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perdonen

pehr-DOH-nen/peɾˈdonen/

“perdonen” means “forgive” in Spanish (asking a group for forgiveness).

forgive, excuse

Also: pardon
VerbA2regular ar
Latin AmericaSpain
A person standing with open palms and a gentle expression before a group of people who are smiling and reaching out to offer a hug.
gerundperdonando
past Participleperdonado
infinitiveperdonar

📝 In Action

Perdonen, ¿saben dónde está la estación?

A1

Excuse me (everyone), do you know where the station is?

Perdonen la tardanza, había mucho tráfico.

A2

Forgive the lateness (everyone), there was a lot of traffic.

Espero que me perdonen por lo que dije.

B1

I hope they (or you all) forgive me for what I said.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • disculpen (excuse (plural))
  • exculpen (exonerate/free from guilt)

Antonyms

  • culpen (blame (plural))
  • condenen (condemn (plural))

Common Collocations

  • perdonen la molestia – pardon the inconvenience
  • perdonen la interrupción – forgive the interruption

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesperdonaran
yoperdonara
túperdonaras
vosotrosperdonarais
nosotrosperdonáramos
él/ella/ustedperdonara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesperdonen
yoperdone
túperdones
vosotrosperdonéis
nosotrosperdonemos
él/ella/ustedperdone

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesperdonaron
yoperdoné
túperdonaste
vosotrosperdonasteis
nosotrosperdonamos
él/ella/ustedperdonó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesperdonaban
yoperdonaba
túperdonabas
vosotrosperdonabais
nosotrosperdonábamos
él/ella/ustedperdonaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesperdonan
yoperdono
túperdonas
vosotrosperdonáis
nosotrosperdonamos
él/ella/ustedperdona
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "perdonen" in Spanish:

excuse→forgive→pardon→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: perdonen

Question 1 of 1

You are walking through a crowded market and need a group of people to move. What do you say?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
perdón(forgiveness / pardon) — Noun
perdonar(to forgive) — Verb
perdonable(forgivable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
comenasomen
📚 Etymology▼

From the verb 'perdonar', which comes from the Latin 'per-' (completely) and 'donare' (to give). It literally means to give something up completely, like a debt or a grudge.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: pardonFrench: pardonner

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'perdonen' formal or informal?

In Latin America, it is used for any group. In Spain, it is specifically used to be formal or polite when addressing a group.

What is the difference between 'perdonen' and 'disculpen'?

They are almost identical. 'Perdonen' is like 'forgive' or 'pardon,' while 'disculpen' is more like 'excuse.' Both are very common and polite.