je te pardonne
In French, 'I forgive you' is expressed as je te pardonne.
This phrase is used to tell someone that you no longer feel angry or resentful toward them for a mistake.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je te pardonne is composed of je (I), te (you) and pardonne (forgive).
Which one should you use?
While je te pardonne is a statement of granting forgiveness, the single word pardon is more commonly used as a quick way to say 'sorry' or 'excuse me' for minor social slips.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use je vous pardonne instead of je te pardonne when speaking to someone you address with 'vous' or when speaking to more than one person.
Did you know?
- The word pardon can be used as an interjection to ask someone to repeat themselves, functioning like 'come again' or 'what' in English.
- Historically, the act of granting pardon was a prerogative of the monarchy, which is why the phrasing accorder mon pardon sounds like a royal decree.
- The French language distinguishes between pardonner (to forgive a person) and excuser (to excuse a behavior), making je te pardonne a more emotionally weighty statement than je t'excuse.
Examples in context
- Oui, je te pardonne.Yes, I forgive you.This example shows how to affirm your forgiveness.Tatoeba #13044413 by felix63, translation #13245993 by araneo
- Ça va. Je te pardonne.It's okay. I forgive you.This example shows how to use the phrase to reassure someone that it is okay.Tatoeba #3690615 by sacredceltic, translation #3689845 by Hybrid
- Je te pardonne.I forgive you.This example shows the standard way to say 'I forgive you'.Tatoeba #805839 by sysko, translation #1356768 by sacredceltic
- Je vous pardonne pour les erreurs passéesI forgive you for the past mistakes
- Je te pardonne, tout va bienI forgive you, it's all okay
- C'est bon, je te pardonne, ne t'inquiète pasIt's okay, I forgive you, don't worry
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé apologizes to Lucas for forgetting his birthday.
- LucasC'est pas grave, Chloé.It's not a big deal, Chloé.
- ChloéJe suis vraiment désolée, Lucas.I am really sorry, Lucas.
- LucasJe te pardonne, ne t'en fais pas.I forgive you, don't worry about it.
- ChloéMerci beaucoup, tu es très gentil.Thank you very much, you are very kind.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
