Proper preposition for "sorry" to apologize

Sorry for something vs sorry about something

Which one would you prefer when you apologize?

I asked ChatGPT about a proper preposition for "sorry", and it said "sorry about" is fine when the situation is not serious like you splash some water/spill water.

But in a post I found, some people say "sorry about" sounds like you distance yourself from the responsibility. Personally, I would be quite upset if someone says this after making a mistake, since it sounds like he's trying to get away with it.

So what do you think? If you are a little bit late, "oh, I'm late.Sorry about that" is okay as a light apology, or "sorry for that" is always the go-to one?

• "For" introduces the action. For example, "I'm sorry for making a mess" means you made the mess and are apologising for it.

• "About" introduces a subject or situation. For example, "I'm sorry about the mess" implies you are sorry the mess exists, or perhaps sorry for not tidying it up.

There are some exceptions that are idiomatically different for reasons I couldn't explain. "I'm sorry for your loss" is a common way to express condolences for a death, but in no way implies blame. However, another way to express condolences would be "I'm sorry about your father", and saying "I'm sorry for your father" would be wrong because that sounds like your sympathy is with the father, not the bereaved. There are probably others, too, but the rules of thumb above will serve you in most situations.