English Language is a borrowed and an imposed language on us by the colonial masters, so nobody is expecting anyone to be perfect while speaking it or writing it down but it has become a social norm of some people to wrongly use some English words incorrectly thinking they are using the right diction. I was in a supermarket last night and a lady needed to pick an item beside me, initially I never knew I was hindering her access to the item. The word "SORRY" came from her mouth and I was like, did I fall down or have I gotten myself injured that I would need to be addressed a such. In simplicity, she ought to have said EXCUSE ME. Some people will want to ask you for direction but they will walk up to you and say "Sorry, can you please direct me to so, so and so place" More so, you will be in a bus and someone beside you may want to disembark and the next word from them will be sorry, I want to come down. Why telling me sorry? when the situation on ground does not call for it, but saying SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE is more polite than just saying SORRY.
According to English dictionary "SORRY" means feeling sadness, sympathy, or disappointment, especially because something unpleasant has happened or been done.
Anyway, scholars in the house can help to shed more light in case I'm wrong, we are all learning everyday,

sorry for interrupting you! sorry for disturbing you etc... it's a Nigerian thing not totally wrong though

chrisbaxtian:
sorry for interrupting you! sorry for disturbing you etc... it's a Nigerian thing not totally wrong though

Thanks for that, but just saying the word "sorry" sound barbaric and irrelevant.

Untainted007:


Thanks for that, but just saying the word "sorry" sound barbaric and irrelevant.

well, that's your take on the matter

That's because we've been used to it and some people finds it offensive or impolite when you use the word excuse me.

Treasure17:
That's because we've been used to it and some people finds it offensive or impolite when you use the word excuse me.

yes, most especially ladies.

Untainted007:


Thanks for that, but just saying the word "sorry" sound barbaric and irrelevant.

Nothing barbaric there. Some situations warrant that to avoid confrontation.

chrisbaxtian:


yes, most especially ladies.

Yeah especially when you use it with harsh voice.

I am sorry could you excuse me

I am sorry means sorry for the inconviences

I am.sorry could you repeat yourself

I am sorry i didnt get that clearly

I am.sorry did you just say his mad.

I beg your pardon? Im sorry come again excuse me is a synonyms.

Nothing wrong with replacing sorry with excuse

Pls if you no.sabi grammar carry your dicko and stop this belittling of the female sex

Corrected

nigerians are already angry about something. if its not Buhari its the police if its not the police its fuel scarcity if not that one its no light and generator wahala if light dey na over billing and estimated billing. oh and armed robbers cultists kidnappers boko haram herdsmen etc etc etc people are already angry! so just tell them sorry for adding any extra question or task or burden to their lives

Majority of Nigerians you see are angry people!

Better to pacify them first before you turn to a dump ground for insults

GeoSilYe:



Majority of Nigerians you see are angry people!

Better to pacify them first before you turn to a dump ground for insults

Hahahahahaa that's indeed funny.

1shortblackboy:
nigerians are already angry about something. if its not Buhari its the police if its not the police its fuel scarcity if not that one its no light and generator wahala if light dey na over billing and estimated billing. oh and armed robbers cultists kidnappers boko haram herdsmen etc etc etc people are already angry! so just tell them sorry for adding any extra question or task or burden to their lives

Exactly Bro Tru Talk

The actual use is "sorry for any inconvenience this may cause" which others have pointed out. I also find it better than "excuse me" which may sound authoritative and a tad rude.
Brits use "you alright?" instead of the "how are you?" they taught us, saying the latter sounds too personal to the point of disrespect.

Why everyone says sorry is because like short forms of names it is easier to pronounce. Which sounds easier to you, Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwemubwem Ossas or a simple Osa?

Excuse me sounds a little offensive in this our present economic situation.....but it depends on the tone used... gentle words turnes away wrath, but a harsh words stirrs up anger.

Professionally we dont use excuse me
We use "am sorry" or "sorry" or "pardon me" just because you want to cut the long story short not excuse you. If you want to be rude use excuse me...
As a customer service rep
So you need to go apologize to that lazy for asking a stupid question when she was been polite

Sorry for commenting.

Sistar:
Am sorry could you excuse me

Am sorry means sorry for the inconviences

Am.sorry could you repeat yourself

Am sorry i didnt get that clearly

Am.sorry did you just say his mad.

I beg your pardon? Im sorry come again excuse me is a synonyms.

Nothing wrong with replacing sorry with excuse

Pls if you no.sabi grammar carry your dicko and stop this belittling of the female sex

1. It's, I'm sorry not am sorry nor im sorry, he's not his, inconveniences not inconviences.

2. @first bolded part, I was shook when I read that shii aswr

3. @second bolded part, I don't think you are one to determine whether someone 'sabis' grammar or not and if your comprehension skills are 1/4 of what they should be, you'll know that OP was not belittling the female sex.


@Untainted007 I think it's just not to come off as rude.

Sometimes sef when I catch myself saying sorry then I say excuse me instead I almost always subconsciously add sorry to it

Like

"Sor..... Excuse me, sorry can I pick that up?"

I try to change tho. Then there's the thing that Nigerians are generally 'too' respectful

Dranoid:


1. It's, I'm sorry not am sorry nor im sorry, he's not his, inconveniences not inconviences.

2. @first bolded part, I was shook when I read that shii aswr

3. @second bolded part, I don't think you are one to determine whether someone 'sabis' grammar or not and if your comprehension skills are 1/4 of what they should be, you'll know that OP was not belittling the female sex.


@Untainted007 I think it's just not to come off as rude.

Sometimes sef when I catch myself saying sorry then I say excuse me instead I almost always subconsciously add sorry to it

Like

"Sor..... Excuse me, sorry can I pick that up?"

I try to change tho. Then there's the thing that Nigerians are generally 'too' respectful

Very thoughtful and straight to point you have raised here. But it seems most people here are not getting what I was trying to point out here. Saying I'm sorry is different from when someone need to seek ur attention and the only word from them is SORRY; for instance, you are standing on a road and preventing someone else from passing through, I guess using the word "sorry" may sound offensive in my own way, but one can politely tell the person "Excuse me please" or for instance you want to woo a girl on the road and the first word from you to her is "sorry". Won't she feel like, I have not been offended or nothing is wrong with me. As for me I feel somehow if you tell me " sorry" wen nothing is wrong with me.
Anyway, English language is a very wide language on it own and no one is expected to be perfect.

1shortblackboy:
nigerians are already angry about something. if its not Buhari its the police if its not the police its fuel scarcity if not that one its no light and generator wahala if light dey na over billing and estimated billing. oh and armed robbers cultists kidnappers boko haram herdsmen etc etc etc people are already angry! so just tell them sorry for adding any extra question or task or burden to their lives

your head dey there

If you want to ask for direction and you interrupted someone ( who's obviously busy), I think its appropriate to say: " Sorry to disturb you. Can kindly direct me to this address? "
Just to convey your regrets for the interruption

Everybody is angry in this country,u just have to apologise for their frustration
Instagram account of 13k followers fo sale biko call/whatsapp 08133261377

In issue like this the both is correct whether sorry or excuse now listen ppl say sorry because they feel cumn to u to ask u something means disturbing u distracting u from ur focus and disturbing ur movement of thinking because he/she believe u have something that is disturbing u more than you asking he/she a question or help. So sorry or excuse is correct my dear.

I only use it for my project supervisor, she tend to be easily irritated and I don't want to get on her bad side. Outside that, I say "excuse me"

Bottom line is, people are angry by default in this country so you better start with sorry or OYO is your case.

The well known English is sorry.
Don't go try excuse me with a yoruba man or woman who don't understand English very well. Cux the hot slap u will receive, u will tell the person sorry by force for slapping u.

Cause in this country, everyone is angry by default

The sorry is to protect yourself and pre-empt a possible outburst (like a slap) from the ever-belligerent nigerians

Dranoid:


1. It's, I'm sorry not am sorry nor im sorry, he's not his, inconveniences not inconviences.

2. @first bolded part, I was shook when I read that shii aswr

3. @second bolded part, I don't think you are one to determine whether someone 'sabis' grammar or not and if your comprehension skills are 1/4 of what they should be, you'll know that OP was not belittling the female sex.


@Untainted007 I think it's just not to come off as rude.

Sometimes sef when I catch myself saying sorry then I say excuse me instead I almost always subconsciously add sorry to it

Like

"Sor..... Excuse me, sorry can I pick that up?"

I try to change tho. Then there's the thing that Nigerians are generally 'too' respectful

Typo error is allowed...as long as you understandeth.
All am.saying is dont belittle the female sex.
I didnt rem saying anyone here spelt wrongly...as long as the message was passed accross.no offense
Belittle ...check.the replies na girls talk.
He needs to apologize for replying her wrongly
Grammar teacherer

Untainted007:


Very thoughtful and straight to point you have raised here. But it seems most people here are not getting what I was trying to point out here. Saying I'm sorry is different from when someone need to seek ur attention and the only word from them is SORRY; for instance, you are standing on a road and preventing someone else from passing through, I guess using the word "sorry" may sound offensive in my own way, but one can politely tell the person "Excuse me please" or for instance you want to woo a girl on the road and the first word from you to her is "sorry". Won't she feel like, I have not been offended or nothing is wrong with me. As for me I feel somehow if you tell me " sorry" wen nothing is wrong with me.
Anyway, English language is a very wide language on it own and no one is expected to be perfect.

Objectivity is no crime
sorry ... is a synonmys of excuse me
Check your dictionary na
Or better still ask Wole Soyinka
Lesson to be learnt ..which ever way you use it ..its fine.
Dont see anybody saying sorry -exquiz me as an illiterate

You say "sorry" after having inconvenienced someone.

"I suspect they're both equally valid and you decide to employ each as befits your own sense of conversational aesthetics. If you unexpectedly sneezed on somebody you could look up full of remorse and state either with the same level of regret and request for forgiveness. Sorry and excuse me both seem perfectly valid comments to make when manoeuvering around someone as well. I think this is a situation when you are able to choose according to your own ear and what is the preferred word/phrase to suit yourself."