I AM SORRY

Living in the Philippines since almost 25 years let me learn a lot as an expatriat. There is something peculiar about the Tagalog and even the Filipino language. There is no word for "sorry" or "apology." When Filipinos are at fault, they say in Tagalog or Filipino, "Pasensiya na." That literally translates into, "Please forget your anger" or "Please let it go". It's important to note that the personal pronoun used is in second person, not the first. 

How do you say I’m sorry without saying I’m sorry? Eight Ways to Apologize Without Saying “I’m Sorry”

It’s unfortunate that…

How sad for you that (this) happened…

I sympathize with your situation/disappointment/frustration…

What a shame that…

Will you please forgive my insensitivity/error/indiscretion…

I am completely at fault here, and I apologize…

Widely used phrases: The best Filipino / Tagalog translation for the English word sorry. paumanh í n [noun] excusing; forgiveness; asking for forgiveness; tolerating; patience; sorry 5 Example Sentences Available » more… pas é nsiya na [phrase] I’m sorry.

What does the word sorrow mean in Tagalog?

Mental suffering or pain caused by injury, loss, or despair. To express deep sorrow for. Similar phrases in dictionary English Tagalog. (4) Gabriel ng Ina ng Hapis * Why did Paul rejoice in their sorrow? * Bakit nagalak si Pablo sa kanilang kalungkutan o kalumbayan? Better still, God’s peace means a world without sickness, pain, sorrow, or death.

Which is correct I am sorry or Please Forgive Me?

While the list that Emily gave will work, it translates more accurately to “Please forgive me” rather than “I am sorry”. The direct translation of “I am sorry” would be: “Pasensya na” – This is casual/informal. “Pasensya na po.” This is polite/formal.

What’s the best word to use in place of Sorry?

Pasensya — most common word to use in place of sorry. Paumanhin — this word sounds formal and deep. Its root word is ano (lit. what) with which by conjugation ( pa-um-ano-hin) gives it a meaning close to “to let it pass.” Patawad — in most context this is used when someone is asking for forgiveness.

I'll share some sample sentences and I'll break it down one by one.

Sorry kaayo. (I'm really sorry)

Sorry kaayo jud. (I'm very sorry/ I'm really really sorry)

Sorry kaayo jud ha.

Sorry - pronounce as "su-ri"; asking for forgiveness

kaayo - really

jud - added to give more emphasis to the emotion

ha - (soft sound) added to make emotions sound more sincere and sweet

    - added to pacify the person

 

Sentence Sample 2.

Pasayloa ko. (Forgive me.)

Pasayloa - to forgive

ko - me

Pasayloa jud ko. (Forgive me.) - More sincere

Pasayloa jud ko kaayo. (Forgive me. - Most sincere. This sounds like, you are asking for a huge forgiveness.

Sample Sentence #3

Mangayo ko og pasaylo nimo.

I am asking for your forgiveness.

Mangayo - to ask (Nangayo - past tense)

ko - me

og - connecting word. In some sentences/phrases this could be "is". In this phrase, it is used to connect words in relation to "what" the person is asking. I would say this is the "for" in the sample phrase above.

Pasaylo - forgiveness/ sorry

nimo - your

Sample Sentence #4

Pasayloa ko sa akong nabuhat nga dautan/ngil-ad. Wala jud nako gituyo.

I am very sorry for what bad/awful things I did. I didn't mean it.

I know this is quite long. These words would make you sound remorseful.

Pasayloa - sorry/ forgiveness

ko - me

sa - connecting word usually means "for"

akong - my

nabuhat - things that you did

nga - connecting word. No English equivalent. This is used to link the relationship between modifiers. Like in this phrase: nabuhat nga dautan (bad things I did), nabuhat nga ngil-ad (awful things I did)

dautan- bad

ngil-ad - awful

Wala - nothing/ none/ not

jud - see description above

nako - I

gituyo - mean/ intentional

Lastly, Sample Sentence #5

For lighter mistakes

Pasensya kaayo ha.

Be patient with me.

This is another way of saying sorry but is used for minor mistakes only. Using this phrase for bigger mistake is an insult. This also means you are asking the person to be more patient with you.

For example: You are going to meet a friend and you are late for 10-15mins or less then you use this phrase

BUT if you are late for an hour then you should use the "Sorry kaayo jud ha." OR you combine "Sorry kaayo jud ha.Pasensya kaayo ____(friend's name)_____".

Another way to say sorry is to extend the Sorry like "Sooorrrrryyy kaayo ha"

Remember to the soft "ha" at the end to pacify the person in this case your friend.

I wish and hope and pray that you might learn how to say your words of apologizes, when you are in the Philippines. It doesn't mean, where you are located in this wonderful country.

The reason for our hope

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

AS we approach the end of the Easter season when we celebrate the truth of our faith that Christ is alive and has gained victory over sin and death, we are reminded of the presence and crucial role of the Holy Spirit who continues Christ’s presence and redemptive work in us till the end of time.

“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,” Christ said, “he will testify to me.” (Jn 15,26) With these words, Christ was reassuring his apostles, and us, that he would continue to be with us, despite his death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

Later on, he warned his apostles, and us, that we should not worry even as we continue to have troubles and suffering in this world, since as long as we are with him, everything would be taken care of. 

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away,” he said. “They will expel you from the synagogues. In fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God.” (Jn 16,1-2)

Given the fact that our condition on earth is that of a pilgrim, we should be strong in this virtue of hope that would enable us to be always on the move toward our ultimate, spiritual and supernatural goal without unnecessarily getting entangled with our human and temporal affairs, let alone, our unavoidable troubles here on earth.

Hope is first of all not just a virtue that we produce, cultivate or keep ourselves. It is first of all a gift from God, given to us in abundance. It is the gift of Christ himself who, by the Holy Spirit, is made present in us through his words, his sacraments, his Church. All we have to do is to correspond to this wonderful reality as vigorously as possible.

That is why we need to be most mindful of the truths of our faith, giving time to meditate on them and to make them sink in our very consciousness. We have to be wary of our tendency to be carried away by our earthly concerns, no matter how legitimate they are. For again, as the gospel would say, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mk 8,36)

It’s important that just like in that management style called MBO (Management by objective), we have to have a clear vision of our ultimate goal and make it the strongest desire of our life, so that we avoid getting entangled unnecessarily with the ups and downs and the drama of life.

This, of course, will require some significant effort, because nowadays people are getting too hooked in their earthly, temporal affairs. Hope gives one the conviction that God has the last word, goodness has the last say. It reassures everyone that it is all worthwhile to suffer a little or a lot in life as long as one does not lose sight of his eternal goal.

Hope gives one a deep sense of peace and joy, and an abiding sense of confidence, regardless of how things play out in one’s life, since life always has more to offer than what we can expect or handle.

When we seem to be overwhelmed by trials, challenges, tasks, pressures that can come anytime, I believe the attitude to have and the reaction to make is to be calm, pray hard, and while we do all we can, we have to learn to live a certain sense of abandonment in the hands of God.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com