Public Apologies in Spanish: Saying 'I Want to Apologize to Everyone'
Learn to make a sincere public apology in Latin American Spanish, using quiero disculparme with everyone and the formal ustedes register.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
A private apology happens between two people; a public apology happens in front of a group, and Spanish marks that difference with word choice and register. In this lesson you will learn the core line Quiero disculparme con todos, plus the variants you need for a meeting, a family gathering, or a classroom. You will also learn when to use disculparme versus pedir perdón, and how to add a sincere reason so the apology does not sound empty.
By the end, you can…
- say 'I want to apologize to everyone' in Spanish and address a whole group.
- choose between disculparme and pedir perdón for a public apology.
- add a sincere reason and a promise to change in a short public apology.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Quiero disculparme con todos.
I want to apologize to everyone.
KYEH-roh dees-kool-PAR-meh kohn TOH-dohs
The neutral, broadly useful Latin American line. Use it to open a public apology to a group you are addressing as todos.
Les pido perdón a todos por lo que pasó.
I ask everyone's forgiveness for what happened.
lehs PEE-doh pehr-DOHN ah TOH-dohs pohr loh keh pah-SOH
Warmer and more emotional than disculparme. The indirect object les matches the group you are speaking to.
Quiero disculparme con ustedes.
I want to apologize to you all.
KYEH-roh dees-kool-PAR-meh kohn oos-TEH-dehs
Use ustedes when you are addressing the group directly and politely, common in Latin America for both formal and informal plural address.
Asumo mi responsabilidad y les pido disculpas.
I take responsibility and I apologize to you all.
ah-SOO-moh mee rrehs-pohn-sah-bee-lee-DAHD ee lehs PEE-doh dees-KOOL-pahs
Adds accountability. Useful in a workplace or public setting where people expect ownership, not just regret.
No volverá a pasar; les prometo que voy a cambiar.
It won't happen again; I promise you all that I will change.
noh bohl-beh-RAH ah pah-SAR; lehs proh-MEH-toh keh boy ah kahn-BEE-ar
A commitment line. Keep it only if you truly mean it; a public promise that is broken damages trust more than the original mistake.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is quiero disculparme con + person or group. Quiero means 'I want,' and disculparme is the reflexive form of disculpar, literally 'to excuse myself.' Add con todos for 'with everyone,' or con ustedes for 'with you all.' To name the offense, use por: Quiero disculparme con todos por mi comentario de ayer. For a more emotional register, switch to pedir perdón: Les pido perdón a todos por lo que dije.
When to use it
Use a public apology when the people affected are present together and the offense was witnessed or widely known. Opening with Quiero disculparme con todos signals that you are addressing the whole group, not one person. If you are speaking to a single person in front of others, say Quiero disculparme contigo, not con todos. In a formal meeting, ustedes and les keep the tone respectful: Quiero disculparme con ustedes por el retraso.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Antes de empezar, quiero disculparme con todos por lo que pasó ayer en la reunión.
Before we start, I want to apologize to everyone for what happened yesterday in the meeting.AHN-tehs deh ehm-peh-SAR, KYEH-roh dees-kool-PAR-meh kohn TOH-dohs pohr loh keh pah-SOH ah-YEHR ehn lah rreh-YOHNGracias por decirlo. ¿Puedes contarnos qué vas a hacer diferente?
Thanks for saying that. Can you tell us what you are going to do differently?GRAH-syahs pohr deh-SEER-loh. PWEH-dehs kohn-TAR-nohs keh bahs ah ah-SEHR dee-feh-REHN-tehSí. Asumo mi responsabilidad y les prometo que voy a escuchar antes de responder.
Yes. I take responsibility and I promise you all that I will listen before responding.see. ah-SOO-moh mee rrehs-pohn-sah-bee-lee-DAHD ee lehs proh-MEH-toh keh boy ah ehs-koo-CHAR AHN-tehs deh rrehs-pohn-DEHREso es lo que necesitábamos oír. Sigamos adelante.
That is what we needed to hear. Let's move forward.EH-soh ehs loh keh neh-seh-see-TAH-bah-mohs oh-EER. see-GAH-mohs ah-deh-LAHN-tehA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, ustedes is the ordinary plural 'you,' used with both formal and informal tone, while in Spain you would normally use vosotros informally. Public apologies also tend to include a concrete commitment, not just disculpas, because listeners judge sincerity by what changes afterward. Keep the tone calm and direct; elaborate self-blame can sound performative rather than sincere.
One thing to watch for
Using a direct object where Spanish needs an indirect object: Les disculpo a todos.
Try this instead: Disculpar is reflexive when you apologize for yourself: Quiero disculparme con todos. If you ask the group for forgiveness, use the indirect object les: Les pido perdón a todos. The form Les disculpo a todos sounds like you are excusing them, not yourself.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you open a public apology to a whole group in a neutral Latin American register?
Show a sample answer
Quiero disculparme con todos.
This uses the reflexive disculparme and con todos to address the group. Quiero disculparme con ustedes is also correct when you address the group directly and politely.
2You are speaking to one friend while others are nearby. Which phrase fits better: con todos or contigo?
Show a sample answer
Contigo, because you are apologizing to one person: Quiero disculparme contigo.
Con todos would wrongly include the whole group. Contigo keeps the apology directed at the single person, even if others can hear it.
3Add a sincere commitment to Quiero disculparme con todos por mi error.
Show a sample answer
Quiero disculparme con todos por mi error. Les prometo que no volverá a pasar.
The second sentence adds a concrete promise, which makes the public apology sound sincere. Voy a tener más cuidado is another valid commitment depending on the situation.
For a sincere public apology in Latin American Spanish, open with Quiero disculparme con todos, name the offense with por, and add one concrete commitment you can keep.
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