Do they? I thought “I’m sorry” was specifically about sharing how you are feeling vs “I apologise” which is an acknowledgment of your action(s). They often correlate but not always a given.

Just my 20c…

Edit: I can’t spell actions apparently.

Bonus DVD directors cut edit:

So reading all the cool comments below has taught me that the most ambiguous situation that can arise linguistically, is inadvertently bumping into someone whilst trying to ask directions during a Canadian funeral.

It's important to know the difference between

Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned

and

I'm sorry, Daddy; I've been very naughty

An XKCD for everything...

I wonder how many Demetri Martin jokes are stolen every day on Xitter

That's because "I'm sorry" is essentially short for "I feel sorrow". What it means specifically can differ depending on the context. We have lots of examples of phrases that work like this, for example: if you end a relationship with someone you call it "breaking up" with them. If you pass through a tunnel during a phone call and can't hear the other person very well or the call drops, they're "breaking up". That's because something "breaking up" can refer to it falling apart or being severed. When you apologize, you feel sorrow over your own actions and/or the hurt they have caused. When you console someone grieving, you feel sorrow for their loss. This, like puns, is not in any way exclusive to the English language.

During a period where life was fucking me over frequently, I had a friend who would, in commiserating with my situation, say sorry to me, at least partly because he felt bad that he wasn't able to help.

My autistic ass would get confused about whether he had committed a slight against me that I was unaware of, and I'd ask for clarification (because sometimes he was actually apologising for something I hadn't registered). This developed into a shorthand where if I was confused, I'd ask "funeral sorry?".

One's a statement about your feelings. The other is a statement about your hobbies. They are not the same.

I apologize for your loss

The meaning of words are context dependant? Wow, that's crazy. /s

I'm sorry = I am sorrowful (sympathy or empathy)

I apologize = I am to explain my action (defense)

Consider:

• "I'm sorry you feel that way."
• "I owe you an apology."
• "What a sorry excuse for a ___ ."

Meaning, "I apologize" at a funeral is the same as "In my defense..."

Can we just post Dimitri Martin jokes and pass them off as our own?

“Sorry” has lots of meanings in English. Many of them mean the opposite of what they sound like, or are accusatory even.

There's the sympathetic and apologetic sorry.

When I was learning English I feel very stupid questioning why English people says "I'm very sorry". That I lack a critical knowledge that it's normal and it means that someone also feel sorrow.

It's very liberating knowing that even native speaker are also confused and questioning that same phrase.

Not if you're the one who caused the funeral.

Just a bunch of patches.