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Sorry in Russian
Sorry in Russian is извините (izvinite) in polite speech and извини (izvini) with friends. For a deeper apology, простите (prostite) literally asks forgive me, and for sympathy without fault Russians say мне очень жаль (I am so sorry).
Aurélien CuvelierAug 9, 2026 · Updated Aug 10, 2026The ways to say it
извините (izvinite), formal / plural
извини (izvini), informal
прости / простите (prosti / prostite), deeper apology: forgive me; heavier than извините
мне очень жаль (mne ochen zhal), sympathy: I am so sorry: for bad news, not your fault
How to use it
The ты/вы split runs through apologies like through everything else: извини to one friend, извините to a stranger, an official or any group. The -те ending is the same plural-polite marker as in здравствуйте.
Простите carries more weight than извините: it literally asks for forgiveness and fits real wrongs, while извините covers bumps, interruptions and small inconveniences. For condolences and bad news, neither fits; мне очень жаль expresses sympathy without claiming fault.
Watch out
Sorry as sympathy does not translate with извините: apologizing at a funeral claims responsibility. The sympathy phrase is мне очень жаль, and the difference matters.
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