Sorry: The Most Useful Word in Britain
Every way Brits use sorry, from bumping into you to saying no.
All 14 phrases
Everyday sorry7
- oh, sorryWhat you say even when someone else bumps into you.
- sorry, what was that?With a rising tone: I didn't hear you, please say it again.
- Sorry, can I just squeeze past?Getting past people on a train, in a shop aisle or at a party.
- Sorry to bother you, butThe standard way to approach a stranger or a member of staff.
- Sorry, I didn't catch your nameThe normal way to ask someone to repeat their name.
- Sorry, my faultQuick, light ownership of a small mistake.
- Sorry, sorry, sorryA quick triple sorry while getting past someone or fixing a small mess.
Sorry, but no4
Sympathy and replies3
Check yourself14 questions
Question 1 of 14
Someone bumps into you. A typical Brit says...
More packs
- Everyday British mannersQueues, sorry, please and visiting homes without seeming rude.
- Neighbours and noiseChat, ask favours and complain about noise without a feud.
- How Brits say how they feelEveryday words for tired, happy, fed up and ill.
About this pack
- Price
- Free
- Account
- Not needed, saved on this device
- Reviews
- 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days later
- Moments
- 5 of 14 phrases have a clip
- Sources
Picked by Talk, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Phrases
- Picked by Talk.
- How Talk picked them
- Part of Talk's themed British life packs. Talk wrote each phrase with what it really means, when to say it, what not to say instead and one quiz question. A phrase gets a moment only if Talk's spoken videos say it with the same meaning. One review picked each moment, and a second tried to reject it. This pack holds 14 phrases.
- Licence
- Talk shares this list under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Meanings and examples
- Written by Talk in plain English.
- Dictionary details
- From Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Princeton WordNet, used under the WordNet licence. WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
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