What is a common mistake with “Özür dilerim”?

✗ Üzgünüm (as an apology) → ✓ Özür dilerim: Üzgünüm mainly means "I'm sad".

Phrase 45 of 500

How to say “I'm sorry” in Turkish

Q: How is “Özür dilerim” used in a conversation?

Can: Geç kaldım, özür dilerim. (I'm late, I'm sorry.) Ece: Olsun, sorun değil. (It's okay, no problem.)

Özür dilerim.

ur·zewr dee·leh·reem

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Meaning: I'm sorry.
Pronunciation: ur·zewr dee·leh·reem

What “Özür dilerim” really means

Özür dilerim means "I'm sorry / I apologize", literally "I ask for forgiveness". It is a real apology for a mistake: being late, breaking something, hurting someone. For small things like bumping into someone, "Pardon" is enough.

💬 Example dialogues

CanGeç kaldım, özür dilerim.I'm late, I'm sorry.

EceOlsun, sorun değil.It's okay, no problem.

MuratVazonu kırdım, çok özür dilerim!I broke the vase, I'm so sorry!

TeyzeBoş ver, can sağlığı.Never mind, health is what matters.

🚫 When NOT to use it

It is not for sympathy. When someone has lost a loved one say "Başınız sağ olsun", and for an illness "Geçmiş olsun".

🇹🇷 Culture note

"Can sağlığı" (health is what matters) is the kind reply when something breaks. Turks rarely make a big deal of small accidents.

⚠️ Common mistakes

✗ Üzgünüm (as an apology) → ✓ Özür dilerimÜzgünüm mainly means "I'm sad".

Culture tip

Turkish has magic words for everyday moments: say Kolay gelsin to anyone working and Ellerine sağlık to anyone who cooked for you.

Letters to watch in this sentence

İ i like ee in “see”
Ö ö like ur in “fur”, lips rounded (German ö)
Ü ü say “ee” with rounded lips (French u)