excuse me

English

Phrase

excuse me

(Canada, US) Said as a request to repeat information.
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.
Sorry, as an apology.
Said as a request for an apology.
(formal) Said as an expression of unexpected or early farewell.

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

excuse you

Translations

request to repeat — See also translations at come again

American Sign Language: BentB@BaseHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross BentB@TipHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross
Arabic: عَفْوًا!‎ (ʿafwan!), (to a male) مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟‎ (māḏā qulta?), (to a female) مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟‎ (māḏā qulti?), (to a male) مَرَّة ثَانِيَة، مِن فَضْلِكَ؟‎ (márra ṯāniya, min faḍlika?), (to a female) مَرَّة ثَانِيَة، مِن فَضْلِكِ؟‎ (márra ṯāniya, min faḍliki?), عُذْراً!‎ (ar) (ʿuḏran!)
Azerbaijani: üzr istəyirəm
Chinese:
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？ (zh), 什么？ (zh) (shénme), 哦？ (zh) (é?)
Czech: promiňte
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: סליחה‎ (he)
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？ (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?)
Korean: 뭐라고요 (mweoragoyo)?
Kurdish:
Sorani: ببووره‌‎ (bibure)

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: ببخشید‎ (bebakhšid), معذرت می‌خواهم‎ (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)
Tamil: மன்னி (ta) (maṉṉi)
Turkish: efendim? (tr), afedersiniz (tr)

request for attention

Arabic: عَن إِذْنَك‎ (ʿan ʾiḏnak) (to man), عَن إِذْنِك‎ (ʿan ʾiḏnik) (to woman), عَفْوًا‎ (ʿafwan), عَذْرًا‎ (ar) (ʿaḏran)
Egyptian Arabic: لا مؤاخذة‎ (la muʾaḵza)

Hijazi Arabic: لَوْ سَمَحْت‎ (law samaḥt) (to men), لَوْ سَمَحْتي‎ (law samaḥti) (to women)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (nerołutʿyun)
Azerbaijani: bağışlayın, üzr istəyirəm
Chinese:
Mandarin: 請問 (zh), 请问 (zh) (qǐngwèn), 勞駕 (zh), 劳驾 (zh) (láojià)
Czech: promiňte
Danish: undskyld (da)
Dutch: pardon (nl), excuseer (nl)
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 suniyē), क्षमा कीजिए (kṣamā kīji'ē)
Hungarian: elnézést, legyen szíves
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 (sumimasen), 失礼します (しつれいします, shitsurei shimasu)

Khmer: ឧកាស (u’kaasa’)
Korean: 여보세요 (ko) (yeoboseyo), 저기 요 (jeogiyo)
Lao: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: извинете (izvínete), простете (próstete)
Malay: tumpang tanya
Maltese: skużi waħda
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian: unnskyld (no)
Persian: ببخشید‎ (bebaxšid), معذرت می‌خواهم‎ (ma'zerat mi-xâham)
Polish: przepraszam (pl)
Portuguese: com licença (pt)
Russian: прости́те (ru) (prostíte), извини́те (ru) (izviníte)
Scottish Gaelic: gabh mo leisgeul
Slovene: oprostite
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: wódaj (singular familiar), wódajśo (plural; polite)
Spanish: perdón (es), disculpe (es), oiga (es)
Swedish: ursäkta mig
Tamil: மன்னிக்கணும் (maṉṉikkaṇum)
Turkish: afedersin (informal), afedersiniz (tr) (formal), pardon (tr)
Ukrainian: ви́бачте (výbačte)
Vietnamese: xin lỗi (vi), xin lỗi cho hỏi

request to pass

American Sign Language: BentB@BaseHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross BentB@TipHand-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterSternumhigh-UlnarAcross
Arabic: المَعْذِرَة‎ (al-maʿḏira)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (nerołutʿyun)
Azerbaijani: bağışlayın
Chichewa: zikomo
Chinese:
Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 借過 (zh), ^{(please verify)} 借过 (jièguò), 勞駕 (zh), 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
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: Entschuldigung (de), darf ich bitte durch? (lit., "may I pass please")
Greek: συγγνώμη (el) (syngnómi)
Hindi: क्षमा कीजिए (kṣamā kīji'ē)
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 (sumimasen)
Khmer: ជួយខ្ញុំ, ខ្ញុំអាចទៅណា? (cuəy kɲom kɲom aac tɨv naa)

Korean: 잠시만요 (jamsimanyo)
Lao: please add this translation if you can
Latin: excuso
Lithuanian: atsiprašau (lt)
Lombard: permess, scusa (Western formal, informal), scusi (Eastern formal)
Macedonian: извинете (izvínete)
Malay: tumpang lalu
Maltese: skużani waħda
Ngazidja Comorian: sumila
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian: unnskyld (no)
Persian: ببخشید‎ (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
Turkish: afedersin (informal), afedersiniz (tr) (formal), izin verir misin? (informal), izin verir misiniz? (formal), özür dilerim, müsade eder misin? (informal), müsade eder misiniz? (formal)

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 (iʿḏirnī), آسِف!‎ (ʾāsif!), آسِفَة!‎ f (ʾāsifa!)
Armenian: ներողություն (hy) (nerołutʿyun)
Azerbaijani: üzr istəyirəm
Belarusian: праба́чце (prabáčcje), праба́ч (prabáč), выбача́йце (vybačájcje) (formal), выбача́й (vybačáj) (informal), перапро́шваю (pjerapróšvaju)
Bengali: দুঃখিত (duḥkhito), মাফ করবেন (māf korbēn)
Bulgarian: извине́те (bg) (izvinéte), пардо́н (bg) (pardón) (colloquial)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 對唔住, 唔好意思 (m⁴ hou² ji³ si¹)

Mandarin: 對不起 (zh), 对不起 (zh) (duìbùqǐ), 抱歉！ (zh) (bàoqiàn!)
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: perdoe
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 kīji'ē)
Hungarian: elnézést, 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 (mōshiwake gozaimasen), (formal) すみません (sumimasen), 御免なさい (gomen-nasai), (informal) ごめん (gomen), 失礼しました (しつれいしました, shitsurei shimashita)
Khmer: សុំទោស (som tooh)
Korean: 죄송합니다 (ko) (joesonghamnida), 미안해요 (ko) (mianhaeyo), 실례합니다 (ko) (sillyehamnida)
Kurdish:
Sorani: ببووره‌‎ (bibure), داوای لێبوردن ده‌که‌م‎ (dawai léburdin dekem)

Lao: ຂໍໂທດ (kʰɔ̌ː tʰôːt)
Latin: excusas, excusatis pl
Latvian: atvainojiet
Lithuanian: dovanokite (lt)
Macedonian: извинете (izvínete), се извинувам (se izvínuvam), извини (ízvini) (familiar, informal)
Malay: maafkan saya, maaf
Maltese: skużani
Mongolian: уучлаарай (uučlaaraj)
Nootka: ʔuuʔaałuk̕ʷi
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian:
Bokmål: unnskyld (no), beklager (no)

Nynorsk: unnskyld, beklagar
Persian: ببخشید‎ (bebaxšid), معذرت می‌خواهم‎ (ma'zerat mi-xâham)
Polish: przepraszam (pl)
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)
Slovene: (formal) oprostite, (informal) oprosti
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: wódaj (singular familiar), wódajśo (plural; polite)
Spanish: perdona (es)
Swedish: ursäkta (sv), ursäkta mig, förlåt (sv)
Thai: ขอโทษ (th) (kɔ̌ɔ-tôot)
Turkish: pardon (tr), özur dilerim, afedersin (informal), afedersiniz (tr) (formal)
Ukrainian: ви́бачте (výbačte), ви́бач (výbač), проба́чте (probáčte), проба́ч (probáč), перепро́шую (perepróšuju)
Urdu: معاف کیجیئے‎ (māf kīji'ē)
Vietnamese: xin lỗi (vi)

request for an apology

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 (gomen nasai)

Macedonian: извинете ме (izvnéte me), простете ми (prostéte mi)
Northern Sami: ándagassii
Norwegian: unnskyld meg
Polish: proszę o wybaczenie
Portuguese: como é que é?!
Swedish: ursäkta mig!
Turkish: afedersin! (informal), afedersiniz! (tr) (formal), özür dilerim!

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} סְלִיחָה‎ (he)

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 constantly changed.