¿perdón por qué?
/peɾˈdon poɾ ˈke/word by word
The English phrase "sorry for what" is translated into Spanish as ¿perdón por qué?
This phrase is used as a question to ask for the reason why someone is apologizing.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ¿perdón por qué?, the accent on the é in qué is mandatory because it is an interrogative pronoun used in a question.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾˈdon poɾ ˈke/
Did you know?
- While perdón translates as 'sorry', it literally means 'pardon' or 'forgiveness'. In Spanish, apologizing is often framed as asking for a gift of forgiveness rather than expressing a personal feeling of regret.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying perdón is not just for mistakes but is a social tool used to politely interrupt someone or move through a crowded space.
- The word perdón is not just an apology, but a noun derived from the verb perdonar, which traces back to the Latin dōnāre, meaning 'to give' or 'to bestow'.
Examples in context
- Lamento lo sucedido en el incidente. Tomaremos todas las medidas necesarias para evitar que ocurra de nuevo.I regret what happened in the incident. We will take all necessary measures to prevent it from happening again.
- Disculpa por mi error. No pensé antes de actuar.Apologies for my mistake. I didn't think before acting.
