SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Scusa’

You won't regret learning how to use this word properly.

Italian word of the day: 'Scusa'
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

We all want to know how to sound polite when speaking a foreign language, and especially when, inevitably, we need to apologise. But in Italian it can be hard to know if you’re apologising correctly.

Is it scusa or scusi? What on earth is scusatemi? When should I use mi dispiace? And what if it’s a formal situation? 

The different variations on today’s word, scusa, can cause particular agitation if, like me, you’re from an apology-happy country like the UK.

While in English a simple “I’m sorry” will usually cut it, that’s not the case in Italian. Instead, different circumstances call for different words and expressions. For Italian language learners, ‘sorry’ really can feel like the hardest word.

The first thing to know is that the standard way of saying a heartfelt and polite “I’m sorry” in Italian is mi dispiace.

But this expresses a level of regret that you probably wouldn’t feel when, say, trying to get past someone on a crowded train platform.

Instead, scusa (pronounced ‘skoo-za’) is the apology you’ll probably hear Italian speakers use most often.

The dictionaries say it’s an informal apology that’s only to be used between friends and family, and for non-serious things.

If you don’t understand, or if you mishear someone, the easiest thing to say is scusa? (sorry?) in an informal situation.

If you need to be polite, it’s scusi? I would certainly stick to scusi when trying to understand what’s going on at the local comune, for example.

There’s often confusion about this, as it can sound grammatically odd. But remember here you’re using the imperative form of the verb scusare, which should be conjuguated following the normal rules.

When you genuinely want to apologise, even for a small thing, mi dispiace is more suitable. See the difference in this example:

– Scusi, ma cosa significa?

– Mi dispiace, non lo capisco neanche io.

– Sorry, but what does this mean?

– I’m sorry, I don’t understand it either.

And definitely do avoid scusa if you’ve seriously messed up, as it can come across as flippant or insincere.

Another common variation is mi scuso, which can be used to apologise to anyone – but again, not for something very serious.

– Mi scuso del ritardo

– I’m sorry I’m late.

If you need to get past someone, or if you bump into them, you can also say chiedo scusa (sorry/excuse me).

Meanwhile, you can say scusi or mi scusi when you want to attract attention, for example in a restaurant.

– Mi scusi!

– Excuse me!

I often see people use scusa or scusami in this situation too – though again, we’re warned by dictionaries and Italian textbooks only to use this with people we know well.

So, if saying “excuse me” to several people you know well, you’d say scusatemi.

Such forms come from the reflexive verb scusarsi, meaning to excuse yourself or to apologise for something you’ve done.

– Davvero, non deve proprio scusarsi.

– Really, you don’t need to apologise.

More formally, and especially if you’ve done something serious, you can use sono desolato/a.

– Sono veramente desolato!

– I’m really sorry!

And if someone apologises to you, you can reassure them by saying:

– non fa niente or non importa (it doesn’t matter)

– nessun problema (no problem)

– non preoccuparti or non si preoccupi (don’t worry).

For greater emphasis, you could use figurati (don’t mention it) with friends, and si figuri is the formal version.

– Scusa, ti disturbo?
– No, figurati.

– Sorry, am I disturbing you?
– No, don’t worry about it

Do you have an Italian word you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

Member comments

  1. I admit that my Italian is basic, at best, but in so far as I know “scusa” is the formal and “scusi” the informal.

    Please correct me if I am wrong.

    1. Hi Carmine,

      That is the case if you’re talking in the regular present tense: tu scusi (“you excuse”) and Lei scusa (“one excuses”).

      But when you’re asking/instructing someone to “excuse me”, you need the imperative tense: then it becomes scusa in the informal (tu) and scusi in the formal (Lei).

      Hope that makes sense!

      ~ Jessica

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

ITALIAN WORD OF THE DAY

Italian word of the day: ‘Rimorchiare’

Here's an Italian word you'll want to pick up.

Italian word of the day: 'Rimorchiare'

If you’ve ever studied for your foglio rosa (provisional driver’s licence) exam in Italy, you’re sure to have come across the word rimorchio (trailer).

Theory test T/F question: ‘The width of the trailer must never exceed that of the vehicle pulling it.’

Credo che dovremo noleggiare un rimorchio per trasportare tutta la merce.
I think we might need to rent a trailer to transport all the goods.

And rimorchiare, along with the more formal trainare, means to haul or tow.

La barca è stata rimorchiata a riva.
The boat was towed to shore.

But rimorchiare isn’t just used to talk about vehicles. It also means to pick or chat someone up, or hook up with them.

Sono usciti per rimorchiare.
They’ve gone out on the pull.

Se n’è appena andata con un tipo che ha rimorchiato.
She just left with some guy she picked up.

A rimorchiatore is a tugboat, but can also mean a player/persistent flirt, and rimorchione/a also describes someone who’s constantly chatting people up.

got talent nina GIF by Italia's Got Talent

In some parts of the country, meanwhile, you might hear someone described as a provolone – a big tryhard or wannabe player.

That’s a wordplay based on the reflexive verb provarci, meaning ‘to try it on with’, and the famous Italian cheese. 

È un gran provolone ma non riesce mai a rimorchiare.
He’s a real tryhard but he never manages to pull.

Do you have a favourite Italian word or expression you’d like us to feature? If so, please email us with your suggestion.

Don’t miss any of our Italian words and expressions of the day: download our app (available on Apple and Android) and then select the Italian Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.

SHOW COMMENTS