Please, Thank You, Excuse Me, and Sorry in Spanish

Essential polite expressions in everyday Spanish

Polite expressions help you make requests, thank someone, get attention, and apologize. In Spanish, different phrases serve different purposes, so it is useful to learn each one as a complete expression rather than treating every English “excuse me” or “sorry” as the same thing.

• Por favor. — Please.
• Gracias. — Thank you.
• De nada. — You’re welcome.
• Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry.
• Disculpa. — Excuse me.
• Lo siento. — I’m sorry.

Using por favor when making a request

Use Por favor. — Please. to make a request sound more polite. You can place it after a short request or use it as part of a familiar phrase.

• Otra vez, por favor. — Again, please.
• Más despacio, por favor. — More slowly, please.

This works naturally with the repair phrases you already know. If you do not understand someone, you can ask them to repeat or slow down without needing a longer sentence.

Saying thank you and replying politely

Use Gracias. — Thank you. when someone helps you, gives you something, or responds to your request. A common reply is De nada. — You’re welcome.

Person A: Gracias. — Thank you.

Person B: De nada. — You’re welcome.

These two expressions form a complete polite exchange on their own.

Using perdón and disculpa to get attention or excuse yourself

Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry. is useful when you need to get someone’s attention, interrupt briefly, pass by someone, or acknowledge a small inconvenience.

• Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry.
• Perdón. Otra vez, por favor. — Excuse me. Again, please.

Disculpa. — Excuse me. can also be used to get someone’s attention or introduce a brief interruption in an informal situation.

• Disculpa. — Excuse me.
• Disculpa. Más despacio, por favor. — Excuse me. More slowly, please.

At this stage, learn these as practical ready-made expressions. You do not need to analyze their verb forms yet.

Using lo siento for a real apology

Lo siento. — I’m sorry. is especially useful when you are apologizing for something that affected another person or expressing regret about a problem.

• Lo siento. — I’m sorry.

This is different from using Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry. simply to get attention or move past someone. The English word “sorry” can cover several situations, but Spanish often chooses a phrase according to the function.

Choosing the right polite expression

Think about what you need to do in the situation:

• If you are making a request, use Por favor. — Please.
• If someone helps you, use Gracias. — Thank you.
• If someone thanks you, use De nada. — You’re welcome.
• If you need brief attention or need to excuse yourself, use Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry. or Disculpa. — Excuse me.
• If you are apologizing for a problem or harm, use Lo siento. — I’m sorry.

The important difference is functional. Do not choose a phrase only because it has one English translation that looks familiar.

Adding politeness to a short Spanish exchange

You can now combine these expressions with greetings and repair phrases from earlier lessons.

Person A: Hola. — Hello.

Person B: Hola. — Hello.

Person A: ¿Cómo te llamas? — What is your name?

Person B: Perdón. Más despacio, por favor. — Excuse me. More slowly, please.

Person A: ¿Cómo te llamas? — What is your name?

Person B: Me llamo Laura. — My name is Laura.

Person A: Gracias. — Thank you.

Person B: De nada. — You’re welcome.

Here, Perdón. — Excuse me / Sorry. gets the other person’s attention, Más despacio, por favor. — More slowly, please. asks for a clearer delivery, and Gracias. — Thank you. closes the repair politely.

From polite phrases to listening to short introductions

You can now choose a basic polite expression for requests, thanks, interruptions, and apologies. The next lesson uses the greetings, names, condition phrases, and polite language you already know to help you understand short spoken Spanish introductions.