pardon
Pardon, où est la gare ?
Excuse me, where is the train station?
to forgive or excuse someone
Je te pardonne.
I forgive you.
Used in formal or written contexts.
to excuse or overlook an offense
Il pardonne facilement.
He forgives easily.
Often used with 'facilement' or 'difficilement' to describe one's capacity to forgive.
pardon (as in 'pardon me' or 'I beg your pardon')
Pardon, je n'ai pas entendu.
Pardon me, I didn't hear.
Used as an interjection to politely get someone's attention or apologize for a minor mistake.
Collocations
Pro Tip
Pardon vs. Excusez-moi
'Pardon' is slightly more formal than 'excusez-moi' and is often used to politely get someone's attention or apologize for a minor mistake. 'Excusez-moi' is more versatile and can also be used to excuse oneself in a crowd.
Word Origin
From Old French 'pardoner' (to forgive), from Late Latin 'perdonare' (to forgive), from 'per-' (thoroughly) + 'donare' (to give).
Usage Notes
In modern French, 'pardon' is most commonly used as an interjection (e.g., 'Pardon !') to politely get someone's attention or apologize for a minor mistake. As a verb, it is formal and often used in writing or formal speech.