How to Say “Pardon” in Spanish

Ways to say it

In Spanish, these terms are used as interjections to ask someone to repeat themselves or to apologize for a minor interruption. When you use ¿perdón? with rising intonation, it expresses that you did not hear or understand what was just said.

What does it mean word for word?

The word perdón is a noun meaning 'pardon' or 'forgiveness'.

Which one should you use?

¿perdón? is a quick, slightly more informal way to ask someone to repeat themselves compared to the more formal perdone? The form ¿disculpe translates specifically to 'excuse me' and is used to get someone's attention or apologize for a minor interruption.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

¿perdón? is a polite way to say 'sorry' or 'excuse me'. For a more formal approach, you can use ¿disculpe or perdone? Conversely, perdona is an informal way to say 'pardon' used among friends and acquaintances.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Spain, ¿cómo? is used as a colloquial way of saying 'pardon?' In Mexico and parts of Central America, ¿mande? is commonly used to mean 'pardon?'

Related words

Forgiveness for an offence (noun): perdón.

To forgive (verb): perdonar.

How does it change in a sentence?

The form perdone is the formal imperative of the verb perdonar, used to politely ask for someone's attention or to ask them to repeat something, essentially meaning 'pardon (you)'.

What mistakes should you avoid?

English speakers often confuse the noun perdón (pardon) with the verb perdonar (to forgive). Use the noun for the interjection 'Pardon?'