How to Use Excuse Me in English
Excuse me is a very important English phrase that you absolutely must understand to speak
fluent English.
This idiomatic phrase is used in many different ways and, once you learn it, you'll find that
it fits in a wide variety of circumstances.
As I go through these different ways to use excuse me in English, try to imagine different
situations in which you can use the phrase.
And listen to the different ways it is used on television or in movies.
First, let's talk about how to pronounce the word excuse.
There are two ways to pronounce this word in English.
Listen to the way I've been pronouncing it:
Excuse, excuse.
Notice the 'z' - the Z or zed sound at the end.
When we use this pronunciation, excuse is a verb.
When we say excuse me we are asking someone to forgive us for some offense or to try to
get them not to blame us for something.
All this will become more clear as we explore the idiomatic phrase, excuse me.
The other way to pronounce it is excuse, excuse.
Listen to the difference: excuse, excuse.
Notice the 's' sound at the end?
When excuse is pronounced this way, it's a noun: It's a reason you give someone for doing
something wrong or making a mistake.
The noun excuse has a connotation of being a false reason or a bad reason.
How to Use Excuse Me in English
Here is the first category:
Excuse me is a polite way to ask someone's pardon or forgiveness after you have done
something that does not adhere to proper etiquette or after you have done something slightly
impolite or embarrassing.
Examples of this use:
Say excuse me after you accidentally bump into someone.
"Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there!"
Say excuse me after you burp, hiccup, or sneeze in public.
"Oh, my, excuse me.
My allergies are acting up today."
Category Number 2:
Say excuse me when you need to move past someone in a crowd or when you need to get through
a crowd of people.
When moving through a crowd, you might say 'excuse me' multiple times as you move along.
If you are at the grocery store, and you need to get past someone with your shopping car,
you would say 'excuse me.'
Related to this use of excuse me is when you are finding your seat in a movie theater or
other theater and also at a concert or sporting event.
As you move down the row of seats in front of other people who are already seated, it
is customary to mutter 'excuse me' or 'pardon me.'
You don't need to say anything else.
Just as in many other ways of using excuse me, this is just a phatic expression; a formulaic
way to acknowledge and apologize for any inadvertent contact or for momentary blocking their view.
You can also use excuse me when you need to sit in a window seat on an airplane, bus,
or train and another person is already sitting in the aisle seat.
And, again, you can also use pardon me in these situations.
"Excuse me, I just need to get to my seat."
Category Number 3:
Say excuse me as a polite way of getting someone's attention.
This is especially true when you are about to ask a question or when you might be disturbing
or interrupting them.
We use excuse me when stopping someone to ask them for directions although, with modern
smartphones, this is becoming less necessary:
"Excuse me, is the train station near here?"
As well, we use excuse me when asking someone for the time:
"Excuse me, but do you have the time?"
Let's go over some other specific scenarios.
You need to ask your boss a question.
His door is open and he's sitting at his desk, working.
You knock softly on the (open) door and when he looks up you say, "Excuse me, sir, I need
to ask a quick question."
Here's another, quite common, scenario: Two people are having a conversation at a gathering
and you need to speak to one of them, your friend David.
You wait for a pause in the conversation but none comes.
You don't want to be rude and interrupt or 'butt into' the conversation, but you also
don't have time to wait until it's over.
So, you say, "Excuse me, David, I just wanted to tell you I have to leave now.
Thanks so much for having me!"
And that brings us to category number 4:
Use excuse me when you are about to leave somewhere.
"Excuse me, I have an important appointment.
It's been nice seeing you."
It is also customary to say 'please excuse me' when leaving the dinner table before everyone
else, although this is usually something parents make their children do even though they do
not practice it themselves.
In other more formal circumstances, the use of excuse me is the same anytime you need
to leave early, whether it is dinner, a meeting, etc.
A common phrase is 'you'll have to excuse me.'
Category number 5:
Use excuse me to ask someone to repeat something.
"Excuse me" What did you say your name was?"
Category number 6:
Use excuse me to politely disagree with someone.
"Excuse me but I just don't think that is true."
Excuse me can also be used in this way when annoyed or feeling challenged or put upon,
such as when you feel you've been falsely accused.
This is a sarcastic and slangy way of using excuse me.
"Excuse me?
I've never helped you?
Who got you this job in the first place?"