There are two main uses of this phrases: to ask for something/attract somebody's attention (marked 1 below), and to ask somebody to move out of the way so that you can get by (marked 2 below).
Click on any of the phrases that are links to hear them spoken. If you can provide recordings, corrections or additional translations, please contact me.
To see more phrases in each language click on the language names. If you'd like to see these phrases in any combination of two languages, try the Phrase Finder.
| Language | Excuse me |
|---|---|
| Adyghe | Къысфэгъэгъу (sg) Къысфэжъугъэгъу (pl) |
| Afrikaans | Verskoon my! Ekskuus! |
| Albanian (Gheg) | M'fal! |
| Albanian (Tosk) | Më fal! |
| Aleut | Amtang Alqus hix̂tal hingamax̂t? (I'm sorry, what are you saying?) |
| Aklan | Pasensyaha ako |
| Alsatian | 's düet mir Leid |
| Altay | Јаманымды таштагар (Ĵamanımdı taštagar) |
| Amharic | ይቅርታ (yəqərta) - forgivness |
| Arabic (Egyptian) |
m - ('an iznak) عن إذنك! f - ('an iznik) عن إزنك! pl - ('an izniku) عن إزنك! |
| Arabic (Lebanese) |
3an eznak 3afwan |
| Arabic (Modern Standard) |
to attract attention - (min faḍlak/ik) من فضلك! to ask someone to move (al-ma'dirah) المعذرة! |
| Arabic (Moroccan) |
(smeh līya) اسمح لي! |
| Aragonese | Perdona (inf) Perdone (frm) Sincusa-me (inf) Sincuse-me (frm) |
| Armenian (Eastern) |
Ներողությո'ւն: (Neroghutyun) Կներե'ք: (Knerek’) |
| Armenian (Western) |
Ներողութիւն (Neroghootyoon) Կը ներես (Guh neres) inf Կը ներէք: (Guh nerek) frm |
| Aromanian | Ãnj-easte jale Iartâ'mâ |
| Assamese | ক্ষমা কৰিব (khyôma kôribô) |
| Azerbaijani | Üzr istəyirəm Bağışlayın |
| Balinese | Pangampura |
| Bambara | Hakεto! Aw ye hakεto! |
| Bashkir | ғәфү итегеҙ (ğäfü ityeгyeź) |
| Basque | Barkatu |
| Bavarian | Endšuldigng s' (frm) Endšuldigung |
| Belarusian | Даруйце (Darujcie) Перапрашаю (Pieraprašaju) |
| Bemba | Mpiteko? (to get past sb) Panono, njipusheko (to get attention) |
| Bengali | শুনুন (Shunun) এই যে (Ei je) |
| Bhojpuri | माफ़ करीं (maaf karin) |
| Bikol | Maki-agi (To get past people) Maki-agi tabi (frm) |
| Bislama | Ekskius mi |
| Bosnian | Izvinite! Oprostite! (frm) Oprosti! (inf) |
| Breton | Digarezit ac'hanon! Eskuzit ac'hanon! |
| Bulgarian | Извинете! (Izvinete) Извинете ме! (Izvinete me) Извинявам се! (Izvinjavam se) Пардон (Pardon) Прощавайте! (Proštavajte) Простете! (Prostete) Моля за извинение (Molja za izvinenie) |
| Burmese | ခင္ဗဵာ? (ka mya?) - m / shin? (f) |
| Cape Verdean Creole | Da-n lisensa |
| Capiznon | Palihog sa madali lang |
| Catalan | Dispensi! Perdoni! |
| Cebuano | Ekskyus mi Tabi sa |
| Central Dusun | Tumalib oku po (I pass by) Muhot oku daa (I ask) |
| Chabacano de Cavite | Perdona me Excuse me |
| Chabacano de Zamboanga | Permiso Con permiso Tabih po |
| Chamorro (Guam dialect) |
Dispensa yo' |
| Chamorro (North Marianas dialect) |
Dispensa yu |
| Chichewa | Pepani |
| Chinese (Cantonese) |
請問 (chéngmahn) - to get attention 唔該 (m̀hgòi) - to get past 失陪 (sàtpùih) - used when leaving for a while |
| Chinese (Hakka) |
請問 (ts'iang3mun5) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) |
請問
[请问] qǐngwén - to attract attention (lit. "may I ask") 對不起 [对不起] duìbùqǐ - asking people to move |
| Chinese (Shanghainese) |
不好意思 (buho yisi) |
| Chinese (Teochew) |
对唔住 (dui3m6diu7) |
| Chipewyan | ʔarélá |
| Cimbrian | Vorghìbinghe! Ich vórs-ach vorghìbinghe! |
| Chuukese | Tirow |
| Chuvash | Кашарӑр (Kašarăr) |
| Cornish | Gav dhymm! |
| Corsican | Scusatemi |
| Croatian | Oprostite! Ispričavam se! |
| Cuyonon | Ikskios anay Maagi ako anay Tabi lamang |
| Czech | Promiňte! Promiň! (inf) Odpusť mi to (inf) Odpusťte mi to (frm) |
| Danish | Undskyld mig! |
| Dari | (Bêbaxšin) بيبخشين (Mêbaxšên) ميبخشين |
| Dholuo | Tima kica (to get attention) |
| Duala | Lakisɛ mba |
| Dutch | Neem me niet kwalijk Neemt u mij niet kwalijk Excuseert u mij |
| Dzongkha | Atsi zur nang |
| Efik | Mbọk |
| Elfdalian | Ursekt! |
| Estonian | Vabandage! |
| Ewe | Kafla Meɖekuku |
| Extremaduran | Disculpa! (inf) Disculpi! (frm) |
| Faroese | Orsaka meg |
| Fijian | Au lako mada yani (to get past) |
| Finnish | Anteeksi! |
| Flemish (West) | Ku'k e kir etwà fraagh'n? |
| French | Excusez-moi ! Pardon ! Pardonnez-moi ! |
| Frisian (North - Mooring) | Ferschånke! |
| Frisian (Saterland) | Ferschoonenge! |
| Frisian (West) | Nim my net kwea ôf |
| Friulian | Scusimi (inf) O domandi scuse (frm) |
| Galician | Perdoe! Desculpe! |
| Gallo | É qhi ou d'qhé ? |
| Gascon | Escusats-me (frm) Perdon |
| Georgian | უკაცრავად (uk’atsravad) ოფიციანტი (opitsiahnt’i) ბოდიში (bodishi) |
| German | Entschuldigung! Entschuldigen Sie! Verzeihung! |
| Greek (Ancient) | Συγγνωθί μοι (Syngnōthí moi) |
| Greek (Modern) | Με συγχωρείς!
(Me sinhorís) - inf Με συγχωρείτε! (Me synhoríte) - frm |
| Greenlandic | Utoqqatsissutigaa Patsit Utoqqatserpunga |
| Gullah | 'Scuze me! |
| Gujarati | માફ કરજો (maaf karjo) - "Forgive me/pardon" સાંભળજો (sambhadjo) - "Listen (to me)" |
| Hawaiian | E kala mai iaʻu! |
| Haitian Creole | Eskize mwen Eskize m |
| Hausa | Gafara dai |
| Hebrew | (to attract attention) m - (slach li?) סלח לי? f - (silchi li?) סלחי לי? (to ask someone to move) (slicha!) סליחה! |
| Hiligaynon | Palihog sang madali lang |
| Hindi | क्षमा कीजिए! (kṣama kījie) माफ़ कीजिये! (māf kījiye) ज़रा सुनिये! (zarā suniye) |
| Hmong (White) | Thov zam kev |
| Hungarian | Elnézést! |
| Icelandic | Afsakið! Fyrirgefðu! |
| Igbo | Biko chere (for attention) Biko, chetụ (for attention) Biko, iwe e wela gị (begging pardon) Biko, e wel iwe (begging pardon) |
| Iloko | Maawan-dayawen |
| Indonesian | Maaf Permisi (to get past) |
| Inuktitut | ᐄᑯᓗ (Iikuluga) |
| Iñupiaq | Pisaraluarnak Pisanritchikpin Pisaŋŋitkikpiñ Pisaaġiŋitkikpiñ Tusaaŋŋisiqtuŋa |
| Irish (Gaelic) | Gabh mo leithscéal |
| Italian | Permesso (let me through) Scusa! (inf) Scusami! (inf) Scusi! (frm) Mi scusi! (frm) - pardon |
| Jamaican | Jus a word Beg yuh pass (Can I pass?) |
| Japanese | すみません! (sumimasen) |
| Javanese | ꦤꦸꦮꦸꦤ꧀ꦱꦺꦮꦸ (Nuwun séwu) (Kromo Inggil) ꦩꦶꦠ꧀ꦲꦩꦶꦠ꧀ (Mit – amit) (Ngoko) |
| Jenesch | Drav kop |
| Jèrriais | Extchûthez-mé Pardonnez-mouai |
| Kabiye | Kafaɖa |
| Kabyle | Suref-iyi ! Sameḥ-iyi ! |
| Kabardian | Къысхуэгъэгъу (Kʺysxuɛgʺɛgʺu) |
| Kalmyk | Бичә му сантн (Bichä mu santn) |
| Kannada | ಕ್ಷಮಿಸಿ! (kshamisi) |
| Kaqchikel | Takuyu' |
| Kashubian | Przeprôszajã Przeprôszóm Wëbaczë |
| Kazakh | Кешіріңіз! (Keşiriñiz!) |
| Khmer | សុំទោស (sŏm toŭs) |
| Khoekhoe (Nama) | ǁGawaǁaegu te. |
| Kinyarwanda | Imbabazi Ndasaba inzira Mbabarira (sg) Mutubabarire (pl) |
| Kiribati | Taiaoka |
| Korean | 실례하겠습니다 (sillyehagessseubnida) 실례합니다 (sillyehabnida) |
| Kpelle | Kafâlo |
| Kumyk | Ярай буса, багъышлап къоюгъуз (Yaray busa, bağışlap qoyuğuz) |
| Kurdish (Kurmanji) | Mi(n) Biburîne (frm) Mi(n) bibore Mi(n) affu bike Af bike(frm) |
| Kurdish (Sorani) | Lêm bibûre |
| Kven | Antheeksi |
| Kyrgyz | Кечиресиз (Kechiresiz) - sg/frm (for attention) Кечиресиң (Kechiresing) - sg/inf (for attention) Кечириңиз (Kechiringiz) - sg/frm (begging pardon) |
| Lakota Sioux | Émičiktuŋža yo (m>sg) Émičiktuŋža ye (f>sg) Émičiktuŋža po (m>pl) Émičiktuŋža pe (f>pl) |
| Lao | ຂໍໂທດ (khãw thôht) |
| Latin | Me excusa (sg) Me excusate (pl) |
| Latvian | Piedodiet! (frm) Piedod! (inf) Atvainojiet! (frm) Atvaino! (inf) |
| Limburgish | Verekskezeer! (inf) Verekskezeert! (frm) Perdóng! |
| Lingala | Limbisa ngaï Bolimbisi |
| Lithuanian | Atsiprašau! |
| Livvi-Karelian | Prostikkua |
| Low Saxon | Nähm dat man nich för ungood! (sg) Nähmt dat man nich för ungood! (pl) |
| Lozi | Ni kupa swalelo |
| Luganda | Owange |
| Luxembourgish | Entschëllegt |
| Macedonian | Прocтeтe!
(Prostete) - Please forgive me Извинете (Izvinete) - to ask to get by |
| Magahi | सूना तो /sʊnaː toː/ |
| Maithili | Chhama karab Kani sunu |
| Malagasy | Azafady Azafady kay |
| Malay | Tumpang lalu (to pass by) Maafkan saya |
| Malayalam | ക്ഷമിക്കണം (kshamikkanam) |
| Maldivian | (Ma'aaf kurey) މަޢާފް ކުރޭ |
| Maltese | Skużi! Skużani! |
| Mam | Noq same ta Noq same na |
| Manx (Gaelic) | Gow my leshtal! Jean my leshtal! |
| Māori | Arohaina mai |
| Marathi | क्षमा करा (kshamā karā) |
| Marshallese | Jo̧lo̧k bōd Jo̧lo̧k aō bōd |
| Mauritian Creole | Exkize moi |
| Monégasque | Scüse-me Pardun |
| Mongolian | Өршөөгөөрэй (Örshöögöörei) |
| Mossi | Y gafara |
| Nahuatl | Ma ixpāntzinco ("In front of an honorable place") |
| Navajo | |
| Niuean | Fakamolemole |
| Nogai | Кеширинъиз Афуьв этинъиз |
| Ndebele (Northern - Zimbabwe) | Uxolo |
| Ndebele (Southern) | Uxolo Ngitshidele |
| Nepali | माफी पाऊँ (māphī pāū̃) |
| Newari / Nepal Bhasa | से सा (se sā) ब्ये (bye) छकः वने ला (chakaḥ vane lā) |
| Northern Sámi | Ándagassii |
| Northern Sotho | Ntshwarele Tshwarelo |
| Norwegian | Unnskyld! Unnskyld meg! |
| Occitan | Perdon? Desencusa? Desencusatz? |
| Oriya | କ୍ଷମା କରିବେ (Kaṣmā karibe) - to get past କ୍ଷମା କରନ୍ତୁ (Kaṣmā karantu) - to get attention |
| Ossetian | Бахатыр кæнут (Baxatyr kænut) |
| Papiamento | Despensa mi Disculpami |
| Persian (Farsi) | (bebakhshid) ببخشيد! (mazerat mikham) معذرت ميخوام |
| Pohnpeian | E-yung |
| Polish | Przepraszam! |
| Portuguese | Com licença! Desculpe! Perdão! (frm) Desculpa (inf) |
| Portuguese (Brazilian) | Por favor! Com licença! Desculpe! Perdão! Desculpa! (inf) |
| Punjabi | ਵੇਖੋ ਜੀ। / ویکھو جی۔ (vēkhō jī) ਦੇਖੋ ਜੀ। / دیکھو جی۔ (dēkhō jī) |
| Quechua | Pampachaway Dispinsaykuway |
| Rapa Nui | Ko hape 'ā a au |
| Romanian | Scuzați-mă! |
| Romansh | Perdunai |
| Russian | Извините! (Izvinite!) - frm Извини! (Izvini!) - inf |
| Rusyn | Перебачте (Perebačte) |
| Sakha | Бырастыы гыныҥ (bɯrastɯɯ gɯnɯŋ) - frm Бырастыы гын (bɯrastɯɯ gɯn) - inf |
| Samoan | Tulou lava |
| Samogitian | Atsėprašau Duovėnuoket |
| Sango | Pardon |
| Sanskrit | कृपया क्षम्यताम् (kṛpayā kṣamyatām) |
| Scots | Excuise me |
| Scottish Gaelic | Gabh mo leisgeul! |
| Serbian | Извините! (Izvinite!) Опростите! (Oprostite!) |
| Sesotho | Ntshwarele Ntsoarele |
| Shona | Pamusoro (sg) Pamusoroyi (pl) |
| Sicilian | Scusa Scusassi (frm) Mi scusassi (frm) Scusàtimi (pl) Assa mi scusa (formal for elderly people) |
| Sindhi | Maaf kajo rasto dijo Maaf kajo |
| Sinhala | සමාවත්ත (samāvena) අචසර (avasara) - to priests |
| Slovak | Prepáčte! |
| Slovenian | Oprostite (frm) Oprosti (inf) |
| Somali | Iga raali ahow |
| Sorbian (Lower) | Wódajśo pšosym (frm) Wódaj |
| Sorbian (Upper) | Wodajće prošu |
| Spanish | ¡Perdón! ¡Perdone! ¡Disculpe! |
| Sundanese | Punten Mangga Parmisi |
| Swahili | Samahani nipishe (to get past) Samahani (to get attention or say sorry) |
| Swazi | Ngicela uphindze angikeva Lucolo |
| Swedish | Ursäkta! |
| Swiss German | Entschuldigung Exgüüsi |
| Tagalog | Ipagpaumanhin ninyo ako! Paumanhin (po)! |
| Tahitian | E'e Auē ho'i e |
| Tajik | Meбaxшeд (Mebaxšed) - getting attention Бубахшед (Bubaxšed) - begging pardon |
| Tamil (formal) | மன்னிக்க வேண்டும் (mannikka vendum) [ml] [fm] |
| Tamil (informal) | மன்னிக்கணும் (mannikkanum) [fm] |
| Tatar | Ğafu it(egez) |
| Telugu | క్షమించండి (kshamiṅchaṅdi) |
| Tetum | Kolisensa Deskup pelici Desku pihcih |
| Thai | ขอโทษ (kŏr tôht) |
| Tibetan | དགོངས་དག བཟོད་དུ་གསོལ། ཐུགས་རྗེ་གཟིགས། (gong-da. sö du sö. thu-je-sik) |
| Tigrinya | ይቅሬታ ግበረለይ! (Yiqreta Gbereley!) m/sg ይቅሬታ ግበርለይ! (Yiqreta Gberiley!) f/sg |
| Tok Pisin | Skius |
| Tongan | Kātaki Tulou |
| Tsonga | Ndzi khomeleni |
| Tsotsil | Perton |
| Tswana | Intshwarele |
| Tumbuka | Phepani |
| Turkish | İzninizle Pardon, geçebilir miyim? (to get past) Pardon, bakar mısınız? (to get attention) |
| Turkmen | Bagyşlaň |
| Tuvaluan | Tulou! |
| Twi | Mepa wo kyɛ |
| Udmurt | Вождэ эн вай мыным (Vožde en vaj mynym) Простить кароз-а (Prostit’ karoz-a) |
| Ukrainian | Перепрошую! (Pereprošuju) |
| Urdu | (ma'zarat) معزرت! (maf kijiye) معاف کيجۓ! |
| Uyghur | (Kächürüng) كەچۈرۈڭ |
| Uzbek | Uzr Kechirasiz |
| Venda | Tshiimo tsha shishi |
| Venetian | El me scuxa Scuxéme (pl) |
| Veps | Prostigat |
| Vietnamese | Xin lỗi |
| Võro | Andkõ andis Annaq andis |
| Walloon | Èscuze 'Mande èscuze |
| Welsh | Esgusodwch fi (frm) Esgusoda fi (inf) |
| Westrobothnian | Uschekttme |
| Wolof | Baal ma! |
| Wymsorys | Fercaj Fercajt |
| Xhosa | Uxolo! Ndixolele! |
| Yapese | Siro Siroeq |
| Yiddish | (Zayt moykhl) זײַט מוחל! (Zayt mir moykhl) זײַט מיר מוחל! |
| Yoruba | Ẹ ̣se fun mi Ẹ jọ̀wọ́ Ẹ gbọ mi |
| Zazaki | Bibexşnenî Af bike |
| Zulu | Uxolo! |
| Auxiliary and constructed languages | |
|---|---|
| Esperanto | Pardonu! |
| Folkspraak | Farskulding! Farskuld! Farskuld mek! |
| Interlingua | Pardona me |
| Lojban | .u'u |
| Volapük | Pardö! Säkusadolös obi! |
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