Italian for Public Apologies: Saying 'I Want to Apologize to Everyone'
Learn to apologize sincerely in front of a group in Italian, using standard phrases, correct prepositions, and register-aware choices for public versus private apologies.
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A private apology is one-to-one; a public apology is addressed to a group, so Italian changes both the wording and the framing. In this lesson you will learn how to say I want to apologize to everyone and how to make that apology sound sincere rather than performative. You will practice the key verb scusarsi, the plural recipient a tutti, and the difference between a quick scusa and a more formal mi scuso. You will also see how public apologies often add a reason and a commitment, because Italian listeners expect the speaker to acknowledge the group, not just the individual.
By the end, you can…
- apologize publicly to a group using standard Italian phrases.
- distinguish a private apology from a public one in Italian.
- add a reason and a commitment to make a public apology sound sincere.
- choose between informal and formal register for a group apology.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Voglio scusarmi con tutti.
I want to apologize to everyone.
VOH-lyoh skoo-ZAR-mee kohn TOOT-tee
Neutral, sincere public apology. The reflexive scusarmi attaches to voglio; con tutti means 'with everyone' and is the standard recipient phrase.
Mi scuso con tutti voi.
I apologize to all of you.
mee SKOO-zoh kohn TOOT-tee VOH-ee
More formal and slightly more solemn than voglio scusarmi. Useful when addressing colleagues, a class, or an audience.
Chiedo scusa a tutti.
I ask everyone's pardon. / I apologize to everyone.
KYEH-doh SKOO-zah ah TOOT-tee
Common and natural. Chiedo scusa uses the noun scusa and the preposition a before the recipient, so a tutti, not con tutti.
Scusate tutti, ho sbagliato.
Sorry everyone, I was wrong.
skoo-ZAH-teh TOOT-tee, oh zbah-LYAH-toh
Informal plural imperative, good with friends, teammates, or peers. Scusate is the voi form; ho sbagliato admits the mistake directly.
Vi devo delle scuse.
I owe you all an apology.
vee DEH-voh DEHL-leh SKOO-zeh
Warm and direct, often used to open a public apology. Vi is the plural 'to you'; delle scuse is the partitive plural, 'some apologies'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is a verb of apology plus a recipient phrase. With scusarsi, use con: Voglio scusarmi con tutti. With chiedere scusa, use a: Chiedo scusa a tutti. With the direct plural pronoun, use vi: Vi chiedo scusa. Do not mix them: *Chiedo scusa con tutti is not standard. If you want to name the group, put it after the preposition: Mi scuso con i colleghi, Chiedo scusa agli studenti. For a stronger public apology, add a reason with per: Mi scuso con tutti per il ritardo.
When to use it
Use a public apology when several people heard or were affected by the same thing. In a meeting, say Mi scuso con tutti per il ritardo. At a family lunch, Scusate tutti, ho sbagliato is natural. In a formal email to a group, Chiedo scusa a tutti i presenti is appropriate. A private apology stays one-to-one: Scusa, mi dispiace. Public apologies usually add a reason and a commitment, for example Mi scuso con tutti e farò attenzione la prossima volta. If you are unsure of register, voglio scusarmi con tutti is safe and sincere.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ragazzi, voglio scusarmi con tutti per ieri sera.
Everyone, I want to apologize to all of you for last night.rah-GAHT-tsee, VOH-lyoh skoo-ZAR-mee kohn TOOT-tee per YEH-ree SEH-rahNon preoccuparti, capita. Però ci hai fatto aspettare.
Don't worry, it happens. But you did make us wait.nohn preh-ohk-koo-PAR-tee, KAH-pee-tah. peh-ROH chee eye FAHT-toh ahs-peht-TAH-rehHai ragione. Mi scuso con tutti voi e offro io il caffè.
You're right. I apologize to all of you and I'll buy the coffee.eye rah-JOH-neh. mee SKOO-zoh kohn TOOT-tee VOH-ee eh OH-froh EE-oh eel kahf-FEHVa bene, allora siamo pari.
All right, then we're even.vah BEH-neh, ahl-LOH-rah SYAH-moh PAH-reeA little context goes a long way
Italian public apologies often sound more sincere when they include a concrete reason and a small repair, such as offering to fix the problem or paying for something. Formal settings favor Mi scuso or Chiedo scusa; informal groups accept Scusate. Regional variation exists, but Mi scuso con tutti and Chiedo scusa a tutti are both widely used across Italy. Avoid a flat, rapid scusa when addressing a group; it can sound dismissive.
One thing to watch for
Using con with chiedere scusa, as in *Chiedo scusa con tutti.
Try this instead: Chiedere scusa takes a before the recipient: Chiedo scusa a tutti. Use con only with scusarsi: Mi scuso con tutti. Both are correct, but they are not interchangeable.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I want to apologize to everyone' using scusarsi?
Show a sample answer
Voglio scusarmi con tutti.
Scusarsi is reflexive, so the infinitive becomes scusarmi after voglio, and the recipient uses con. Mi scuso con tutti is also correct with a different verb form.
2Which preposition follows chiedere scusa: a or con?
Show a sample answer
a, as in Chiedo scusa a tutti.
Chiedere scusa treats the recipient as an indirect object, so a is required. Con would be used with scusarsi, not chiedere scusa.
3Make this public apology more sincere by adding a reason and a commitment.
Show a sample answer
Mi scuso con tutti per il ritardo e farò attenzione la prossima volta.
Adding per il ritardo names the reason, and farò attenzione states a commitment. Other valid repairs include offro io il caffè or non succederà più.
For a public apology in Italian, name the group with con tutti or a tutti, add a reason with per, and finish with a concrete commitment so the apology sounds sincere rather than routine.
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