What does “sorry about that” mean?
“Sorry about that” is a common spoken apology. It means you are sorry for a problem, mistake, or inconvenience that just happened or that the other person mentioned.
When people say it
- After a small mistake or tech problem: "Oops, sorry about that. Can you see my screen now?"
- In service situations after hearing a complaint: "I'm so sorry about that. What's your room number?"
- When you notice something late: "Sorry about that. I honestly didn't notice."
- To apologize and then move to the next step: "Sorry about that. Do you have the receipt?"
Tone: It is neutral to polite and very natural in speech; with "so" or "really" it sounds warmer, but for very serious situations it may sound too light.
In 9 of Lin's scenes
Real lines from the scenes. Open one to watch it and say it yourself.
Shadow
Line by line
Other ways to say it
The most common and general choice. It is a little more direct.
More formal. Good in customer service or emails.
Very casual and shows it was your fault. Not good in formal service situations.
Quick answers
Is “sorry about that” the same as “sorry for that”?
They are close in meaning, but "sorry about that" is more common in everyday speech. "Sorry for that" is not wrong, but it often sounds less natural.
Do I use “sorry about that” only when the mistake is mine?
No. People also use it in service situations to respond to a problem politely, even if they did not personally cause it.