No one likes being disturbed. However, no one likes disturbing either. You have probably been in a situation where you constantly need a person’s help and you feel you are disturbing the person. Sometimes, you hesitate to reach out for help or you just look for other options because you don’t want to wait till the person directly tells you to stop disturbing them.
There are times when it is important for you to reach out to one person and you can’t find another person to help. In this blog post, we will tell you the meaning of “sorry to bother you” and 13 alternatives of that phrase.
Sorry to Bother You Meaning
Sorry to bother you is used when you are about to bother someone, possibly asking for their help, but you don’t want to get pushed away. It is actually a polite way to approach a person.
When a person uses this expression at you, it means the person is going to bother you. However, don’t take this negatively, since that person is actually looking for your help and cannot find an alternate solution.
13 Sorry to bother you Alternatives
1. Sorry to interrupt
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say Sorry to interrupt. When you walk up to a person to ask for help, there is a high chance that the person already has something to invest his or her time in so you may be interrupting.
It is good to be polite and show that you are sorry by using this expression.
2. Excuse me, please
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say Excuse me, please. This is the right way to get a person’s attention, when you are not actually looking for their help.
Although saying Excuse me does not mean that you are apologizing, it will still gain a person’s attention and that is the goal.
3. May I have your attention, please?
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say May I have your attention, please?. This can be used when you want someone’s help or just need their attention.
4. I need your help, please
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say I need your help, please. This is a direct way of seeking help from someone. Even though you added please at the end of your sentence, it still shows you are in control since you are being direct and seeking their help.
5. Sorry to disturb you
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say Sorry to disturb you. Disturb means the same thing as Bother so you can use both words interchangeably.
6. Pardon me. Can you help with…?
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say what you want and add Pardon me. It is another way of saying Sorry.
When you say this, you are asking the person to forgive you for disturbing him/her, then you ask the person to help you with whatever you came for.
7. Sorry for the inconvenience
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say Sorry for the inconvenience. This expression can be used in a variety of contexts. You can say it to ask for help or get someone’s attention or show regret for causing or expected to cause inconvenience.
8. I hope I’m not bothering you. Sorry.
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to use this alternative expression. You can say this if you have been asking for a person’s help continuously. You can also say it if you happen to be failing on a task that has been assigned to you.
By saying this, you are acknowledging that your actions or request is capable of bothering the person but you are sorry about it.
9. Sorry for bugging you
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say Sorry for bugging you. It is basically the same thing in English but it also works in particular contexts.
You can use this alternative expression when you keep asking for a person’s attention and it seems to be interrupting the person’s work. You can also use it if you keep requesting help from the person.
10. I don’t mean to disturb you
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to use this alternative expression. By saying this, you are expressing that you know a person is disturbed by your actions or requests and you are sorry about it.
Saying this before or after requesting help will show politeness.
11. Forgive me for the disturbance but…
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say this. This expression is a nice way to request a person’s help or attention.
You first ask for the person’s forgiveness for disturbing him/her, then you say why you need the person’s help. After saying this, whatever you say next is expected to be reasonable and convincing enough to earn you the help you seek.
12. I hate to bother you but…
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say this. By saying this, you are expressing that you know a person is disturbed by your actions or requests and you are sorry about it.
Saying this before or after requesting help will show politeness and remorse for the discomfort that you may have caused.
13. I hope I am not interrupting you
Another way to say Sorry to bother you is to say this. You can say this when you need a person’s attention or help and the person appears to be less busy. You have no idea if the person is resting or doing something else but you need the person’s help.
This will show you are not willing to disturb.