How to Say "Sorry, Mister" in French

pardon, monsieur

The English phrase "sorry, mister" can be translated into French as pardon, monsieur.

Pardon, monsieur is a polite expression used both to apologize for a minor social slip and to politely get a man's attention.

Which one should you use?

While pardon, monsieur is used for minor social slips or getting someone's attention, Désolé, monsieur is used to express genuine regret or sympathy.

Pardon, Monsieur is more commonly used in Canadian French.

To address a woman instead of a man, you replace monsieur with madame.

The term monsieur originally comes from the phrase 'my lord' and is derived from the Latin word senior.
In France, using pardon to get a stranger's attention is often accompanied by a slight nod of the head to acknowledge the intrusion. Failing to use the correct title like monsieur can be perceived as surprisingly abrupt or rude.
In some formal French contexts, pardon can be used as a question to ask someone to repeat themselves, functioning similarly to 'I beg your pardon'.

Emma accidentally bumps into Lucas on a busy sidewalk.

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