To say “sorry” in Hebrew, say סליחה (slicha) for a quick “sorry” or “excuse me.” For a heartfelt “I’m sorry,” a man says אני מצטער (ani mitzta’er) and a woman says אני מצטערת (ani mitzta’eret). The heartfelt version changes with your own gender. Type it in English and a translation keyboard sends the right Hebrew into your chat.
Most of the time “sorry” in Hebrew is one easy word. When it matters more, the phrase shifts to match who is saying it, and getting that right is worth a moment.
The everyday word is סליחה (slicha). It covers a light “sorry,” “excuse me” to get past someone, and “pardon?” when you did not hear. It does not change with gender, so you can lean on it in almost any small moment.
For a real apology, use the verb, which carries your own gender:
| You are… | Hebrew | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| a man | אני מצטער | ani mitzta’er |
| a woman | אני מצטערת | ani mitzta’eret |
This is where translators trip: they have to guess your gender, and a heartfelt apology in the wrong form reads as careless, which is the last thing you want mid-apology.
An apology works best when it is quick and lands right. A translation keyboard like Bridgi lets you type in English and send the correct Hebrew straight into WhatsApp, in the form that matches you, without a detour through a translator. And the conversation after “sorry” is usually the important part, which is exactly where keeping it in the chat helps.
You write סליחה (slicha) for a quick sorry, or אני מצטער / אני מצטערת (ani mitzta’er / ani mitzta’eret) for a heartfelt one. Hebrew reads right to left.
Slicha does not. The heartfelt “I’m sorry” does: a man says ani mitzta’er, a woman says ani mitzta’eret.
Yes. סליחה (slicha) is used both to apologize and to get someone’s attention, like “excuse me.”
A simple slicha is usually enough between friends. Save ani mitzta’er or ani mitzta’eret for when you really mean it.