ursäkta mig
/ʉ̟ːˈʂɛkta mɛj/word by word
In Swedish, "excuse me" can be expressed as ursäkta mig. Wiktionary also lists ursäkta.
Meaning: sorry, as apology (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| ursäkta mig | /ʉ̟ːˈʂɛkta mɛj/ (Sweden, word by word) |
| ursäkta | /ʉ̟ːˈʂɛkta/ (Sweden) /ʉːrˈsɛkta/ (Finland) |
The phrase is used to apologize or to gain someone's attention after a minor social slip. You may also use förlåt to say "forgive me" as a polite way to say "excuse me".
What does it mean word for word?
The verb ursäkta literally means to excuse or apologize.
Which one should you use?
ursäkta mig is the full phrase used for more formal interaction, while ursäkta is a shorter version. For more sincere apologies where you have caused actual harm or offense, you should use förlåt instead of the versions of "excuse me".
How do you pronounce it?
/ʉ̟ːˈʂɛkta mɛj/
Did you know?
- Using förlåt when you only meant 'excuse me' can sometimes make a Swede feel unexpectedly guilty, as it implies a more serious moral transgression than a simple social bump.
- In many Swedish social contexts, a slight nod of the head often accompanies ursäkta to signal a desire to pass through a crowded space without interrupting a conversation.
- The word mig in ursäkta mig descends from the Old Norse mik, which is a direct relative of the English pronoun 'me'.
Examples in context
- Kan du ursäkta mig?Can you excuse me?This sentence is useful for asking someone to excuse you using ursäkta.Tatoeba #4320803 by richke, translation #3327459 by CK
- Ursäkta mig en sekund.Excuse me one second.Tatoeba #4328485 by richke, translation #3168268 by CK
- Ursäkta mig ett ögonblick.Excuse me one moment.Tatoeba #4328484 by richke, translation #3168269 by CK
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Karl accidentally bumps into Linnea on the street.
- KarlUrsäkta mig, jag såg dig inte.Excuse me, I didn't see you.
- LinneaDet är lugnt, det gör inget.It's fine, it doesn't matter.
- KarlÄr du säker på det?Are you sure about that?
- LinneaJa, det är helt okej.Yes, it is completely okay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “excuse me” translations and entries ursäkta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ursäkta, mig) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mig, ursäkta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
