How to Say “Excuse Me” and “Sorry” in Portuguese — Practice

Use com licença to pass or politely get attention

Use com licença to politely get someone’s attention or pass by, desculpa or desculpe to apologize, and sinto muito to express sympathy or a serious apology. These expressions overlap in some settings, so choose according to what happened.

To get a server’s attention, you can say “Com licença” and then make your request. Keep your voice friendly; the phrase opens the interaction without sounding like an apology for something you did.

Use desculpa or desculpe for an apology

Desculpa is a common informal way to say “sorry” or “my bad.” Desculpe is also widely used and can sound more careful or polite. You will hear different preferences, so the context matters more than trying to find a rigid formal–informal boundary.

For a more complete apology, say “Desculpa por…” or “Desculpe por…,” then name the action with por plus an infinitive: desculpa por chegar tarde (sorry for arriving late).

Use sinto muito to show sympathy

Sinto muito often means “I’m sorry” in the sense of expressing sympathy for difficult news. It can also sound serious when you are apologizing, so the situation and tone guide how it is understood. For a routine mistake, desculpa or desculpe is usually a clearer first choice.

If someone shares bad news, “Sinto muito” acknowledges what they are going through. Follow it with an offer of support only if you mean it, such as “Se precisar conversar, estou aqui” (If you need to talk, I’m here).

Remember: Picture three situations: passing someone, arriving late, and hearing sad news. Match com licença, desculpa, or sinto muito to the job each expression does.

Decide whether you need permission or an apology

Before you interrupt an employee, enter a space, or move past someone, “Com licença” is a useful opening. You are acknowledging that you are about to interrupt. After accidentally bumping into someone, “Desculpa” or “Desculpe” addresses what has already happened.

Desculpe can sound a little more formal than desculpa in many interactions, although everyday Brazilian usage varies. You can combine an apology and a practical request: “Desculpa, pode repetir?” The purpose is to make the request comfortable, not to announce that misunderstanding a language is a serious offense.

Avoid a single translation for every kind of sorry

English “sorry” can express an apology, sympathy, or a request to repeat something. In Portuguese, “Sinto muito” is appropriate for sincere sympathy but may sound unnecessarily heavy after a small interruption. “Com licença” does not replace a heartfelt apology when you have hurt someone.

For practice, imagine three scenes: passing someone in an aisle, arriving late, and hearing difficult news. Choose the phrase before you build the rest of the sentence. In an actual apology, a clear acknowledgment and a helpful next action often communicate more than repeatedly adding stronger adjectives.

Check your understanding

Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.

Choose the language for the situation

Now use the explanation to decide what fits the situation. Check the reason for the answer, not just the option you chose.

Recall the Portuguese, then say it

Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.

1. Excuse me, may I get through?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Com licença, posso passar?

2. Excuse me, where is the station?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Com licença, onde fica a estação?

3. Excuse me. Can you help me?

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Com licença. Você pode me ajudar?

4. Sorry, I’m late.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desculpa, me atrasei.

5. Sorry for interrupting.

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Desculpe por interromper.

6. My bad! (Very casual.)

   Show a Portuguese answer

   Foi mal!

Make the phrase useful to you

Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.

Picture three situations: passing someone, arriving late, and hearing sad news. Match com licença, desculpa, or sinto muito to the job each expression does.

Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.

Sources and your next lesson

This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our How to Say “Excuse Me” and “Sorry” in Portuguese lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.

To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.