Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| excusar | /eɡskuˈsaɾ/ |
| perdonar | /peɾdoˈnaɾ/ |
In Spanish, the choice of verb depends on whether you are forgiving a person, providing a reason for an absence or apologizing for a minor social slip. Perdonar is the natural way to express forgiving a person or a mistake. Excusar is often used when providing a reason for an absence or exempting someone from a duty. If you are apologizing for a small social error or asking for permission to leave, disculpar is the most frequent choice.
Which one should you use?
While both can mean to excuse, perdonar is the common way to express the act of pardoning a fault or offense. In contrast, excusar is more formal and typically implies providing a reason for an absence or being exempted from a duty. For minor social interactions, disculpar is the standard verb used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When apologizing or asking for forgiveness, it is common to use the phrase perdóneme or to follow disculpe with the specific reason for the apology.
How do you pronounce it?
/eɡskuˈsaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use excusar when they mean 'to forgive' in a social context. To sound more natural, use disculpar for minor social slips or perdonar when actually forgiving someone.
Did you know?
- The word perdonar contains an unexpected connection to the concept of a 'gift'. It is built from the Latin prefix 'per-' and the word 'donum', which means 'gift'.
- The verb perdonar is also used in financial contexts to mean 'to forgive a debt' or to cancel a loan.
- In some regions, saying disculpe is used as a polite way to interrupt a stranger to ask for directions, functioning more like 'pardon me' than an apology.
Examples in context
- No volveré a perdonar tus errores.I won't excuse your mistakes again.This sentence shows the use of perdonar regarding mistakes.Tatoeba #1224784 by cueyayotl, translation #1224636 by CM
- Da igual la excusa que me ponga, no puedo perdonarle.It doesn't matter what excuse he gives me, I can't forgive him.This example uses perdonar to show that a person cannot forgive someone despite their excuses.Tatoeba #1418734 by Shishir, translation #1317116 by CK
- No puedo perdonarle.I cannot excuse her.This sentence demonstrates the use of perdonar when unable to excuse a person.Tatoeba #1264247 by Shishir, translation #261352 by CM
- Disculpe, ¿puede indicarme dónde está la estación de tren?Excuse me, can you tell me where the train station is?
- Perdone las molestiasExcuse me for the inconvenience
- Perdona, ¿puedo pasar?Excuse me, can I pass through?
- Disculpa por lo que dijeExcuse me for what I said
- ¡Disculpa, no puedo asistir a tu fiesta!Sorry, I can't attend your party!
- Perdóneme por el retraso. Hubo mucho tráfico en el caminoExcuse me for the delay. There was heavy traffic on the way
- Disculpe, ¿podría ayudarme, por favor?Excuse me, could you help me, please?
- Doctora, disculpeDoctor, excuse me
- Señorita, disculpeMiss, excuse me
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier arrives late to a meeting with Elena.
- JavierLlegué tarde, por favor, debes excusar mi demora.I arrived late, please, you must excuse my delay.
- ElenaNo te preocupes, Javier, no pasa nada.Don't worry, Javier, it's nothing.
- Javier¿Puedes excusar mi ausencia en la llamada ayer?Can you excuse my absence on the call yesterday?
- ElenaSí, ya le dije al jefe que estabas enfermo.Yes, I already told the boss you were sick.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excuse” translations and entries excusar, perdonar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries excusar, perdonar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
