Vabandusi

Vabandusi is a word in the Estonian language that appears as a case-inflected form of the noun vabandus, which denotes apology or excuse. The core concept vabandus refers to the act or statement of apologizing or offering justification for a fault or omission. In everyday language, Estonian speakers employ vabandus to refer to apologies in general, while its inflected forms adapt to syntactic needs. The form vabandusi occurs in contexts requiring a certain case, and is contrasted with the base forms like vabandus (singular, nominative) and vabandused (plural, nominative). The common interjection used to express direct apology is vabandust, meaning “sorry.”

Vabandusi and related forms therefore function across casual and formal registers, including personal apologies, customer communications, and diplomatic or official statements. Etymologically, vabandus is derived from the verb vabandama, to apologize or excuse. Related terms include vabandused (plural) and the verb vabandama. In cultural terms, Estonian etiquette favors a concise, explicit apology accompanied by corrective action if appropriate.