undskyld
/ˈonˌsɡylˀ/
The Danish phrase for excuse me is undskyld.
The word undskyld is used both to get someone's attention, similar to 'excuse me' and as a mild apology for 'sorry'.
Meaning: sorry, as apology (noun)
Which one should you use?
undskyld serves as an informal or neutral way to say both 'excuse me' and 'sorry'. In contrast, if you wish to express a more formal apology or regret, you should use beklager, which means 'I regret' or 'I apologize'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈonˌsɡylˀ/
Did you know?
- The root of undskyld relates to the concept of 'debt' or 'guilt', implying that the speaker is asking to be cleared of a debt of fault.
- Depending on the tone, undskyld? with a rising inflection is used to ask someone to repeat themselves, similar to 'pardon?'
- In many social situations, a simple 'undskyld' is often accompanied by a small, apologetic nod of the head to signal sincerity.
Examples in context
- Undskyld! Hvad koster det?Excuse me, how much is it?This sentence shows how to use undskyld to get attention to ask about a price.Tatoeba #3564377 by danepo, translation #3216095 by Dreamk33
- Undskyld, hvor er udgangen?Excuse me, where's the exit?This sentence shows how to use undskyld to ask for directions to an exit.Tatoeba #10636353 by danepo, translation #3549610 by CK
- Undskyld, hvor er toilettet?Excuse me, where's the toilet?This sentence shows how to use undskyld to ask for the location of a toilet.Tatoeba #12561909 by danepo, translation #3122299 by CM
- Undskyld mig, kan De hjælpe mig?Excuse me, can you help me?
- Undskyld mig for at afbryde, men jeg har et spørgsmål.Excuse me for interrupting, but I have a question.
- Beklager, jeg lukkede døren foran dig.Excuse me, I closed the door in front of you.
- Undskyld for at afbryde, men jeg har en kommentar.Sorry for interrupting, but I have a comment.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas accidentally bumps into Freja in a crowded store.
- LucasUndskyld, jeg så dig ikke.Sorry, I didn't see you.
- FrejaDet gør ikke noget.It doesn't matter.
- LucasUndskyld igen, det var min fejl.Sorry again, it was my fault.
- FrejaDet er helt okay, Lucas.It is totally okay, Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excuse me” translations and entries undskyld, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
