excuse me

English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɛksˈkjuːz mi/, /ɪksˈkjuːz mi/
Audio (Southern England): (file)

Phrase

excuse me

(Canada, US) Said as a request to repeat information.
(Canada, US) Said, as though as a request to repeat information, in order to indicate disbelief or indignation.
It was so hot I took off my clothes and sat by the window to cool off.
Excuse me?
Said as a request for an individual's attention.
- 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
  Excuse me? Anna? Is that you? — Oh, yes. I am here!
  Audio (US): (file)
Said as a request to pass somebody.
Excuse me: can I get through please?
Sorry, as an apology.
(formal) Said as an expression of unexpected or early farewell.
Oh, excuse me, I hadn't realized how late it was. I need to get home and make dinner.

Synonyms

(request to repeat): I beg your pardon?, pardon?, I'm sorry?, come again?, say again?, sorry? (UK, Ireland); see also Thesaurus:say again

Derived terms

excuse you

Translations

request to repeat — see also come again

American Sign Language: BentB@BaseHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross BentB@TipHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross
Arabic: عَفْوًا! (ʕafwan!), (to a male) مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟ (māḏā qulta?), (to a female) مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟ (māḏā qulti?), (to a male) مَرَّة ثَانِيَة، مِن فَضْلِكَ؟ (marra ṯāniya, min faḍlika?), (to a female) مَرَّة ثَانِيَة، مِن فَضْلِكِ؟ (marra ṯāniya, min faḍliki?), عُذْراً! (ar) (ʕuḏran!)
Azerbaijani: üzr istəyirəm
Chinese:
Hokkien: 歹勢，請閣講一擺／歹势，请阁讲一摆 (pháiⁿ-sè, chhiáⁿ koh kóng chi̍t-pái / phái-sè, chhiáⁿ koh kóng chi̍t-pái), (less formal) 閣再講一擺／阁再讲一摆 (koh-chài kóng chi̍t-pái), (plain) 啥物？ (zh-min-nan) (siáⁿ-mi̍h? / siáⁿ-mih? / siám-mih? / sáⁿ-mi̍h? / siám-mi̍h? / siáⁿ-mí? / siáⁿ-meh? / sahⁿ-mi̍h?), 什物？ (sím-mi̍h? / sím-mi? / sím-mih? / sīm-mi̍h? / sám-mi̍h?), 何物？ (há-mi̍h?), 哈？ (zh-min-nan) (hâⁿ? / haⁿ? / hāⁿ? / hēⁿ? / hā?)

Mandarin: 請再説一遍／请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yíbiàn), (less formal) 再説一遍／再说一遍 (zài shuō yíbiàn), (plain) 什麼？／什么？ (zh) (shénme), 哦？ (zh) (é?)
Czech: promiňte
Danish: hvad sagde du (informal), hva' (slang)
Dutch: pardon (nl), wablief (nl), excuseer (nl)
Faroese: ha?
Finnish: anteeksi (fi)?, anteeksi kuinka?, anteeksi mitä?
French: pardon (fr), plaît-il (fr), comment (fr), quoi (fr), (familiar) hein (fr)
Georgian: უკაცრავად (uḳacravad), ბოდიში (bodiši)
German: Entschuldigung? (de), wie bitte? (de) (less formal)
Greek: συγγνώμη; (el) (syngnómi?)
Hebrew: סְלִיחָה (he) (slikhá)
Hungarian: tessék? (hu)
Icelandic: afsakið?, afsakaðu?, fyrirgefðu (is)?
Irish: gabh mo leithscéal sg, gabhaigí mo leithscéal pl
Italian: scusi (it)? (formal), prego (it)? (formal), scusa (it)? (informal), come (it)? (informal)
Japanese: もういちどいってください (mō ichido itte kudasai), え、何ですか (え、なんですか, e, nan desu ka), (familiar) もう一回 (もういっかい, mō ikkai), もう一度 (もういちど, mō ichido), (plain) 何？ (ja) (なに？, nani?), え？ (ja) (e?)
Kapampangan: na?, e?, po?
Korean: 뭐라고요? (mwo-rago-yo?)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: بِبوورە (bibûre)
Lombard: el me scusa m (Western), la me scusa f (Western), el me scusi m (Eastern), la me scusi f (Eastern)
Macedonian: молам (molam)? (mólam?)
Maltese: skużi (mt)? (formal), x’għidt? (informal), x’inhu? (informal)
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hva (no)?, unnskyld (no)?, hæ (no)? (informal, common among young people)

Nynorsk: unnskyld?
Ojibwe: gaawiin gigii-noondoosiinoon
Persian:
Iranian Persian: بِبَخْشید (fa) (bebaxšid), مَعْذِرَت می‌خواهَم (ma'zerat mi-xâham)
Polish: proszę (pl)?
Portuguese: como? (pt), o que?, oi? (pt) (informal), perdão? (pt)
Romanian: poftim? (ro), Pardon?
Russian: что вы сказа́ли? (što vy skazáli?), прошу́ проще́ния (prošú proščénija), (plain) что? (ru) (što?), как-как? (kak-kak?)
Scottish Gaelic: (informal) b' àill leat?, (formal or plural) b' àill leibh?
Slovene: prosim (sl)
Spanish: ¿perdóname? (formal), ¿cómo (es)? (informal), mande (es) (Mexico, colloquial)
Swahili: samahani rudia
Swedish: ursäkta (sv)?, ursäkta mig?, va (sv)? (very informal, may be considered somewhat rude), vad sa du? (informal), hur sa? (sv)
Tagalog: paulit po, ano ulit?, ano ho?, ano po?, ha?
Tamil: மன்னி (ta) (maṉṉi)
Turkish: efendim? (tr), affedersiniz (tr)

request for attention

Arabic: عَن إِذْنَك (ʕan ʔiḏnak) (to man), عَن إِذْنِك (ʕan ʔiḏnik) (to woman), عَفْوًا (ʕafwan), عَذْرًا (ar) (ʕaḏran)
Egyptian Arabic: لا مؤاخذة (la muʔaḵza)

Hijazi Arabic: لَوْ سَمَحْت (law samaḥt) (to men), لَوْ سَمَحْتي (law samaḥti) (to women)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (neroġutʻyun)
Azerbaijani: bağışlayın, üzr istəyirəm
Belarusian: дару́йце (darújcje)
Chinese:
Hokkien: 歹勢／歹势 (zh-min-nan) (pháiⁿ-sè / phái-sè), 失禮／失礼 (zh-min-nan) (sit-lé), 請問／请问 (zh-min-nan) (chhiáⁿ-mn̄g / chhiáⁿ-mūi)

Mandarin: 請問／请问 (zh) (qǐngwèn), 勞駕／劳驾 (zh) (láojià)
Czech: promiňte
Danish: undskyld (da)
Dutch: pardon (nl), excuseer (nl)
Estonian: please add this translation if you can
Faroese: orsaka
Finnish: anteeksi (fi)
French: pardon (fr)
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: Entschuldigung (de), Verzeihung (de)
Greek: συγγνώμη (el) (syngnómi)
Hindi: ज़रा सुनिये (zarā suniye), क्षमा कीजिए (kṣamā kījie)
Hungarian: elnézést (hu), legyen szíves (hu)
Icelandic: afsakið?, fyrirgefðu (is)?, afsakaðu?, heyrðu
Indonesian: permisi (id)
Irish: gabh mo leithscéal sg, gabhaigí mo leithscéal pl
Italian: (singular formal) scusi (it), (singular informal) scusa (it), (plural) scusate (it)
Japanese: すみません (ja) (sumimasen), 失礼します (しつれいします, shitsurei shimasu)
Kapampangan: panupaya pu (very formal and polite)
Kazakh: кешіріңіз (keşırıñız)
Khmer: ឧកាស (ʼukaasaʼ)
Korean: 여보세요 (ko) (yeoboseyo), 저기 요 (jeogi-yo)
Lao: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: извинете (izvinete), простете (prostete)
Malay: tumpang tanya
Maltese: skużi waħda
Mon: စိုတ်လီု
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: unnskyld (no)

Nynorsk: unnskyld
Persian:
Iranian Persian: بِبَخْشید (fa) (bebaxšid), مَعْذِرَت می‌خواهَم (ma'zerat mi-xâham)
Polish: przepraszam (pl)
Portuguese: com licença (pt)
Russian: прости́те (ru) (prostíte), извини́те (ru) (izviníte)
Scottish Gaelic: gabh mo leisgeul
Slovak: ospravedlnte, prepáčte
Slovene: oprostite
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: wódaj (singular familiar), wódajśo (plural; polite)
Spanish: perdón (es), disculpe (es), oiga (es)
Swedish: ursäkta mig
Tagalog: tao po
Tamil: மன்னிக்கணும் (maṉṉikkaṇum)
Turkish: affedersin (tr) (informal), affedersiniz (tr) (formal), pardon (tr)
Ukrainian: пе́репрошую (péreprošuju), дару́йте (darújte)
Vietnamese: xin lỗi (vi) (吀纇), xin lỗi cho hỏi (吀纇朱𠳨)

request to pass

American Sign Language: BentB@BaseHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross BentB@TipHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross
Arabic: المَعْذِرَة (al-maʕḏira)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (neroġutʻyun)
Azerbaijani: bağışlayın
Belarusian: дару́йце (darújcje)
Chichewa: zikomo
Chinese:
Hokkien: 歹勢／歹势 (zh-min-nan) (pháiⁿ-sè / phái-sè), 失禮／失礼 (zh-min-nan) (sit-lé)

Mandarin: 借過／借过 (zh) (jièguò), 勞駕／劳驾 (zh) (láojià)
Czech: s dovolením
Danish: undskyld mig
Dutch: pardon (nl), excuseer (nl), excuseert u mij
Faroese: orsaka
Finnish: anteeksi (fi), anteeksi, saanko ohittaa
French: pardon (fr), excusez-moi (fr), (informal) excuse-moi (fr)
Georgian: მაპატიეთ (maṗaṭiet)
German: Entschuldigung (de), darf ich bitte durch? (literally “may I pass please?”)
Greek: συγγνώμη (el) (syngnómi)
Hindi: क्षमा कीजिए (kṣamā kījie)
Hungarian: szabad lesz?
Icelandic: afsakið?, fyrirgefðu (is)?
Irish: gabh mo leithscéal sg, gabhaigí mo leithscéal pl
Italian: permesso (it), scusa (it) (informal), scusi (it) (formal), scusate (it) (plural)
Japanese: すみません (ja) (sumimasen)
Kapampangan: makidalan, makilabas, sensiane
Khmer: ^{(please verify)} ជួយខ្ញុំ, ខ្ញុំអាចទៅណា (cuəy khñom, khñom ʼaac tɨw naa)
Korean: 잠시만요 (jamsi-man-yo)
Lao: please add this translation if you can
Latin: (said to one person) ignosce mihi, (said to more than one person) ignoscite mihi
Lithuanian: atsiprašau (lt)
Lombard: permess, scusa (lmo) (Western formal, informal), scusi (Eastern formal)
Macedonian: извинете (izvinete)
Malay: tumpang lalu
Maltese: skużani waħda
Ngazidja Comorian: sumila
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: unnskyld (no)

Nynorsk: unnskyld
Persian:
Iranian Persian: بِبَخْشید (fa) (bebaxšid)
Polish: przepraszam (pl)
Portuguese: com licença (pt)
Russian: извини́те (ru) (izviníte)
Scottish Gaelic: gabh mo leisgeul
Slovene: oprostite
Spanish: con permiso, permiso (es), perdón (es)
Swahili: tafadhali naomba unipishe
Swedish: ursäkta mig, ursäkta (sv)
Tagalog: makikiraan po n, pasintabi
Turkish: affedersin (tr) (informal), affedersiniz (tr) (formal), izin verir misin? (informal), izin verir misiniz? (formal), özür dilerim, müsade eder misin? (informal), müsade eder misiniz? (formal)
Ukrainian: пе́репрошую (péreprošuju), дару́йте (darújte)

sorry, as apology

Albanian: më falni (formal), më fal (informal)
American Sign Language: BentB@BaseHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross BentB@TipHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross
Arabic: اِعْذِرْنِي (iʕḏirnī), آسِف! (ʔāsif!), آسِفَة! f (ʔāsifa!)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (neroġutʻyun)
Azerbaijani: üzr istəyirəm
Belarusian: праба́чце (prabáčcje), праба́ч (prabáč), выбача́йце (vybačájcje) (formal), выбача́й (vybačáj) (informal), перапро́шваю (pjerapróšvaju)
Bengali: দুঃখিত (bn) (dukkhito), মাফ করবেন (maph korben)
Bulgarian: извине́те (bg) (izvinéte), пардо́н (bg) (pardón) (colloquial)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 對唔住／对唔住 (yue) (deoi³ m⁴ zyu⁶), 唔好意思 (m⁴ hou² ji³ si¹)

Hokkien: 歹勢／歹势 (zh-min-nan) (pháiⁿ-sè / phái-sè), 失禮／失礼 (zh-min-nan) (sit-lé)

Mandarin: 對不起／对不起 (zh) (duìbùqǐ), 抱歉！ (zh) (bàoqiàn!), 不好意思 (zh) (bùhǎoyìsi)

Wu: 對勿起／对勿起, 勿好意思 (⁸veq-hau-i-sy)
Czech: promiňte
Danish: undskyld (da)
Dutch: pardon (nl), excuseer (nl), excuseert u mij
Esperanto: senkulpigu min
Estonian: vabandage, vabanda ((informal))
Faroese: orsaka
Finnish: anteeksi (fi), suokaa anteeksi
French: pardon (fr), excusez-moi (fr), mes excuses (fr), je m’excuse (fr)
Galician: perdoa (informal), perdoe (formal)
Georgian: ბოდიში (bodiši), უკაცრავად (uḳacravad)
German: Entschuldigung (de), entschuldigen Sie (more formal), es tut mir leid (implies speaker is to blame)
Alemannic German: äxgüsi
Greek: συγγνώμη (el) (syngnómi)
Hawaiian: e kala mai
Hindi: माफ़ कीजिए (māf kījie), माफ़ करो (māf karo) (informal)
Hungarian: elnézést (hu), elnézést kérek, bocsánat (hu)
Icelandic: fyrirgefðu (is), fyrirgefðu mér, afsakið, afsakaðu mig sg, afsakið mig pl
Indonesian: maafkan saya
Irish: gabh mo leithscéal sg, gabhaigí mo leithscéal pl
Italian: scusi (it) (formal), scusa (it) (informal), scusate (it) pl
Japanese: (very formal) 申しわけございません (もうしわけございません, mōshiwake gozaimasen), (formal) すみません (ja) (sumimasen), 御免なさい (ja) (ごめんなさい, gomennasai), (informal) ごめん (ja) (gomen), 失礼しました (しつれいしました, shitsurei shimashita)
Kapampangan: pasensia, ne?, panupaya
Kazakh: кешіріңіз (keşırıñız)
Khmer: សុំទោស (som tooh)
Korean: 죄송합니다 (ko) (joesong-hamnida), 미안해요 (ko) (mian-haeyo), 실례합니다 (ko) (sillye-hamnida)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: بِبوورە (bibûre), داوای لێبوردن دەکەم (daway lêburdin dekem)
Lao: ຂໍໂທດ (khǭ thōt)
Latin: (said to one person) ignosce mihi, (said to more than one person) ignoscite mihi
Latvian: atvainojiet
Lithuanian: dovanokite (lt)
Macedonian: извинете (izvinete), се извинувам (se izvinuvam), извини (izvini) (familiar, informal)
Malay: maafkan saya, maaf
Maltese: skużani
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: уучлаарай (uučlaaraj)
Nootka: ʔuuʔaałuk̕ʷi
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: unnskyld (no), beklager (no)

Nynorsk: unnskyld, beklagar, orsak
Persian:
Iranian Persian: بِبَخْشید (fa) (bebaxšid), مَعْذِرَت می‌خواهَم (ma'zerat mi-xâham)
Polish: przepraszam (pl), wybacz (singular), wybaczcie (plural)
Portuguese: perdão (pt), desculpa (pt), me desculpe/desculpa, desculpas (pt)
Romanian: scuzați-mă
Russian: извини́те/извини́ (ru) (izviníte/izviní) (formal/informal), прости́те/прости́ (ru) (prostíte/prostí) (formal/informal), прошу́ проще́ния (prošú proščénija), (informal) извиня́юсь (ru) (izvinjájusʹ), пардо́н (ru) (pardón) (colloquial), со́рри (ru) (sórri) (slang)
Scottish Gaelic: gabh mo leisgeul
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: извините (formal), извини (informal), опростите

Roman: izvinite (sh) (formal), izvini (sh) (informal), oprostite (sh)
Slovak: (formal) prepáčte, (informal) prepáč (sk), ospravedlnte
Slovene: (formal) oprostite, (informal) oprosti
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: wódaj (singular familiar), wódajśo (plural; polite)
Spanish: perdona (es) (informal), perdone (es) (formal)
Swedish: ursäkta (sv), ursäkta mig, förlåt (sv)
Tagalog: pasensiya, pasensiya na
Thai: ขอโทษ (th) (kɔ̌ɔ-tôot)
Tibetan: དགོངས་དག (dgongs dag)
Turkish: pardon (tr), özür dilerim, affedersin (tr) (informal), affedersiniz (tr) (formal)
Ukrainian: ви́бачте (výbačte), ви́бач (výbač), проба́чте (probáčte), проба́ч (probáč), перепро́шую (perepróšuju)
Urdu: مُعاف کِیجِیے (mu'āf kījiye)
Vietnamese: xin lỗi (vi) (吀纇)

indignation

Chinese:
Hokkien: 啥物？ (zh-min-nan) (siáⁿ-mi̍h? / siáⁿ-mih? / siám-mih? / sáⁿ-mi̍h? / siám-mi̍h? / siáⁿ-mí? / siáⁿ-meh? / sahⁿ-mi̍h?), 什物？ (sím-mi̍h? / sím-mi? / sím-mih? / sīm-mi̍h? / sám-mi̍h?), 何物？ (há-mi̍h?), 哈？ (zh-min-nan) (hâⁿ? / haⁿ? / hāⁿ? / hēⁿ? / hā?)

Mandarin: 什麼意思？／什么意思？ (shénme yìsi)
Danish: undskyld (da)
Faroese: orsaka
Finnish: pyydän anteeksi!, anteeksi (fi)
German: Entschuldigung! (de)
Greek: συγγνώμη (el) (syngnómi)
Icelandic: fyrirgefðu (is)!, afsakið!
Irish: gabh mo leithscéal sg, gabhaigí mo leithscéal pl
Japanese: (formal) 御免なさい (ja) (ごめんなさい, gomen nasai)
Macedonian: извине́те ме (izvinéte me), просте́те ми (prostéte mi)
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: unnskyld meg
Polish: proszę o wybaczenie
Portuguese: como é que é?!
Swedish: ursäkta mig!
Tagalog: pasensiya na, ano po?
Turkish: affedersin! (tr) (informal), affedersiniz! (tr) (formal), özür dilerim!

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Latin: ^{(please verify)} excusā, ^{(please verify)} excusāte pl, ^{(please verify)} mē excusā, ^{(please verify)} mē excusāte pl

Noun

excuse me (plural excuse mes)

An old-fashioned type of dance where partners are constantly changed.