perdón
/peɾˈdon/
In Spanish, "pardon me" is expressed as perdón.
perdón is used as an apology to say sorry or as an interjection when you did not hear what someone said and want them to repeat it. If your goal is to get someone's attention, such as a waiter or a passerby, rather than apologizing for a mistake, using disculpe is often more natural than using perdón.
Meaning: sorry, as an apology (phrase)
Which one should you use?
While perdón is a noun meaning pardon or forgiveness, it is commonly used as an interjection in social contexts to mean sorry or excuse me.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form perdóneme uses the formal usted imperative, which is appropriate for speaking to elders, superiors or strangers. In contrast, the form perdóname uses the informal tú imperative, which is used with friends, family or people your own age.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾˈdon/
Did you know?
- The word perdón shares a root with the English word 'donation'. Both come from the Latin 'donare', meaning to give, as forgiving someone is seen as giving them a gift of mercy.
- In high-stress or argumentative situations, repeating perdón rapidly can shift from a polite apology to a sarcastic way of saying 'excuse me' while pushing past someone.
- In some Latin American countries, if you say perdón after a minor mistake and the other person says no pasa nada, they are literally saying 'nothing is passing'.
Examples in context
- Por favor, perdóneme por llegar tarde.Please pardon me for coming late.This sentence shows how to use perdón to apologize for being late.Tatoeba #576597 by Shishir, translation #277364 by CK
- Por favor, perdóname.Pardon me, please.This sentence shows a request for a pardon using perdón.Tatoeba #576955 by Leono, translation #599210 by Dejo
- Perdóname por bromear.Pardon me while I gag.This sentence uses perdón to apologize for a joke.Tatoeba #5749397 by arh, translation #5748241 by CM
- Perdone, ¿puede decirme la hora?Pardon me, can you tell me the time?
- Con permiso, ¿puedo pasar?Pardon me, may I pass through?
- Perdona, llegué tarde por el tráfico.Pardon me, I arrived late due to traffic.
- Discúlpame, no te vi allí.Pardon me, I didn't see you there.
Example conversation
Elena is apologizing to Javier for accidentally breaking his pen.
- ElenaJavier, perdón por romper tu bolígrafo.Javier, sorry for breaking your pen.
- JavierNo te preocupes, Elena, no pasa nada.Don't worry, Elena, it's nothing.
- ElenaDe verdad, te pido perdón.Really, I ask your pardon.
- JavierEstá bien, no te sientas mal.It's okay, don't feel bad.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry perdón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perdón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
