Inklingo

discúlpenme

dis-COOL-pen-meh/disˈkul.pem.me/

discúlpenme means Excuse me (plural, formal) in Spanish (Asking a group for attention or permission).

Excuse me (plural, formal), Forgive me (plural, formal)

Also: Pardon me (plural, formal)
VerbB1regular arformal
A colorful illustration of a person politely raising their hand, palm open, to address a small group of three people who are all looking at the speaker.
past Participledisculpado
infinitivedisculpar
gerunddisculpando

📝 In Action

Discúlpenme, señores, ¿podrían mover sus maletas?

B1

Excuse me, gentlemen, could you move your bags?

Discúlpenme por llegar tarde, el tráfico fue terrible.

B1

Forgive me for arriving late, the traffic was terrible.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • perdonen (forgive (plural formal))
  • lo siento (I'm sorry)

Common Collocations

  • Discúlpenme la interrupciónExcuse the interruption (plural)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/usteddisculpaba
disculpabas
vosotrosdisculpabais
yodisculpaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesdisculpaban
nosotrosdisculpábamos

present

él/ella/usteddisculpa
disculpas
vosotrosdisculpáis
yodisculpo
ellos/ellas/ustedesdisculpan
nosotrosdisculpamos

preterite

él/ella/usteddisculpó
disculpaste
vosotrosdisculpasteis
yodisculpé
ellos/ellas/ustedesdisculparon
nosotrosdisculpamos

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/usteddisculpara
disculparas
vosotrosdisculparais
yodisculpara
ellos/ellas/ustedesdisculparan
nosotrosdisculpáramos

present

él/ella/usteddisculpe
disculpes
vosotrosdisculpéis
yodisculpe
ellos/ellas/ustedesdisculpen
nosotrosdisculpemos

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: discúlpenme

Question 1 of 1

If you are talking to your two best friends, which word would you use instead of 'discúlpenme'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
disculpa(apology)Noun
disculpar(to excuse/forgive)Verb
discúlpame(excuse me (singular informal))Verb
🎵 Rhymes
llámenmequédense
📚 Etymology

The verb 'disculpar' comes from the Latin prefix 'dis-' (meaning 'away' or 'apart') combined with 'culpa' (meaning 'fault' or 'blame'). Essentially, it means to remove or clear away the blame.

First recorded: 13th century (as disculpar)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: desculpem-meItalian: scusatemi

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'discúlpenme' and 'perdónenme'?

Both mean 'forgive me' or 'excuse me,' addressing a formal group. 'Discúlpenme' is generally softer and more common for interrupting or asking permission. 'Perdónenme' is often used for deeper apologies.

Why does 'discúlpenme' have an accent mark?

The accent mark is needed to preserve the original stress of the verb 'discúlpen' when the pronoun 'me' is attached. Without it, the stress would incorrectly shift to the last syllable.