What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of perdón (pardon/forgiveness), por (for/because of) and molestar (to bother/to annoy).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
perdón por molestar is an informal way to say 'sorry for bothering'. For more formal or professional situations, you can use disculpe la molestia (excuse the bother), Perdone el inconveniente (Excuse the inconvenience), Lamento interrumpirle (I am sorry for interrupting you) or Le pido disculpas por la molestia (I apologize for the bother).
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify whom you are bothering, you attach an object pronoun to the end of the infinitive verb. For example, you can use -te for the informal 'you' in perdón por molestarte or -le for the formal 'you'. To address a group of people, attach the plural object pronouns -los or -las to the end of the infinitive, such as in perdón por molestarlos.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾdon poɾ molestaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word molestar shares a Latin root with the English word 'molest', but in Spanish its primary everyday meaning is simply 'to annoy' or 'to disturb'.
- While 'sorry to bother' is a common English opening, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is often more common to lead with a greeting like Hola or Buenos días before even offering the apology.
- The word perdón comes from the Late Latin perdōnāre, which is built from dōnō, meaning 'to give'. In its earliest sense, asking for perdón was like asking someone to 'give' or 'grant' their forgiveness.
Examples in context
- Perdón por molestarte.Sorry to bother you.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to say 'sorry to bother you' by adding a pronoun to the end of the phrase perdón por molestar.Tatoeba #1780897 by marcelostockle, translation #461156 by jeanne
- Disculpe la molestia, ¿podría ayudarme con esta pregunta?Sorry for the inconvenience, could you help me with this question?
- Perdón por molestar, ¿me puedes prestar tu pluma?Sorry for bothering, can you lend me your pen?
- Perdón por molestar, ¿tienes un momento?Sorry to bother, do you have a moment?
- Perdón por molestar con tantas preguntas.Sorry to bother with so many questions.
Example conversation
Sofía approaches Daniel at his desk in an office.
- SofíaPerdón por molestar, Daniel.Sorry to bother, Daniel.
- DanielNo te preocupes, Sofía. ¿Qué pasa?Don't worry, Sofía. What's up?
- Sofía¿Puedo verte después de la reunión?Can I see you after the meeting?
- DanielClaro que sí, cuenta con ello.Of course, you can count on it.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries molestar, perdón, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
