When a child does something to another child--like takes away the other child's toy--what would you recommend having that child say to the other child as an apology? Mwen regrete sa? Padon? And what would you recommend to have a child say in apology to an adult--like when a child has not obeyed what the adult told him to do? One more question: Are there times when you should never say "Mwen regrete." Thanks!

The child should say:

Padon

Or

Eskize m

 

To an adult, the child may say:

-M mande w padon.
-Eskize m.

And sometimes they say

-M fè kwa m pa’p janm fè sa ankò.

And many Haitian adults (in Haiti usually) have the child make a cross on the dirt ground and kiss it (it’s a promise that he/she sorry and that he/she will not offend again)

Adult to adults – we use the same terms to apologize.  Sometimes adults would say Mwen prezante w eskiz mwen or Mwen prezante w tout eskiz mwen.

To apologize – fè eskiz, prezante eskiz, mande padon

We rarely say Mwen regrete – unless you want to say Mwen regrete tout sa m fè. – I regret all that I have done.

I cannot think of a situation where you couldn't use 'mwen regrete'. 

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