A quick "pardon" works for bumping into someone, but a serious mistake needs more. In this workshop you will practice a sincere apology, take responsibility, and offer to make amends. You will hear native lines and repeat them, then use them in short guided exchanges. You can play both roles with the audio, but there is no automatic assessment, so check your answers with the self-checks provided.
A sincere apology and taking responsibility
Start with the core apology. «Je suis vraiment désolé.» means "I'm really sorry." The word vraiment makes the apology strong, not casual. If you are female, say désolée; the pronunciation is the same. Next, take responsibility. «C'est ma faute.» means "It's my fault." The possessive ma agrees with faute, a feminine noun, so do not say "c'est mon faute." Put them together for a full apology. «Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute.» means "I'm really sorry, it was my fault." French often uses the present c'est where English uses the past "it was." For someone close to you, you can also say «Je te demande pardon.», which means "I'm asking you to forgive me." It is warmer and more personal than a quick pardon. For a formal situation, you would use je vous demande pardon.
Offering to make amends
An apology often needs a next step. «Je vais réparer. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour arranger les choses ?» means "I'm going to make it right. What can I do to make things right?" The first part, je vais réparer, promises action. The question asks the other person what would help. In the recorded scene, speaker A has lost a book and says «Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute. J'ai perdu ton livre.», which means "I'm really sorry, it was my fault. I lost your book." Speaker B replies with «Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.», meaning "It's not a big deal, but I really liked that book." This reply is gentle but honest: the mistake is forgiven, yet something was lost. Speaker B then answers the offer with «Tu peux m'aider à en trouver un autre. Merci de t'excuser.», which means "You can help me find another one. Thank you for apologizing." Notice that the apology is accepted with thanks, and the repair is a shared action.
Choosing the right strength of apology
Match your words to the situation. A quick pardon is fine for a small bump, but for a serious mistake, use a full apology like «Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute.». Adding «C'est ma faute.» shows you take responsibility instead of making excuses. If the person is close to you, «Je te demande pardon.» adds warmth. After apologizing, offer a concrete repair with «Je vais réparer. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour arranger les choses ?». Listen carefully to the other person's reply, because it tells you what they need. A reply like «Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.» means the mistake is not huge, but there is still a loss. A reply like «Tu peux m'aider à en trouver un autre. Merci de t'excuser.» tells you the exact next step. In both cases, the apology is acknowledged, and you can move forward together.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Je suis vraiment désolé.
I'm really sorry.
zhuh swee vray-mahn day-zoh-LAY
C'est ma faute.
It's my fault.
say ma foht
Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute.
I'm really sorry, it was my fault.
zhuh swee vray-mahn day-zoh-LAY, say ma foht
Je te demande pardon.
I'm asking you to forgive me.
zhuh tuh duh-MAHND par-DOHN
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute. J'ai perdu ton livre.
I'm really sorry, it was my fault. I lost your book.Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.
It's not a big deal, but I really liked that book.Je vais réparer. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour arranger les choses ?
I'm going to make it right. What can I do to make things right?Tu peux m'aider à en trouver un autre. Merci de t'excuser.
You can help me find another one. Thank you for apologizing.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided apology exchange
You are speaker A. You have lost a friend's book. Apologize sincerely, take responsibility, and offer to make things right. Use the recorded lines as your model.
Your task: Say your apology out loud using «Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute. J'ai perdu ton livre.». Then say the offer to repair using «Je vais réparer. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour arranger les choses ?». Pause after each line as if your friend were answering.
Reply comprehension check
You have just apologized for losing a book. Your friend replies with «Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.». You need to understand what this reply means before you respond.
Your task: Listen to «Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.» and choose the best meaning: (a) The friend is very angry and does not forgive you. (b) The friend forgives you but says the book mattered. (c) The friend did not hear your apology.
Recall with correct roles
In the recorded scene, speaker A apologizes and offers to repair, and speaker B replies. Now recall the lines without looking, keeping the roles correct.
Your task: Say speaker A's full apology and offer from memory. Then say speaker B's two replies from memory. If you forget a line, listen again and repeat it before trying once more.
Common questions
When should I use a full apology instead of a quick pardon?
Use a quick pardon for small things, like bumping into someone. For a serious mistake, use a full apology like «Je suis vraiment désolé, c'est ma faute.», which means "I'm really sorry, it was my fault." Adding «C'est ma faute.» shows you take responsibility. If the person is close to you, «Je te demande pardon.» adds warmth and means "I'm asking you to forgive me."
What should I do after apologizing?
Offer a concrete repair. «Je vais réparer. Qu'est-ce que je peux faire pour arranger les choses ?» means "I'm going to make it right. What can I do to make things right?" Then listen to the reply. A reply like «Ce n'est pas grave, mais j'aimais beaucoup ce livre.» means the mistake is forgiven but something was lost. A reply like «Tu peux m'aider à en trouver un autre. Merci de t'excuser.» tells you the exact next step, such as helping find another one.
Sources and further reading
- french: apologize for mistakeChecked September 2026
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