Spanish for Granting Forgiveness and Rebuilding Trust at Intermediate Level
Learn to say 'I forgive you' and 'Let's move past this' in Latin American Spanish, and to talk about rebuilding trust after a serious rupture.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Granting forgiveness in Spanish is not the same as accepting an apology. When someone says Lo siento or Te pido perdón, you may simply acknowledge it with Gracias or No te preocupes. Granting forgiveness is a deliberate act: you name the offense, state that you forgive it, and often describe how trust will be rebuilt. This lesson gives you formal and warm intermediate-level phrases for that moment, using broadly useful Latin American Spanish.
By the end, you can…
- grant forgiveness directly with Te perdono and related phrases.
- propose moving forward with Dejemos esto atrás and similar expressions.
- describe concrete steps for rebuilding trust after a serious rupture.
- distinguish accepting an apology from formally granting forgiveness.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Te perdono.
I forgive you.
teh pehr-DOH-noh
Direct, sincere forgiveness to one person you address as tú. The verb perdonar literally means to pardon; this is the core phrase of the lesson.
Lo perdono, señor.
I forgive you, sir.
loh pehr-DOH-noh seh-NYOR
Formal register using usted. Use it with an older person, a superior, or someone you do not know well.
Dejemos esto atrás.
Let's leave this behind / Let's move past this.
deh-HEH-mohs EHS-toh ah-TRAHS
A first-person plural command that invites both people to move forward. Softer than simply saying Olvidémoslo.
Quiero que sigamos adelante.
I want us to move forward.
KYEH-roh keh see-GAH-mohs ah-deh-LAHN-teh
Uses the subjunctive sigamos after quiero que. It signals a wish for the relationship, not a command.
La confianza se reconstruye con hechos, no solo con palabras.
Trust is rebuilt with actions, not just words.
lah kohn-FYAHN-sah seh reh-kohns-TROO-yeh kohn EH-chohs noh SOH-loh kohn pah-LAH-brahs
A useful sentence for setting expectations after a serious breach of trust.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To grant forgiveness, use perdonar with a direct object pronoun: Te perdono (I forgive you, informal), Lo perdono or La perdono (I forgive you, formal, depending on the person's gender). To propose moving on, use the first-person plural command: Dejemos esto atrás, Sigamos adelante, Empecemos de nuevo. These forms include you and the other person in the decision. For rebuilding trust, combine seguir plus a gerund or a noun: Sigo confiando en ti poco a poco (I keep trusting you little by little), or use reconstruir: Podemos reconstruir la confianza.
When to use it
Use Te perdono when you have decided to forgive and want to say so clearly. Use Lo perdono or La perdono in formal situations with usted. Use Dejemos esto atrás when you want to close the argument without pretending it never happened. Use Quiero que sigamos adelante when you are stating a wish, not issuing an order. If you only want to accept an apology, say Gracias por tu disculpa or Aprecio tu disculpa; that acknowledges the apology but does not formally grant forgiveness.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Sé que te fallé y te pido perdón de verdad.
I know I let you down, and I sincerely apologize.seh keh teh fah-YEH ee teh PEE-doh pehr-DOHN deh behr-DAHDTe escucho, pero necesito tiempo para procesarlo.
I'm listening, but I need time to process it.teh ehs-KOO-choh PEH-roh neh-seh-SEE-toh TYEHM-poh pah-rah proh-seh-SAHR-lohEntiendo. ¿Qué puedo hacer para reconstruir tu confianza?
I understand. What can I do to rebuild your trust?ehn-TYEHN-doh keh PWEH-doh ah-SEHR pah-rah reh-kohns-TROO-eer too kohn-FYAHN-sahTe perdono, pero la confianza se reconstruye con hechos. Dejemos esto atrás y sigamos adelante.
I forgive you, but trust is rebuilt with actions. Let's leave this behind and move forward.teh pehr-DOH-noh PEH-roh lah kohn-FYAHN-sah seh reh-kohns-TROO-yeh kohn EH-chohs deh-HEH-mohs EHS-toh ah-TRAHS ee see-GAH-mohs ah-deh-LAHN-tehA little context goes a long way
Te perdono states that the speaker forgives the other person. Te refers to the person being forgiven, while perdono is the first-person form meaning I forgive. This verb form stays the same whether you address that person with tú or vos; it is not a second-person verb form. You can add Dejemos esto atrás or Quiero que sigamos adelante when you also want to propose moving forward. Choose the words that fit your actual decision; accepting an apology does not require granting forgiveness.
One thing to watch for
Using Olvidémoslo (Let's forget it) as a direct translation of 'Let's move past this.'
Try this instead: Olvidémoslo can sound dismissive, as if the offense should simply disappear. Prefer Dejemos esto atrás or Sigamos adelante, which acknowledge the past while proposing a way forward. Example: Dejemos esto atrás, pero hablemos de cómo reconstruir la confianza.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you formally forgive an older colleague you address as usted?
Show a sample answer
Lo perdono, señor. / La perdono, señora.
The formal direct object pronoun lo or la matches the person's gender and the usted register. Te perdono would be too informal here.
2Which phrase invites both people to move forward without erasing what happened?
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Dejemos esto atrás.
This first-person plural command includes both speakers and focuses on the future. Sigamos adelante is also valid and slightly more forward-looking.
3Translate: 'Trust is rebuilt with actions, not just words.'
Show a sample answer
La confianza se reconstruye con hechos, no solo con palabras.
This uses the passive se construction with reconstruir. You could also say Se reconstruye la confianza con hechos, no solo con palabras.
Granting forgiveness is an active choice: name it with Te perdono or Lo perdono, then propose a shared future with Dejemos esto atrás or Sigamos adelante, and describe how trust will be rebuilt with concrete actions.
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