apologize to + person
Saying who receives the apology
Use to before the person or group receiving the apology.
He apologized to the teacher.
Apologize for or apologize to?
Use apologize to for the person receiving the apology and apologize for for the action, mistake, or reason.
Quick answer
Apologize to vs. apologize for
Apologize to identifies who receives the apology. Apologize for explains the reason for apologising. Both patterns are often used together.
I apologized to my colleague.
She apologized for the misunderstanding.
They apologized to the customer for the delay.
She apologized for the misunderstanding.
They apologized to the customer for the delay.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
apologize for + action
Explaining the reason for the apology
Use for before a mistake, behaviour, or situation.
We apologized for arriving late.
apologize to + person + for + reason
Combining both patterns
You can use both prepositions in the same sentence.
She apologized to the team for the confusion.
apologize about + topic
Less common informal alternative
Apologize about is sometimes used informally for a topic, but apologize for is more standard.
He apologized about the mix-up.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
apologize to
She apologized to her manager.
Names the person receiving the apology.
apologize for
He apologized for the mistake.
Explains the reason for apologising.
apologize to someone for something
I apologized to them for the delay.
Combines recipient and reason.
apologize about
She apologized about the confusion.
Informal and less standard than apologize for.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using to for the reason
To should introduce the person, not the mistake.
✕ He apologized to being late. ✓ He apologized for being late.Leaving out the recipient
Use to when mentioning who received the apology.
✕ She apologized her friend. ✓ She apologized to her friend.Using for before a person
For introduces the reason, not the listener.
✕ I apologized for my teacher. ✓ I apologized to my teacher.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. She apologized ___ the customer.
2. He apologized ___ the error.
3. We apologized ___ the staff for the confusion.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between apologize to and apologize for?
Apologize to names the listener, while apologize for gives the reason.
Can I use both together?
Yes. For example: She apologized to me for the mistake.
Is apologize about wrong?
It is possible in informal English, but apologize for is more standard and common.
Related preposition guides
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