The French word "Excusez-moi" explained

On this page, we are going to explain you all the things you have to know about the basic French word “Excusez-moi”.

This include a complete definition of what it is and how to use it in a casual conversation with an audio example. And because learning a new language is a big deal, we also sprinkled super useful stuff like dialogue example, slow pronunciation audio, synonyms and more!

Oh and in case you are interested, you can find more of these words tutorials on this page plus the directory of all our French words content on this page. Wish you a happy learning!

Table of Contents

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Artboard 1
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French to English translation

Pronunciation

Slow pronunciation

Normal pronunciation

Excusez-moi meaning

Definition

It literally means:

  • Excusez → Excuse
  • moi→ me

 

“Excusez-moi” is a common way to express “Excuse me” in French. It’s useful to express apologies in formal contexts or when talking to a stranger.

How to use it

Just like in English, “excusez-moi” (excuse me) is typically used when talking to a stranger in the street, few examples:

  1. Excusez-moi Monsieur → Excuse me sir
  2. Excusez-moi, pouvez-vous me donner l’heure s’il vous plaît ? → Excuse me, can you please tell me the time?
  3. Excusez-moi de vous déranger… → Sorry to bother you…
  4. etc.
 

But it can also be used to apologize in every other informal situation, to express “I am sory“:

  • Vous m’avez fait mal ! → You hurt me!
  • Excusez-moi, je ne l’ai pas fait exprès → I am sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose
 

Finally, when you need to express apologies in informal contexts, you can use instead: “Excuse-moi” (Excuse-me), “Désolé” (Sorry) or “Pardon” (Pardon).

Synonyms

  • Excuse-moi → Excuse me
  • Je m’excuse → I apologize
  • Désolé → Sorry
  • Pardon → Sorry
  • Toutes mes excuses → All my excuses/apologies (Formal)

Everyday life dialogue example with audio

Audio dialogue from French people

Dialogue audio

Dialogue text

” Attention ! Vous marchez sur mes chaussures ! “
” Be careful! You walk on my shoes! “
” Excusez-moi “
” Excuse me “
” Pas de problème “
” No problem “
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