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Prepositions after adjectives

sorry for, about, to or in?

Sorry combines with several prepositions and infinitive forms depending on whether you apologise, express regret, or show sympathy.

Quick answer

Common patterns with sorry

Use sorry for to apologise or show sympathy, sorry about for situations or events, and sorry to plus a verb for regretted actions or news. Sorry in is not a standard complement pattern.

I am sorry for the delay.
She felt sorry about the mistake.
We are sorry to hear the news.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
sorry for + noun/doing

Apologising or expressing sympathy

Sorry for can express regret about your actions or sympathy for another person.

I am sorry for interrupting.
She felt sorry for him.
2
sorry about + situation

Talking about a situation or event

Sorry about is common in informal apologies and reactions.

We are sorry about the confusion.
3
sorry to + verb

Regretting an action or piece of news

Sorry to is followed by an infinitive verb.

I am sorry to disappoint you.
4
sorry about + noun phrase

Making casual apologies

About often sounds slightly less formal than for in everyday speech.

Sorry about the noise last night.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
sorry for
I am sorry for my mistake.
apology or sympathy
sorry about
She was sorry about the accident.
regret concerning a situation or event
sorry to
We are sorry to inform you that the flight is cancelled.
regret connected to an action or statement
sorry in
He spoke softly in the meeting.
In is not a standard complement after sorry; it may introduce a separate place phrase

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using sorry to with a noun

Sorry to should be followed by a verb.

✕ I am sorry to the delay. ✓ I am sorry for the delay.

Using sorry in as a complement

Sorry does not normally take in directly after it.

✕ She is sorry in her behaviour. ✓ She is sorry about her behaviour.

Confusing sympathy and apology

Sorry for someone expresses sympathy, not responsibility.

✕ I am sorry about him after the accident. ✓ I feel sorry for him after the accident.

Using about before a verb

Use for plus -ing or sorry to plus verb.

✕ I am sorry about interrupting you. ✓ I am sorry for interrupting you.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I am ___ being late.
2. We are ___ announce a schedule change.
3. She felt sorry ___ the damage caused by the storm.

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Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sorry for and sorry about?

Sorry for often focuses on responsibility or sympathy, while sorry about focuses on situations or events.

Can sorry be followed by to plus verb?

Yes. Sorry to is used before a verb to express regret about an action or message.

Is sorry in correct English?

No. Sorry does not normally take in as its complement.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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