We often get asked about how to say sorry and excuse me in Portuguese. Is there a difference between Com licença and Desculpe? What about Sinto muito? Lamento? Perdão? With so many options that have similar translations, it’s important to take context and cultural norms into account.
In this Learning Note, we’ll cover which phrase(s) to use in a variety of different situations. In case any of these words are brand new to you, let’s hear what they sound like first:
Com licençaExcuse me, Pardon me
DesculpeSorry, Excuse me (formal)
DesculpaSorry, Excuse me (inf.)
DesculpemSorry, Excuse me (pl.)
LamentoI'm sorry, I regret
Sinto muitoI'm so sorry
PerdãoForgive me, Pardon
Com licença
lit. with license
This basically means Excuse me, but it could help you remember the wording if you think of it like asking for permission (license) to do something. (That said, you don’t need to wait for a response. 😉)
It is likely short for the more antiquated phrase Com a sua licença (with your license/permission), and it’s generally used when you are trying to excuse your physical presence.
Here are some examples of when the Portuguese commonly say Com licença:
- reaching across someone
- excusing yourself as you walk through a crowded area
- excusing yourself from the table while others are still eating
- when entering someone’s home
- closing the door behind someone
- hanging up the phone
Those last 3 examples are important to note, since the Portuguese usage differs from the English usage for Excuse me. Not everybody says it all the time in these contexts, but it’s seen as a sign of respect. On the phone, it’s more common when talking with telemarketers, making appointments, or with someone you don’t know well, than it would be when talking to a friend or family member.
Desculpe
lit. Forgive, Excuse
This is the imperative form of the verb desculparto excuse .
If you remember from when we discussed polite expressions in the Greetings unit, desculpe is the singular, formal form and desculpa is the singular, informal form. Desculpem is the plural form, for when you are speaking to more than 1 person.
Desculpe (and its variants) can be used to say Sorry or Excuse me in contexts such as:
- asking someone for help / getting someone’s attention
- Desculpe, onde fica a casa de banho?Excuse me, where's the bathroom?
- apologizing for a mistake or wrongdoing
- excusing yourself as you walk through a crowded area
- bumping into someone accidentally
- if you didn’t hear/understand someone
- Desculpe, pode falar mais devagar?Sorry, can you speak more slowly? (sing.,formal)
- Desculpe, eu não entendoSorry, I don't understand
- after burping
A similar phrase is Peço desculpaI apologize, Excuse me, I beg your pardon . This is a slightly more formal way to apologize. Peço comes from the verb pedirto ask for and in this context, desculpa is actually a noun, rather than a verb: a desculpaexcuse .
Sinto muito
lit. I really feel (it)
Sinto muito is like saying I’m so sorry, but it’s for expressing sympathy, rather than apologizing for a wrongdoing. It’s similar to I’m so sorry to hear that. You might say it to someone who is sick, had a death in the family, or just had a bad day.
Lamento
lit. I lament
The usage is similar to that of Sinto muito. It’s another way to express sympathy or give someone disappointing news, much like I regret to inform you…
Perdão
lit. Pardon
Perdão sounds very formal, so it’s not used very often in everyday language. That said, you may hear it sometimes after someone burps. 🫢
This is really helpful, thank you
I am so happy to have subscribed to this program. No other offers the explanation of nuance in words and phrases that unique to European Portuguese.