All the Different Ways to Say “Excuse Me” in Spanish

Embarking on your Spanish language journey and want to ensure your apologies come across as polite? We’re here to guide you! The Spanish phrase equivalent to the English “Excuse me” is essential to sounding courteous and it takes on three variations. By using the best expression, you’ll not only appear more fluent but also more respectful.

But remember, like most common phrases, the same sentence can’t be applied universally without considering the context. How you say “Excuse me” greatly depends on the situation at hand. It differs whether you’re asking for someone’s attention, apologizing for accidentally bumping into someone, or addressing someone younger or older than you. The phrase translates differently in each case, and using the most commonly used expression might not always be suitable.

In this article, we delve into the myriad contexts where “Excuse me” is used and provide its Spanish translations. We’ll guide you through various formal and informal situations, explaining different expressions for each scenario. Whether you need to politely ask someone to move, or request additional time, these phrases will come in handy. Moreover, you’ll learn how to respond appropriately with phrases like “You’re Welcome” in Spanish.

We’ve curated this guide to cover all bases — from common phrases to the best expressions in a formal setting. So, whether you’re engaging in Spanish Conversation Classes or speaking casually with friends, these expressions will help you navigate every situation with ease. Let’s explore these 10 different ways to say “excuse me” in Spanish and enrich your Spanish-speaking skills.

1. Perdón

“Perdón” is the most common way to say “excuse me” and is used for an apology. However, we only use it for small apologies. But, “perdón” can also be used in situations when we interrupt the other person’s activities and it still has an apology tone. Unlike “permiso”’, “perdón” is a bit more informal.

• Perdón, ¿dónde está el baño? — Excuse me, where is the bathroom?
• Perdón, ¿interrumpo algo? — Excuse me, am I interrupting something?
• Perdón, quisiera pedirte algo. — Excuse me, I would like to ask you something.

Some regions use “excuse me” as a way of saying “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you, could you repeat?” and say it as a question. For example, you don’t understand what your friend said to you, so you say “¿perdón?”.

2. Perdone / Perdona

Also, there is a slightly more formal way to use “perdón” and that is “perdone” or “perdona”. They mean the same thing and can be used in the same way (both can be used for both men and women). It is used to address people with whom we want to ask permission but a little more formally, it can be with people we don’t know and we want to be polite.

• Perdone, ¿nos podría tomar una foto? — Excuse me, can you take a picture of us?
• Perdone, ¿me podría traer el menú? — Excuse me, could you bring me the menu?
• Perdona, quería saber el precio de esta blusa. — Sorry, I wanted to know the price of this blouse.

3. Perdóneme

“Perdóneme” comes from “perdón” but it is used more to ask for forgiveness formally. For example, if you made a mistake with something at work, you can say to your boss:

• Perdóneme, no volverá a ocurrir. — Forgive me, it won’t happen again.
• No sabía cómo se hacía, perdóneme. — I didn’t know how it was done, forgive me.
• Perdóneme, pero no conseguí el archivo que me pidió. — Forgive me, but I did not find the file you asked for.

It could also be used to ask for permission, but the truth is that Spanish speakers rarely use it for this.

This content is originally published by SPANISHVIP