What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of the verb affetmek (to forgive or pardon) and the polite or plural second-person suffix -siniz (you forgive/pardon).
Which one should you use?
The French loanword pardon is used in Turkish, but it is much more informal and is typically used when you have made a small mistake or bumped into someone. While the imperative affet exists, it is rarely used as a standalone interjection to mean "pardon me" in conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
affedersiniz is a polite and formal way to say "excuse me" or "pardon me". For more formal apologies, you might use Özür dilerim. If you are in an informal situation, you can use Affedersin or Kusura bakma.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /affedeɾsiniz/. The sounds are comparable to the English words: [f] in food, the [t] in American English atom for the ɾ sound, [s] in send, [ee] in creek, [n] in not and [z] in zone.
Did you know?
- The informal kusura bakma translates literally to 'do not look at the fault', which is a common way to say 'don't mind me' or 'pardon'.
- In very formal or old-fashioned Turkish, you might hear the phrase bağışlayın, which also means 'pardon me'. This word comes from the root for 'donating' or 'granting' a gift.
- When using affedersiniz to get a stranger's attention, it is common to accompany the word with a slight nod of the head. In some traditional contexts, a hand placed over the heart can signal sincerity.
Examples in context
- Affedersiniz, burası hangi yerdir.Pardon me, what place is this?This sentence uses affedersiniz to ask about a location.Tatoeba #1022806 by duran, translation #789574 by jimcor
- Affedersiniz, ama o benim raketim.Pardon me, but that is my racket.This sentence uses affedersiniz to claim an object.Tatoeba #1615723 by duran, translation #264997 by CC
- Affedersiniz, o koltuk alınmış mı?Pardon me, is that seat taken?This sentence uses affedersiniz to ask about a seat.Tatoeba #5314844 by deyta, translation #453419 by saasmath
- Affedersiniz, saatin kaç olduğunu bilebilir miyim?Pardon me, may I know what time it is?
- Özür dilerim, yanlışlıkla size karşı kaba davrandım.I apologize, I was rude to you unintentionally.
- Özür dilerim, geç kaldım.I apologize, I am late.
- Affedersin, hikayeni bir daha anlatabilir misin?Sorry, can you tell your story again?
- Kusura bakma, mesajını geç gördüm.Sorry, I saw your message late.
- Kusura bakma, yanlışlıkla seninle dalga geçtim.Sorry, I accidentally made fun of you.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Selin is trying to get Emre's attention at a cafe.
- SelinAffedersiniz, yanınızdaki sandalye boş mu?Excuse me, is the chair next to you empty?
- EmreEvet, boş. Buyurun.Yes, it is empty. Go ahead.
- SelinÇok teşekkür ederim, Emre Bey.Thank you very much, Mr. Emre.
- EmreRica ederim, Selin Hanım.You're welcome, Ms. Selin.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry affedersiniz, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Turkish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
