heavy as it sounds when translated into English, so you must be sincere whenever verbalizing this phrase since you wouldn’t want to be misunderstood by Vietnamese people when you apologize. Moreover, you better not repeat the same mistakes, or else they might consider your next apology insincere.
Extending Your Condolences
Think that the expressions above do not encapsulate the feelings you genuinely want the other person to know? Use the expression below instead.
Share My Condolences With You – Xin Chia Buồn Cùng Bạn
It’s simply used to extend your condolences for someone’s loss. Perhaps a friend or someone you know needs to hear this from you if someone they cherish ever crosses the rainbow bridge.
Vietnamese Practices
You may ask, is it uncommon for Vietnamese people not to apologize over small matters? In Vietnamese culture, it is important to say sorry whenever you can. The locals even provide gifts for big mistakes to appease the other person. The advantages do not have to be super expensive; they can even be a simple cookie you can bake! The point here is to show your sincerity in asking for their forgiveness.
In a typical setting, if someone does something terrible to someone they love, they try to compensate for their mistakes by just making it up to them in the form of favors. It’s like the popular expression in English, “I owe you one.” However, this only applies to all issues. But when it comes to greater situations, you must understand that politely saying sorry means a lot to Vietnamese.
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Now that you’ve learned how to say sorry in Vietnamese, you may proceed to the more complex parts of their language. Of course, there’s no way you can create a meaningful connection if you only know basic words, that’s why we highly recommend diving deeper into the Vietnamese language. And if you’re interested to do just that, you may want to check out Ling! This fantastic app has various features for mastering Vietnamese and 60+ different languages.
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