How to Say "Con Permiso" in Spanish

con permiso

/kom peɾˈmiso/

con permiso is the Spanish phrase for excuse me.

con permiso is a polite phrase used when you need to physically pass through a space, such as walking between people who are seated or when you are leaving a room or a social gathering. While it can translate to excuse me, it is used specifically for movement or departure, rather than to get someone's attention.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of the preposition con (with) and the noun permiso (permission), literally meaning with permission.

Which one should you use?

Use con permiso specifically when you need to physically pass through a space or leave a conversation. In contrast, use disculpe if your goal is to get someone's attention or to apologize for an interruption.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Spain, people often use con permiso or perdona to ask for permission or excuse themselves. In Mexico, it is common to use permiso or the diminutive con permisito to ask for permission to pass or to interrupt. In Argentina, the forms disculpá and disculpame are used to mean excuse me or pardon me. Additionally, in some Latin American regions, the informal phrase ¿me haces un huequito? is used to ask if someone can make a little space for you.

Did you know?

While con permiso is used for movement, the word permiso is also the official term for a legal permit or driver's license in many Spanish-speaking countries.
In traditional formal settings, failing to say con permiso when exiting a table can be seen as a sign of poor upbringing, regardless of how polite you were during the meal.
The preposition con comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱóm, which meant 'next to' or 'along' before evolving into the modern Spanish word for 'with'.

Examples in context

Permiso, ¿puedo sentarme aquí?
Excuse me, can I sit here?
Con permiso, tengo que irme.
Excuse me, I have to go.
Con permiso, ¿puedo pasar?
Excuse me, may I pass through?
Con permiso, ya me voy a casa.
Excuse me, I'm going home now.
Con permiso, necesito llegar al fondo.
Excuse me, I need to get to the back.

Example conversation

Sofía needs to walk past Javier in a crowded hallway.

Sofía

Con permiso, Javier.
Excuse me, Javier.
Javier

Claro, pasa adelante, Sofía.
Of course, go ahead, Sofía.
Sofía

Muchas gracias.
Thank you very much.
Javier

De nada.
You're welcome.

Sources

Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry con permiso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries con, con permiso, permiso, CC BY-SA 4.0.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏

How to Say “Con Permiso” in Spanish