excusar
“excusar” means “to excuse” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to excuse
Also: to apologize, to justify
📝 In Action
Por favor, excusa mi tardanza; había mucho tráfico.
A2Please excuse my lateness; there was a lot of traffic.
No trates de excusar su mal comportamiento.
B1Don't try to justify his bad behavior.
Él se excusó por no haber llamado antes.
B2He apologized for not having called sooner.
to avoid
Also: to decline
📝 In Action
Excusó su asistencia a la gala por motivos personales.
C1He declined his attendance at the gala for personal reasons.
No pudo excusar el cumplimiento de su deber.
C2He could not avoid the fulfillment of his duty.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: excusar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence means 'He apologized for being late'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'excusare', which combines 'ex-' (out of) and 'causa' (a cause or judicial charge). Essentially, it meant 'to get someone out of a legal charge'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'excusar' and 'disculpar'?
They are very similar. 'Disculpar' is more common in daily life when you bump into someone or make a small mistake. 'Excusar' is slightly more formal and often involves providing a specific reason or justification.
Can 'excusado' mean a bathroom?
Yes! In many Latin American countries, 'el excusado' is a polite, somewhat old-fashioned way to say 'the toilet' or 'the restroom'.
Is 'excusar' a regular verb?
Yes, it follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, making it very easy to conjugate once you know the basic rules.