Click on the French expressions to hear pronunciations.
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| excuse | apology |
| if you sneeze, cough or didn't hear what someone said: | |
| Pardon. | Sorry. |
| if you didn't hear what someone said, you can also use the following: | |
| Je t'ai pas entendu. | I didn't hear you. |
| Je n'écoutais pas. | I was not listening. |
| Comment? | What did you say? |
| Vous pouvez répéter, s'il vous plaît ? | Can you repeat that, please? |
| Qu’est-ce que vous avez dit ? | What did you say? |
| Qu'est-ce que t'as dit ? | What did you say? |
| T'as dit quoi ? | What did you say? |
| to get attention, for a minor mistake or before making a request: | |
| Excusez moi, j'ai une question. | Excuse me, I have a question. |
| Excuse-moi, je reviens. | Excuse me, I will be back. |
| common apologies | |
| Pardon, j'ai pas réfléchi. | Sorry, I didn't think about it. |
| Je suis désolée f. | I'm sorry. |
| Désolée du retard. | Sorry about the delay. |
| Je voulais pas te faire de mal , désolée f. | I didn't mean to hurt you, sorry. |
| Excusez-moi, je dois répondre. | Excuse me, I have to answer. |
| Excuse-moi, faut que je le prenne. | Excuse me, I have to take this phone call. |
| Excuse-moi de t'avoir dérangée f. (here the person being disturbed is female) | Sorry for disturbing you. |
| Je m'excuse. | I apologize. |
| C'est ma faute, Je m'excuse. | It's my fault, I apologize. |
| Je m'excuse d'avance. | I apologize in advance. |
| Je m’excuse de vous avoir enfermé. | I apologize for locking you out. |
| Tu m'excuses deux minutes ? | Can you excuse me for two minutes? |
| Tu m'excuses, un instant ? | Can you excuse me for a moment? |
| Excusez mon mari, il est bouleversé. /bulvɛʀse/ | Excuse my husband, he's upset. |
| formal apologies | |
| Veuillez m'excuser. /vøje/ | Excuse me. |
| Je vous présente mes excuses. | I present my apologies. |
| Encore une fois, toutes mes excuses. | One more time, my apologies. |
| others | |
| Plus d'excuse. | No more excuses. |
| Pas d'excuses. | No excuses. |
| Cherche pas d'excuses. | Don't make excuses. |
| Toujours une bonne excuse. | Always a good excuse. |
| C’est ça, ton excuse ? | Is that your excuse? |
| Y a pas d'excuse, j'ai merdé. | There's no excuse, I screwed up. |