A wise man once said, “It’s incredible how many hurts can be healed by the two words, I’m sorry.”
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having an angry girlfriend, the best thing to do is swallow your pride and apologize.
Not everyone knows how to offer apologies, but this guide will talk you through the best way to go about this difficult task.
Whether your girlfriend will be able to forgive you is a different story, but at least you can confidently know that you’ve done what you can to fix the situation.
Apologies are always best delivered in person, but if you aren’t going to see your girlfriend soon enough and feel that you should apologize straightaway, a text is a good place to start.
You can always have the follow-up conversation in person.
Here are 32 ways you might go about trying to make your girlfriend feel better.
32 ways to apologize to your girlfriend over text
- You’re everything to me. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me for hurting you?
- I’ll do whatever it takes to work through this. I’m so sorry I hurt you.
- I need you in my life. I’m sorry. Let me make this up to you.
- I promise I’ll never hurt you like this again. Please forgive me.
- I’m so sorry, I feel like the worst person ever. I never meant to make you feel like I don’t love you. Can we talk about it in person?
- I don’t know how I could do this to you, and I know I’ll never truly be able to make up for it. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m just telling you that I understand the gravity of what I did. I’m so sorry and I’ll regret it forever.
- I’m so sorry you were hurt by what I did last week. I never meant it to happen, things just got out of hand. Will you ever be able to forgive me?
- It’s so hard for me to see you sad. And it’s even worse knowing that I’m the person who made you sad. Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me?
- I understand your anger and I’m really sorry. I hope this doesn’t mean you want to end things though, because I would be completely devastated. You are by far the most important person in my life.
- I am so sorry. It’s going to kill me for the rest of my life that I did this to you, whether or not we stay together. I want nothing more than to go back to how things were before. I’ll give you space, but if you want to talk, I’m here.
- Hey, I’m really sorry for the comment I made about your mother last night. I said it in the heat of the moment, and you know I don’t really think that. It was unacceptable behavior.
- I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings yesterday. I’m sorry for what I said. Let me take you out to dinner and make it up to you?
- I hate seeing you down. You know I love you and I’m sorry about the argument we had yesterday, that was completely my fault. Tell me how I can earn your forgiveness?
- I haven’t heard from you today, which I assume means that you’re upset about what I said yesterday. I’m sorry about that, I never meant to hurt your feelings. Can we meet up to talk things through?
- I’m sorry for causing the fight we hard yesterday. I didn’t need to keep talking about it, but I did anyway, even after you asked me to stop. So, this is just to say, I’ve thought about my behavior a lot and I’ll do better next time, I promise.
- You’re the light of my life. I hate letting petty arguments get between us. I’m sorry for what I said. Can we forget about it and go out to dinner and have a great time?
- Hello darling. I thought I’d break this stalemate and apologize for criticizing how you do the dishes. I can tell you’re irritated. I really only meant it lightheartedly, but I can understand why you took offense. I’m sorry. Forgive me?
- I’m sorry I went out last night after you asked me not to. I should’ve respected your reasons and stayed home. Can you forgive me?
- I take full accountability for turning that silly discussion about the garage door into a full-blown argument. I had a bad day at work. I’m sorry for being such a pain.
- I’m sorry for being so temperamental and moody lately. I know it’s hard for you to be around me when I’m down like that. I have some serious self-reflection to do and I’m going to get some professional help. Let me make it up to you?
- Hey, I’m sorry my drinking has come between us recently. I promise to go back to meetings. I’ll start this evening.
- I just wanted to apologize for being so difficult about your upcoming girls’ trip. Of course I want you to have fun with your friends and I do trust you. I was just in a bad mood, and I took it out on you, but that’s not okay and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.
- Hey, I’m sorry that I’ve been so stubborn about the car lately. I’ll try to ease up.
- Sorry that I haven’t been around in the evenings. Work has been kicking my butt, but I know that I also need to prioritize our relationship. Let me make it up to you?
- I’m sorry that I’ve been distracted by the patio. I know it seems silly and I know I’ve been obsessive, it’s just that I really want everything about the house to be perfect. Let me make it up to you by cooking whatever you want for dinner tonight?
- Sorry that I haven’t been able to stop talking about my anger at my brother recently. I know if must be irritating to be around. I’ll be more mindful of how much I’m talking about it from now on.
- Hey, I realize I may have been bombarding you with talk about my work recently. You’re so sweet not to complain and I promise I’ll reel it in.
- My apologies for being so particular about the wedding guest list. I realize it might sound like I don’t trust you, which is not the case. I just want to make sure there are no conflicts, but I should have explained the whole situation to you instead of taking control of that part of the planning.
- Hey, I’m sorry that you were offended by what I said yesterday. I don’t think it was meant the way you took it.
- Sorry that you got frustrated by my decision to go out with the boys yesterday. I just need to be able to have my freedom or else I panic a bit. It has nothing to do with how much I love you.
- I’m sorry you felt that I didn’t want you to come to my parents’ place. I can assure you that wasn’t the case. I think you need to listen to what I’m saying instead of trying to read what I’m thinking in my face. I’m always honest with you.
- Hey, so I hear you’re mad at me? If it’s because I took the car this morning, I’m sorry, but I needed it to get to work.
How to apologize to your girlfriend over text If you’ve betrayed her badly
If you’ve badly hurt your girlfriend, it is unlikely that a simple text message is going to fix the situation. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good place to start.
If, for example, you’ve cheated on your girlfriend or lied to her about something equally important, you’re going to have to put in a lot of work to set it right––if that’s even possible.
However, if you want to have any chance of redeeming yourself, it is essential that you communicate how sorry you are and how much your girlfriend means to you.
Here are several examples of how to apologize to your girlfriend over text if you’ve done something to hurt her badly.
1. You’re everything to me. I’m sorry. Can you forgive me for hurting you?
This brief message makes clear that you are deeply upset about your actions.
Starting an apology message with the line “You’re everything to me,” will leave your girlfriend in no doubt that no matter what you have done, she is your number one priority.
If you’ve really hurt someone, they will usually need to be convinced that they can ever trust you again.
Starting your apology by telling them they are the most important thing in your life is a good start to rebuilding that trust.
2. I’ll do whatever it takes to work through this. I’m so sorry I hurt you.
Another thing people who have been hurt value is the assurance that the person who has hurt them will do whatever it takes to make things up to them.
A simple message communicating this and apologizing for causing your girlfriend hurt will let her know where you stand. Then you can follow up on this with an in-person conversation.
3. I need you in my life. I’m sorry. Let me make this up to you.
When you’ve hurt your girlfriend, what she will often be most hurt about is the feeling that you might not need or want her in your life anymore.
Assure your girlfriend that this is not the case by sending a text that begins by saying you need her in your life.
Then apologize and offer to make it up to her. This simple, short text gets across everything you need to communicate in an initial apology.
4. I promise I’ll never hurt you like this again. Please forgive me.
The fear of being hurt again can make people avoid risky situations at all costs.
If, for example, you have cheated on your girlfriend or let her down badly in some other way, she may not want to take you back because she is worried about having to feel the hurt she feels now again.
Assuring her you will never hurt her in this way again might be the most important thing to say when apologizing for your bad behavior.
5. I’m so sorry, I feel like the worst person ever. I never meant to make you feel like I don’t love you. Can we talk about it in person?
Whatever you have done, if your girlfriend is truly angry at you it likely has to do with the fact that she feels you don’t love her.
Before getting into the nitty gritty details of your indiscretions or lies, assure your girlfriend that you miss her and love her hate that she feels like you don’t.
Since topics of this magnitude are much better discussed in person, suggest meeting up to work through things. A long texting back-and-forth when emotions are heightened can easily lead to miscommunications.
6. I don’t know how I could do this to you, and I know I’ll never truly be able to make up for it. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m just telling you that I understand the gravity of what I did. I’m so sorry and I’ll regret it forever.
If you’ve hurt your girlfriend so badly that even you feel your actions don’t deserve to be forgiven, don’t try to repair things immediately.
Instead, use this apology text to focus on taking responsibility for your actions and expressing your sincere regret.
If there’s any chance of working through things, it is essential for your girlfriend first to feel that there Is not pressure on her and that you genuinely understand the magnitude of what you’ve done.
End your message by saying that you’ll regret what you did forever to make a lasting impression.
She may not know how to respond to the apology because she’s still hurt, but you will have expressed yourself as best you can.
7. I’m so sorry you were hurt by what I did last week. I never meant it to happen, things just got out of hand. Will you ever be able to forgive me?
If your girlfriend is angry at you about something that happened that you genuinely did not intend on doing, then tell her this in your apology text.
She may be skeptical or feel that this is not the most important point, however, over time that piece of information may come to seem important.
If you want to know where you stand, you can ask your girlfriend if she’ll be able to forgive you. After all, forgiveness is a tricky thing.
She might tell you she needs time, or else that it is over for good. Either way, it will be good for you to know how she’s feeling.
8. It’s so hard for me to see you sad. And it’s even worse knowing that I’m the person who made you sad. Do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive me?
If your predominant emotion about your girlfriend being upset with you is that it is hard to see her sad, then tell her this.
There is no clearer sign of genuine care and affection than struggling to see someone suffer.
Acknowledging that you are responsible for her hurt and telling her that this fact is also hard for you will demonstrate that you deeply regret your actions and would take them back if you could.
9. I understand your anger and I’m really sorry. I hope this doesn’t mean you want to end things though, because I would be completely devastated. You are by far the most important person in my life.
If you are worried that your girlfriend might break up with you for the mistake you’ve made, let her know that you understand where she is coming from and that you are sorry, but that if she ends things, you would be deeply sad.
Telling her she is the most important person in your life may make her more likely to reconsider if she’s been thinking about pulling the plug on the relationship.
10. I am so sorry. It’s going to kill me for the rest of my life that I did this to you, whether or not we stay together. I want nothing more than to go back to how things were before. I’ll give you space, but if you want to talk, I’m here.
When someone has hurt us, the thing we usually want to hear is genuine contrition. We want them to express to us that they understand the extent of our hurt.
Telling your girlfriend that what you have done is going to cause you pain for the rest of your life sends the clear message that you are not naïve to how badly you have messed up.
You might have to send a text instead of talking through something in person if your girlfriend is so upset about what has happened that she is refusing to talk to you.
If this is the case, you can acknowledge in your message that you will give her space but that you are there and ready to talk.
How to apologize to your girlfriend over text for a small argument
Some small arguments or disagreements in a relationship can lead to longer-term conflicts if they are not addressed within an appropriate amount of time.
For this reason, even when the conflict is relatively minor, it is never a bad idea to send your girlfriend an apology text the next day.
Whether you’ve been grumpy lately or have criticized her dishwashing habits, you know when you’re being unreasonable!
Don’t let these moments of tension pass unacknowledged or they can grow into something with real consequences.
Here are some examples of how you might apologize to your girlfriend over text when you’ve had a minor argument.
11. Hey, I’m really sorry for the comment I made about your mother last night. I said it in the heat of the moment, and you know I don’t really think that. It was unacceptable behavior.
We all say things we don’t mean when our buttons are pushed.
Perhaps you were tired and just wanted to go to bed, but your girlfriend was pushing a conversation on you that you weren’t really invested in, and you ended up making an inconsiderate comment about someone she cares about.
This isn’t the end of the world, but it is surely hurtful to her. The best way to prevent this from becoming a serious problem is to apologize and take accountability for your behavior.
Referring to your own doing as “unacceptable” will let you girlfriend know that you understand what you’ve done wrong. As a result, she may be willing to forgive you more quickly.
12. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings yesterday. I’m sorry for what I said. Let me take you out to dinner and make it up to you?
Perhaps you made an insensitive comment about her job, her best friend, her car, her workout routine, her dinner––whatever it was, the best way to make up for it is to tell her you’re sorry for what you said.
Then, offer to do something nice for her.
Taking someone out for an apology dinner for a relatively minor offense usually goes over well and by the end of the evening you will both have forgotten you are at the restaurant to do anything other than have a really good time.
13. I hate seeing you down. You know I love you and I’m sorry about the argument we had yesterday, that was completely my fault. Tell me how I can earn your forgiveness?
If you started an argument with your girlfriend, apologize for what you did. It is much better to humble yourself and own your stuff than to pretend you have no idea why she would be upset with you.
Then, ask how you can earn her forgiveness. Most people enjoy the opportunity to tell someone what they can do for them, and hopefully she will turn it into a good-humored game.
14. I haven’t heard from you today, which I assume means that you’re upset about what I said yesterday. I’m sorry about that, I never meant to hurt your feelings. Can we meet up to talk things through?
Often, the first indication you will get that your girlfriend is upset with you is that she will fail to reach out to you when she usually would. If she usually sends you a kissy-face emoji in the morning, and didn’t today, it is possible that this is because she is annoyed.
If you had a tiff yesterday and think that she might be hurt by something you said during your disagreement, then ask her what is upsetting her.
Offering to meet in person to talk through things is also always a good idea.
It shows that you care about resolving the problem, which also shows that you care about your girlfriend’s feelings and tending to your relationship.
15. I’m sorry for causing the fight we hard yesterday. I didn’t need to keep talking about it, but I did anyway, even after you asked me to stop. So, this is just to say, I’ve thought about my behavior a lot and I’ll do better next time, I promise.
No one likes to take responsibility for a fight. But you fought with your girlfriend, and it genuinely was your fault, the only thing to do is apologize and accept your role in the conflict.
If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t know when to drop something, it may well happen that you bring something up, your girlfriend suggests that you don’t talk about it just then, and you persist in bringing it up.
If this has happened, you can acknowledge what happened and how your actions caused an argument.
What most people want from an apology text is an assurance that the thing being apologized for won’t happen again.
So, don’t hesitate to give your girlfriend this by telling her you have reflected on your behavior and will do better in the future.
16. You’re the light of my life. I hate letting petty arguments get between us. I’m sorry for what I said. Can we forget about it, go out to dinner, and have a great time? ❤️
If you want to change the tone of your conversation and reintroduce a little bit of fun energy, why not adopt a jokey approach and suggest forgetting your disagreement, going to dinner, and having a great time!
Hopefully this message will make her crack a smile and relent. Then, you have a great excuse to treat yourselves to a beautiful dinner, over which you can hopefully reconnect.
She can then work out how to respond to your invitation and how to respond to a heart emoji.
17. Hello darling. I thought I’d break this stalemate and apologize for criticizing how you do the dishes. I can tell you’re irritated. I really only meant it lightheartedly, but I can understand why you took offense. I’m sorry. Forgive me?
Sometimes it can be helpful to send an apology text even if the situation isn’t entirely your fault. After all, most arguments occur because both parties think they are right.
So, it takes one person to overcome their ego and say sorry first in order for the matter to be put to bed. Why not be this person?
Of course, you can still feel frustrated by the things your girlfriend did or said, but let’s be honest, she is far more likely to apologize for her role in things if you have already owned up to yours.
When writing an apology text of this kind, it can help to go into the specifics of what you did wrong, just so your girlfriend sees that you understand what it was that upset her.
18. I’m sorry I went out last night after you asked me not to. I should’ve respected your reasons and stayed home. Can you forgive me?
Ah, one of the classic couple arguments. If you wanted to go out and your girlfriend wanted you to stay in and you chose to ignore her wishes, you may find yourself having to grovel a bit in the morning.
If you genuinely regret going out and think you ought to have listened to your partner and respected her wish, then apologize.
You don’t have to labor the point, but concisely say what you are apologizing for and what you wish you had done instead.
19. I take full accountability for turning that silly discussion about the garage door into a full-blown argument. I had a bad day at work. I’m sorry for being such a pain.
Taking a humorous approach in a text apologizing to your girlfriend for a minor argument is always a good idea.
After all, laughter is the number one killer of anger. So, if you can get her to laugh, you’ll have her forgiveness in no time.
After all, relationships are supposed to be fun. What’s the point if you’re always angry at each other for minor infringements?
Keep your tone light-hearted and you’re sure to have your girlfriend accepting your apology soon.
How to apologize to your girlfriend over text for being difficult
Another reason you might need to apologize is because, while you haven’t necessarily argued about it with your girlfriend, you have been being crabby, irritable, or just downright difficult to be around recently.
She may know you well enough to know not to call you out on it, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t frustrated.
If you reflect on your behavior and think that even though it hasn’t caused an outright conflict, you haven’t been a pleasant partner recently, send your girlfriend a quick apology text.
20. I’m sorry for being so temperamental and moody lately. I know it’s hard for you to be around me when I’m down like that. I have some serious self-reflection to do and I’m going to get some professional help. Let me make it up to you?
This is a sweet apology to text your girlfriend if you feel like you’ve been down lately. Whether you’re struggling with your mental health or have been under a lot of pressure at work, you may have great reasons for having been down in the dumps.
That doesn’t mean, however, that it has been easy for your partner.
Apologize to her, tell her how you plan to avoid this behavior in the future, and then offer to do something nice for her to thank her for her patience and understanding.
21. Hey, I’m sorry my drinking has come between us recently. I promise to go back to meetings. I’ll start this evening.
If you struggle with alcohol abuse or dependency, you are not alone. It can be incredibly difficult to manage a romantic relationship while in the throes of a relapse and your partner surely knows this.
That said, while she may be understanding, she will want to know that you’re doing everything you can to get it under control.
Apologizing for the fact that your illness has caused problems in your relationship and assuring your partner that you will attend AA meetings will surely come as a welcome relief to her.
22. I just wanted to apologize for being so difficult about your upcoming girls’ trip. I’m sorry I called you crazy. Of course I want you to have fun with your friends and I do trust you. I was just in a bad mood, and I took it out on you, but that’s not okay and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Perhaps you have been being petty about a trip your girlfriend is planning on going on with her friends.
Maybe you feel frustrated that she is using her days off to spend time with her friends and not you.
Or maybe you are the jealous type and don’t like the idea of her being off on her own (if this is the case, you should reflect on this feeling and work through it––your girlfriend is more than entitled to spend time on her own with her friends).
Whatever your reason, by being difficult about this, you may be risking ruining your girlfriend’s holiday experience because she will be feeling guilty.
You should therefore apologize as soon as possible and tell her that you support her going.
She may be struggling with how to respond to a guy calling her crazy, if this is what you did, so make sure you give her enough time to process your apology.
23. Hey, I’m sorry that I’ve been so stubborn about the car lately. I’ll try to ease up.
There is a thing in every relationship that seems to cause an inordinate amount of tension for no clear reason.
It might be a house, a rug, the dishwasher, the shoe rack, or the car.
Whatever yours might be, stressful periods can heighten this tension, leading to moments of real anger and resentment.
If you have been being headstrong about your approach to the object of controversy, apologize!
You shouldn’t let an object get in the way of the happiness of your relationship! Swallow your pride and just apologize.
24. Sorry that I haven’t been around in the evenings. Work has been kicking my butt, but I know that I also need to prioritize our relationship. Let me make it up to you?
Perhaps you realize that even though you haven’t thought much about it since you’ve just been non-stop busy, you haven’t been giving a lot of yourself to your relationship.
If you’ve been working late, apologize for being inattentive. Then, promise to change your ways and offer to make it up to your girlfriend.
25. I’m sorry that I’ve been distracted by the patio. I know it seems silly and I know I’ve been obsessive, it’s just that I really want everything about the house to be perfect. Let me make it up to you by making whatever you want for dinner tonight?
Small tiffs are easily solved. Just apologize! This text is sure to put any lingering frustration your girlfriend would feel in a situation like this to bed.
26. Sorry that I haven’t been able to stop talking about my anger at my brother recently. I know if must be irritating to be around. I’ll be more mindful of how much I’m talking about it from now on.
Sometimes, when we are especially irritated at someone or are having a hard time with something, we tend to vent the ears off our nearest and dearest.
If you realize you have been doing this, a quick apology text will be all that is needed to set things right.
27. Hey, I realize I may have been bombarding you with talk about my work recently. You’re so sweet not to complain and I promise I’ll reel it in.
Whether it is a family conflict or something to do with your work, hearing about the same thing day-in and day-out can be grating.
If you’ve been going through a stressful time recently and have been mouthing off about it at home, if may be that your girlfriend has “had it up to here” with hearing about it.
Even acknowledging that you have been talking about it a lot will surely go a long way to reducing any frustration your girlfriend may be feeling.
28. My apologies for being so particular about the wedding guest list. I realize it might sound like I don’t trust you, which is not the case. I just want to make sure there are no conflicts, but I should have explained the whole situation to you instead of taking control of that part of the planning.
When we care deeply about something and want to make sure it is done right, we often forget that this can come across to the other people involved in the decision-making that we don’t trust their judgement.
If you are planning something with your girlfriend, like, say, a wedding, be aware how the way you’re taking control of something might come across.
If you find yourself in this situation, you can apologize to your partner and clarify your motivations in a text like the one above.
How to apologize to your girlfriend over text if you aren’t really sorry
What should you do if you know that your girlfriend would like you to apologize but you don’t actually think you’ve done anything wrong?
The best course of action is usually acknowledging her feelings without explicitly apologizing for what you did.
If you simply ignore the situation, it will never be resolved. On the other hand, opening up a conversation around it will allow you to work through things.
29. Hey, I’m sorry that you were offended by what I said yesterday. I don’t think it was meant the way you took it.
This is a typical non-apology. While these often get a bad rep in the media, non-apologies have something going for them.
They allow you to start talking about something and to apologize even when you don’t feel that something is explicitly your fault.
If you are sorry that your girlfriend was offended, but also feel that if she let you explain your position, she won’t be offended, you can say this!
30. Sorry that you got frustrated by my decision to go out with the boys yesterday. I just need to be able to have my freedom or else I panic a bit. It has nothing to do with how much I love you.
One reason you might send your girlfriend a non-apology text is if you think she is being unreasonable about what she expects from you.
If you feel that you should be able to hang out with your friends without her, then don’t apologize for the fact that you did that. Instead, say you are sorry that she was frustrated by your decision.
Then, having used the non-apology as an opener, you can clarify that the time you spend with your friends doesn’t have anything to do with how much you love her.
31. I’m sorry you felt that I didn’t want you to come to my parents’ place. I can assure you that wasn’t the case. I think you need to listen to what I’m saying instead of trying to read what I’m thinking in my face. I’m always honest with you.
If your girlfriend is angry at you for a reason that you think is unreasonable, you can tell her your sorry that she felt what she felt, but that she should trust what you say instead of trying to find some ulterior motive to your words.
This non-apology text does this perfectly.
32. Hey, so I hear you’re mad at me? If it’s because I took the car this morning, I’m sorry, but I needed it to get to work.
If your girlfriend is angry with you about something that you had no control over, send a non-apology text that explains why you did what you did.
Hey, it’s me, Steven. Dating and relationships have always fascinated me. On Dategosu, you will find my best tips to make sure your next date is a great success!