German · Real conversations
Apologize for inconvenience naturally in German
An effective apology identifies the inconvenience. You can acknowledge waiting, explain a changed arrangement, or add a concrete step that addresses the problem.
Three ways to say it
Entschuldige, dass ich dich warten lasse.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Acknowledge that the other person has had to wait.
Es tut mir leid, dass sich die Pläne geändert haben.
I'm sorry about the change of plans.
Recognize the effect of a change of plans.
Entschuldige die Umstände. Ich schicke jetzt die richtige Datei.
Sorry for the trouble. I'll send the correct file now.
Acknowledge trouble and immediately explain the corrective action.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'keep you waiting' means cause someone to continue waiting; it does not mean keep or own the person. Learn the target-language construction for making someone wait as a complete phrase.
See the difference in context
Arriving after someone has been waiting
Ich warte schon seit zehn Minuten.
I've been waiting for ten minutes.
Entschuldige, dass ich dich warten lasse.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Acknowledging a changed meeting arrangement
Wir treffen uns also heute nicht?
So we won't meet today?
Es tut mir leid, dass sich die Pläne geändert haben.
I'm sorry about the change of plans.
Your turn
You sent the wrong file. Apologize for the trouble and say that you will send the correct file now.
Reveal a sample reply
Entschuldige die Umstände. Ich schicke jetzt die richtige Datei.
Sorry for the trouble. I'll send the correct file now.
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking German
Use Sie for formal address and du with people you address informally. Könnten Sie …? is a useful polite request. Keep noun capitals and the verb position shown in each complete sentence.
The examples preserve German accents and ß. Read a full sentence before replacing a detail: a subordinate clause can move the verb to the end, and case can change an article or pronoun.
