How to Say Excuse Me in Spanish: 15 Natural Phrases for Every Situation

The Short Answer

To say "excuse me" in Spanish, use perdón (pehr-DOHN) for most everyday moments, disculpe (dees-KOOL-peh) when you want to be more polite or formal, and con permiso (kohn pehr-MEE-soh) when you need to pass by someone or enter a space.

Spanish is spoken by roughly 559 million people worldwide (including native speakers and L2 speakers) and is used across 21 countries where it is an official language, so the best choice can shift by region and situation (Instituto Cervantes, 2024; Ethnologue, 2024). The good news is that the core options in this guide are understood everywhere.

Why Spanish has more than one "excuse me"

In English, "excuse me" covers interrupting, apologizing, passing by, and asking someone to repeat themselves. Spanish typically splits those jobs across different phrases.

That split follows a politeness logic that linguists describe as protecting someone’s "face", meaning their social comfort and dignity, while also showing respect for distance and hierarchy (Brown and Levinson, 1987).

"Politeness is not something added to language, it is built into the ways we manage social relationships through speech."
Professor Penelope Brown, linguist and co-author of Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage (1987)

If you pick the phrase that matches the situation, you will sound natural faster than if you translate word-for-word.

The three core phrases you should learn first

Perdón

Perdón (pehr-DOHN) is the default, everyday "excuse me" and "sorry." It is short, flexible, and works in every Spanish-speaking country.

Use it for:

• Minor bumps or small mistakes
• Quick interruptions
• Getting someone’s attention in a low-pressure way
• Asking someone to repeat something: "¿Perdón?"

Disculpe

Disculpe (dees-KOOL-peh) is a polite "excuse me" used in usted situations: strangers, older people, customers, officials, and professional contexts.

It is also a strong choice when you are asking for attention from staff, like in a restaurant or hotel.

Con permiso

Con permiso (kohn pehr-MEE-soh) is the phrase for moving through space. Think: "Excuse me, let me pass," "Coming through," or "If you’ll allow me."

Use it when:

• Squeezing past someone in a line or aisle
• Entering an office, home, or room
• Stepping between people at a crowded event

15 natural ways to say "excuse me" in Spanish (with when to use each)

The phrases below overlap, but each has a "home" situation. Learn the home situation first, then expand.

Perdón

Perdón (pehr-DOHN) is the everyday default for minor interruptions and small mistakes.

Common movie-style use: someone bumps into another person, turns, and says "Perdón."

Perdona

Perdona (pehr-DOH-nah) is informal and singular, used with tú. It can sound warm and direct.

Perdone

Perdone (pehr-DOHR-neh) is the formal singular, used with usted. It is common in Spain and also widely understood across Latin America.

It often sounds slightly more "serious" than disculpe, especially when asking a stranger for something.

Disculpa

Disculpa (dees-KOOL-pah) is informal and singular, used with tú. It is common among friends and peers.

Disculpe

Disculpe (dees-KOOL-peh) is polite singular, used with usted. If you are traveling, this is one of the best "default polite" choices.

It is also easy to pair with a request: "Disculpe, ¿me trae la cuenta?"

Discúlpeme

Discúlpeme (dees-KOOL-peh-meh) is more formal and explicitly includes "me." It is useful when you want to sound extra respectful.

Con permiso

Con permiso (kohn pehr-MEE-soh) is for moving past, entering, or crossing through a space.

If you want to be extra clear, add: "Con permiso, voy a pasar."

Permiso

Permiso (pehr-MEE-soh) is a shortened version used in fast, crowded situations. It is common in everyday speech.

It can sound abrupt if your tone is sharp, so keep it light.

¿Perdón?

¿Perdón? (pehr-DOHN) is "Pardon?" as in "I didn’t catch that." It is one of the most natural repair phrases in Spanish conversation.

¿Cómo?

¿Cómo? (KOH-moh) also means "What?" in the sense of "Sorry?" It is common, but it can sound blunt depending on tone.

A softer version is: "¿Cómo dice?" (KOH-moh DEE-seh), meaning "What did you say?"

¿Mande?

¿Mande? (MAHN-deh) is strongly associated with Mexico and some parts of Central America. It is used when someone calls you, like "Yes?" or "You called?"

It can sound very polite and traditional, but it is regional, so do not force it outside those contexts.

¿Diga?

¿Diga? (DEE-gah) is common in Spain, especially on the phone, meaning "Yes?" or "Go ahead."

If you are learning phone Spanish, pair this guide with how to say sorry in Spanish, because phone interruptions often require quick repair phrases.

Lo siento

Lo siento (loh SYEHN-toh) is a stronger apology: real regret, bad news, or a meaningful mistake. It is not the default for squeezing past someone.

RAE and Fundéu both treat these apology formulas as part of standard polite usage, but the key is matching intensity to the situation (RAE DLE; FundéuRAE).

Disculpe las molestias

Disculpe las molestias (dees-KOOL-peh lahs moh-LEHS-tyahs) means "Sorry for the inconvenience." It is common in signs, announcements, and formal customer service.

You will hear it in airports, banks, and public offices.

Con todo respeto

Con todo respeto (kohn TOH-doh reh-SPEHK-toh) means "With all due respect." It often introduces disagreement or a correction.

Use it carefully, because in real conversations it can signal tension, even if the words are polite.

Choosing the right phrase fast (a simple decision rule)

When you freeze, use this quick rule:

• Did you bump someone or interrupt briefly? Use perdón (pehr-DOHN).
• Are you speaking to a stranger or being extra polite? Use disculpe (dees-KOOL-peh).
• Are you moving through space? Use con permiso (kohn pehr-MEE-soh).
• Did you cause real harm or need to apologize seriously? Use lo siento (loh SYEHN-toh).

If you want the politeness system behind this, tú vs usted in Spanish will make these choices feel automatic.

Regional notes that actually change what sounds natural

Spanish is spoken across multiple continents, and the "best" excuse-me phrase can be a social signal.

Instituto Cervantes reports Spanish as one of the world’s largest languages by total speakers, and that size comes with strong regional norms (Instituto Cervantes, 2024).

Spain

In Spain, perdón and perdone are very common in public spaces. ¿Diga? is a classic phone answer, especially in more traditional contexts.

You will also hear perdona frequently among peers, even with strangers in casual settings, but tone matters.

Mexico

In Mexico, ¿mande? is a recognizable response when someone calls you. It can sound respectful, but it is not universal across all Spanish-speaking countries.

For passing by, con permiso is extremely natural, especially in crowded markets and public transport.

Southern Cone (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile)

You will still be understood with perdón, disculpe, and con permiso. The bigger difference is often the pronoun system (voseo), which can affect what "sounds local."

If you are curious about slang and regional flavor, pair this with Spanish slang, but keep your "excuse me" phrases neutral when traveling.

Common learner mistakes (and how to fix them)

How to practice with movies and TV clips (the Wordy method)

The fastest way to make these phrases automatic is to learn them in scenes where the body language matches the words.

Look for three repeatable clip types:

• Crowded spaces: characters pushing through a crowd, saying "con permiso"
• Interruptions: someone cuts in with "perdón" before asking a question
• Service moments: a customer calls a waiter with "disculpe"

If you are building your core travel toolkit, add this to your set with how to say please in Spanish and how to say thank you in Spanish. Together, these cover most polite interactions.

A mini script you can reuse (and adapt)

Memorize this three-line pattern and swap the request:

1. Disculpe, por favor. (dees-KOOL-peh, pohr fah-BOHR)
2. ¿Me puede ayudar? (meh PWEH-deh ah-yoo-DAR)
3. Gracias. (GRAH-syahs)

For casual situations, switch to:

• Perdón, ¿me ayudas? (pehr-DOHN, meh ah-YOO-dahs)

Wrap-up: what to say in one second

If you only remember one thing: perdón for quick everyday moments, disculpe for polite stranger situations, and con permiso for moving past people.

Then reinforce it by listening for these phrases in real dialogue, not textbook examples. You will hear them constantly once you start noticing.

For more Spanish essentials, browse the Wordy blog or jump into Spanish clips on learn Spanish.