Russian has two words for sorry - one for "excuse me" and one for "forgive me." Using the wrong one either sounds dramatic or dismissive. Here's how to pick.
Извините (from извинить - to excuse) is your everyday apology. Bumped into someone on the metro? Извините. Need to interrupt a conversation? Извините. Late by ten minutes? Извините. It's the English "excuse me" and "sorry" rolled into one.
Простите (from простить - to forgive) carries real weight. Forgot your anniversary? Простите. Said something hurtful? Простите. Broke a promise? Простите. It's asking for actual forgiveness, not just acknowledging an inconvenience.
The informal equivalents (for people you address as ты): Извини and Прости. Same weight difference, just ты-form instead of вы-form.
Both Извините and Простите are imperative forms - you're literally commanding someone to excuse/forgive you. The вы-imperative adds -те: извини → извините, прости → простите. This -те pattern works for every Russian verb: смотри → смотрите (look), скажи → скажите (say). One suffix, and you've unlocked formal requests for any verb.
From a quick "excuse me" to a deep "please forgive me."
| Russian | Pronunciation | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Извините | Izvinite | "Excuse me / Sorry." Formal, minor. Default for strangers. |
| Извини | Izvini | Same as above, informal ты-form. Friends, family. |
| Простите | Prostite | "Forgive me." Formal, serious. Real apology. |
| Прости | Prosti | Same, informal ты-form. Emotional, intimate. |
| Прошу прощения | Proshu proshcheniya | "I beg your forgiveness." Very formal. Business, official. |
| Виноват / Виновата | Vinovat / Vinovata | "I'm guilty / at fault." Masculine / feminine. Taking responsibility. |
| Мне жаль | Mne zhal' | "I'm sorry" (expressing sympathy, not personal fault). Like "I'm sorry to hear that." |
| Сорри | Sorri | Borrowed from English. Casual, young people, texting. Light. |
Russians don't over-apologize. In English, "sorry" gets used as filler - sorry, can I ask a question? Sorry, is this seat taken? In Russian, Извините carries more weight. You'd say it to get someone's attention, but you wouldn't sprinkle it into every other sentence. Apologizing too much sounds insecure or foreign.
Виноват / Виновата marks gender. This is one of those moments where Russian grammar forces you to reveal something about yourself. A man says Виноват (masculine short adjective), a woman says Виновата (feminine). There's no gender-neutral option. You're literally declaring "I am [gender] guilty."
Прости can be devastatingly emotional. In relationships, a quiet Прости - just the one word - carries enormous weight. It's what you say when you know you really messed up. Russian films and literature are full of these moments. Don't throw it around casually.
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