Polish · Real conversations
How to respond to “Przepraszam.” in Polish
An apology can be acknowledged without a long discussion. Choose the reply that reflects how you actually feel.
What you might hear
Przepraszam.
I'm sorry.
Choose a reply that fits
Nic się nie stało.
That's okay.
Use when you are comfortable reassuring the person.
Nie martw się tym.
Don't worry about it.
Suitable for a minor issue that needs no further action.
Dziękuję, że mi o tym mówisz.
Thanks for telling me.
Acknowledge the explanation without declaring everything resolved.
Doceniam twoje przeprosiny.
I appreciate your apology.
Recognize the apology while leaving room for a further conversation.
Two short exchanges
A minor inconvenience
Przepraszam.
I'm sorry.
Nic się nie stało.
That's okay.
A more careful apology
Przepraszam za niedogodności.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Nie martw się tym.
Don't worry about it.
Your turn
Acknowledge that the person has explained what happened.
Reveal a sample reply
Dziękuję, że mi o tym mówisz.
Thanks for telling me.
This response guide in other languages
A note on speaking Polish
Polish distinguishes familiar ty from polite pan and pani. Choose pan when addressing a man and pani when addressing a woman formally; the paired forms shown in examples are alternatives, so say one. A formal question usually uses a third-person verb, such as Czy może pan …? First-person past and conditional forms can change with the speaker’s gender.
Keep letters such as ą, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ź, and ż. Noun and adjective endings can change with their role in the sentence. Learn the complete expression before replacing a name, object, or time.
