por favor perdóname
/poɾ faboɾ peɾdoname/from spelling rules
por favor perdóname is the Spanish way to say please forgive me.
This phrase is used as a polite request for someone to excuse a mistake or an offense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of por favor, which means for favor or please and perdóname, which means forgive me.
Which one should you use?
While por favor perdóname is a deep request for forgiveness for an offense, the single word perdón is often used more casually to ask someone to repeat themselves or to excuse a minor social slip.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase por favor can be placed at the end of the sentence instead of the beginning without changing the meaning. You can change the phrase from the informal perdóname to the formal perdóneme when speaking to someone you address as usted.
How do you pronounce it?
/poɾ faboɾ peɾdoname/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a request for forgiveness like perdóname is often accompanied by a hand placed on the heart to signal sincerity. This gesture emphasizes the emotional weight of the plea beyond the spoken words.
- In highly formal or legal contexts, the word perdón is replaced by indulto when referring to a pardon from a government. Perdóname is strictly for interpersonal or spiritual forgiveness.
- The word perdón comes from the Latin perdonare, which literally means to 'give completely' or 'give fully'.
Examples in context
- Por favor perdóname por mentirte.Please forgive me for lying to you.This sentence is useful for explaining why you are asking for forgiveness using por favor perdóname.Tatoeba #10284267 by manufrutos, translation #10283462 by CK
- ¡Por favor perdóname!Please forgive me!This sentence is a direct emotional plea using por favor perdóname.Tatoeba #1726188 by marcelostockle, translation #1725454 by belgavox
- No fue mi intención, por favor perdóname.It wasn't my intention, please forgive me.
Example conversation
Alejandro arrives late to their meeting and feels bad.
- AlejandroLlegué tarde, por favor perdóname.I arrived late, please forgive me.
- MaríaEstá bien, Alejandro, no te preocupes.It's okay, Alejandro, don't worry.
- Alejandro¿Estás enojada conmigo?Are you angry with me?
- MaríaNo, pero intenta ser más puntual.No, but try to be more punctual.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
