Saying Sorry in Punjabi: Apologies and Making Up ਮਾਫ਼ੀ

Saying sorry, accepting an apology, and the softening phrases that let a disagreement end without either person losing face.

What to know before you use these

"Maaf karna" and "maafi mangna" differ in weight — The first is everyday sorry — for being late, for bumping someone. The second is asking forgiveness, and it is not used lightly.
Apologies are closed quickly — "Koi gall nahin, ho jaanda hai" lets both people move on. Dwelling on an accepted apology is the impolite move, not the gracious one.
"Dil" does the emotional work — Dil dukhaia (hurt your heart), dil te na lao (don't take it to heart), dilon maafi (apology from the heart). Learn the noun and the phrases follow.

All 19 phrases

Cover:

Please forgive me

ਮੈਨੂੰ ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰ ਦਿਓ

Mainu maaf kar dio

They say

ਕੋਈ ਗੱਲ ਨਹੀਂ, ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ

Koi gall nahin, ho jaanda hai — It's okay, these things happen

"Koi gall nahin, ho jaanda hai" — "it's nothing, these things happen" — closes an apology without dwelling on it, which is the polite move.

It was my fault

ਗ਼ਲਤੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਸੀ

Galti meri si

They say

ਛੱਡੋ, ਜਾਣ ਦਿਓ

Chhaddo, jaan dio — Forget it, let it go

I didn't mean it like that

ਮੇਰਾ ਇਹ ਮਤਲਬ ਨਹੀਂ ਸੀ

Mera eh matlab nahin si

Are you upset with me?

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਨਾਰਾਜ਼ ਹੋ?

Tusi mere naal naaraaz ho?

They say

ਮੇਰੇ ਦਿਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ

Mere dil vich kujh nahin — I hold nothing in my heart

It won't happen again

ਅੱਗੇ ਤੋਂ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ

Agge ton nahin hovega

Forget it, let it go

ਛੱਡੋ, ਜਾਣ ਦਿਓ

Chhaddo, jaan dio

It slipped out by mistake

ਮੇਰੇ ਮੂੰਹੋਂ ਗ਼ਲਤੀ ਨਾਲ ਨਿਕਲ ਗਿਆ

Mere munhon galti naal nikal gia

At least talk to me

ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਲ ਗੱਲ ਤਾਂ ਕਰੋ

Mere naal gall taan karo

💡 said when someone is giving you the silent treatment

I was wrong

ਮੈਂ ਗ਼ਲਤ ਸੀ

Main galat si

What happened, happened

ਜੋ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੋ ਹੋਇਆ

Jo hoia so hoia

💡 the phrase for drawing a line under a quarrel

Don't take it to heart

ਦਿਲ 'ਤੇ ਨਾ ਲਾਓ

Dil te na lao

I hurt your feelings

ਮੈਂ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਦਿਲ ਦੁਖਾਇਆ

Main tuhaada dil dukhaia

They say

ਦਿਲ 'ਤੇ ਨਾ ਲਾਓ

Dil te na lao — Don't take it to heart

Forgive me just this once

ਇੱਕ ਵਾਰ ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰ ਦਿਓ

Ikk vaar maaf kar dio

It's okay, these things happen

ਕੋਈ ਗੱਲ ਨਹੀਂ, ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ

Koi gall nahin, ho jaanda hai

I apologise from the heart

ਮੈਂ ਦਿਲੋਂ ਮਾਫ਼ੀ ਮੰਗਦਾ ਹਾਂ

Main dilon maafi mangda haan

💡 a woman says ਮੰਗਦੀ ਹਾਂ (mangdi haan)

They say

ਜੋ ਹੋਇਆ ਸੋ ਹੋਇਆ

Jo hoia so hoia — What happened, happened

Come on, let's make up

ਚੱਲ ਹੁਣ ਸੁਲ੍ਹਾ ਕਰ ਲਈਏ

Chall hun sulha kar laiye

💡 informal ਤੂੰ register — between friends, siblings, couples

You misunderstood me

ਤੁਸੀਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਗ਼ਲਤ ਸਮਝਿਆ

Tusi mainu galat samjhia

I hold nothing in my heart

ਮੇਰੇ ਦਿਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ

Mere dil vich kujh nahin

💡 means 'no grudge — we're good'

Sorry, I got late

ਮਾਫ਼ ਕਰਨਾ, ਮੈਨੂੰ ਦੇਰ ਹੋ ਗਈ

Maaf karna, mainu der ho gayi

Other situations

Smaller topics — meeting someone new, the weather, shopping, work, family — live in the full phrasebook, alongside every phrase on this page. See the phrasebook index for the whole set, or the dialogues for these phrases inside whole conversations.