Sorry to bother you
What it really means
A standard opener before asking for help or attention, to a stranger, a colleague or in an email. It is not a real apology — it just softens the interruption. The person usually does need something.
Context, tips & common mistakes
"Sorry to bother you" is the standard interruption licence — at a desk, a doorway, the start of an email — and it is ritual, not remorse: nobody expects you to feel sorry, only to acknowledge you are taking their time. Variants scale with formality: 'sorry to disturb you' (knocking on doors), 'sorry to trouble you' (slightly grander), 'sorry to chase' (email follow-ups).
Use one per interaction; learners who re-apologise every sentence turn a smooth ritual into an awkward one. After the opener, get to the point briskly — the apology buys the interruption, brevity pays for it. When someone opens this way with you, the gracious response is 'no bother at all' or 'you're fine', which grants the licence and lets the conversation proceed.