pardon?
In French, "I beg your pardon" can be expressed in several ways depending on the context, such as pardon?, plaît-il? or je vous demande pardon.
Meaning: Translations (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| pardon? |
| plaît-il? |
| je vous demande pardon |
These phrases are used to ask someone to repeat what they have said, to apologize or to express offense. For instance, je vous demande pardon can function as a way to ask for clarification or as a way to express that you are offended by something said.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je vous demande pardon literally translates to "I ask you pardon".
Which one should you use?
pardon? is a quick, informal way to ask someone to repeat themselves. plaît-il? is a more formal or slightly old-fashioned way to say "pardon?" when you did not hear someone. je vous demande pardon is a more complete and polite version than simply saying pardon?
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to someone you know well, you use the informal te instead of vous in je te demande pardon.
Did you know?
- The formal phrase plaît-il? literally asks 'does it please?', treating the unheard sentence as a request for the listener's pleasure.
- The word vous is a close relative of the Italian word voi and the Russian word вы, all of which share a common root used for the plural or formal 'you'.
- While pardon? is common, using plaît-il? in a modern casual setting can sound so archaic that it may be perceived as an intentional joke or a sign of extreme nobility.
Examples in context
- Je vous demande pardon ?I beg your pardon?This sentence shows how to use je vous demande pardon to ask someone to repeat themselves.Tatoeba #9677 by sysko, translation #24940 by CK
- Je vous demande pardon, je n'ai pas bien compris votre nom.I beg your pardon, I didn't quite catch your name.This sentence uses je vous demande pardon to ask for clarification regarding a name.Tatoeba #1533030 by Guilmaeire, translation #31507 by AlanF_US
- Excusez-moi, je ne comprends pas. Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?Excuse me, I don't understand. Can you please repeat?
- Je vous demande pardon pour mon comportement inapproprié.I beg your pardon for my inappropriate behavior.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa is talking to Hugo in a noisy room.
- LéaIl fait très beau aujourd'hui.The weather is very nice today.
- HugoPardon?Pardon?
- LéaJe dis que le soleil brille.I'm saying that the sun is shining.
- HugoAh, d'accord, Hugo a compris.Ah, okay, Hugo understood.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I beg your pardon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries demande, je, pardon, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
