French Conversation · Level 29
89 words
French word
excuser
Pronunciation
IPA/ɛkskyze/
Meaning
- verbapologize
Example
Il faut s'excuser quand on arrive en retard.
You have to apologize when you arrive late.
More examples
Je vais m'excuser pour mon erreur.
I am going to apologize for my mistake.
Core concept
A person places a fault before someone and asks for it to be cleared, or clears another person of blame.
Common phrases
s'excuser de quelque chose
apologize for something
s'excuser auprès de quelqu'un
apologize to someone
s'excuser pour son retard
apologize for being late
Similar words
s'excuser: To tell someone about a personal mistake and apologize for it.
demander pardon: To apologize while asking for forgiveness.
pardonner: To forgive someone for a mistake without holding it against them.
présenter ses excuses: To make a formal apology and express regret.
Definition in French
Admettre une faute et présenter des excuses; selon la construction, le verbe peut aussi signifier pardonner.
Word origin
French excuser comes through Old French from Latin excusare, meaning to clear from blame, and its reflexive form developed the sense of apologizing.
Usage tips
- The reflexive form s'excuser means to apologize, while transitive excuser quelqu'un means to forgive or excuse that person.