عذرخواهی

What it means

عذرخواهی (ozrkhâhi) means apology or the act of asking for forgiveness. The word is a compound: عذر (‘ozr) comes from Arabic and means excuse or grounds for pardon, while خواهی (khâhi) is a Persian verbal noun from خواستن (khâstan), meaning wanting or asking for. Together they form a transparent phrase: asking for an excuse or requesting forgiveness. The verb form is عذرخواهی کردن (ozrkhâhi kardan), to apologize. The first-person present عذرخواهی می‌کنم (ozrkhâhi mikonam) is a polite, slightly formal way of saying I apologize, more considered than the quick ببخشید (bebakhshid, sorry). Accepting an apology is عذرخواهی قبول کردن (ozrkhâhi ghabul kardan).

How to use it

• عذرخواهی می‌کنم (ozrkhâhi mikonam) “I apologize.”
• ازت عذرخواهی کردم (azat ozrkhâhi kardam) “I apologized to you.”
• عذرخواهیش رو قبول کردم (ozrkhâhi-ash ro ghabul kardam) “I accepted his apology.”
• باید عذرخواهی کنی (bâyad ozrkhâhi koni) “You need to apologize.”

Cultural note

Iranian social culture places a high value on the form and sincerity of an apology. A genuine عذرخواهی is expected to be specific and face-to-face when possible, not a quick text message. The phrase عذرخواهی قبول (ozrkhâhi ghabul, apology accepted) is the gracious standard response, and withholding it is a significant social signal. In formal or professional contexts, عذرخواهی می‌کنم carries more weight than the everyday ببخشید and signals that the speaker is taking the matter seriously.

References

• Dehkhoda
• Vajehyab