Saying Sorry and Excusing Oneself

A distinct characteristic of the Filipinos is to remain respectful in whatever situation they may be in. This is revealed by the different ways of saying “excuse me” and “sorry”. Although some of the expression to say sorry may at times be interchangeable with other expressions to excuse oneself, there are expressions that should particularly be used in certain situations.


“Pasénsiya na” is an expression, which is dictated with an apologetic tone, that means “Please be patient (with me)." The word pasénsiyá literally means “patience”. Filipinos use this expression in different situations and can be interchanged with the expression “paumanhín”. On one hand, the phrase pasénsiya na is generally used to acknowledge one’s mistake and ask someone to be patient with you. As you say “pasénsiya na”, it is just ethical to admit and explain the mistake or deed, which might have offended or caused distress to others.

On the other hand, you can ask for an apology to excuse oneself for a mistake or accident that has been done by saying “paumanhín.” You can also use this expression when you have to excuse yourself from a conversation or activity you are currently involved with. "Paumanhín, áalis muna akó," is what Filipinos would tell a person when they want to say that they have to leave and proceed to their next agenda. Meanwhile, the expression “patawad” can be used as well to apologize for a physical injury or emotional pain that you have caused to a person.

In general, Filipinos often use pasénsiya na as the two expressions paumanhín and patawad are a bit too formal. These expressions are more suitable to use for official letters, emails or documents and formal events such as speeches, debates, and lectures. It would be odd to use paumanhín and patawad for casual conversations, but these are still acceptable and can be understood in any circumstance. The expression pasénsiya na would be more appropriate to use for casual and everyday conversations.Through the different scenarios below, let’s see how these expressions are used appropriately.When you want to talk to a person for your request to be heard, the expression “mawaláng galang pô.” Oddly, this literally means “May I lose my courtesy,” but is translated to “I beg your pardon.” This expression comes in handy, when you want to ask for directions from someone talking to another person or when you want to talk and be heard in a meeting.Let’s try using this in a scenario.“Makíkiraán pô” is an expression used to ask for permission to pass through. It means “Please let me pass.” You can say this if you want to pass through a way that is blocked by a person/s, without the intention of interrupting or disturbing them.Take a look how this expression is used.Sometimes, people talk about stories that are not suitable for certain scenarios. Others might be sensitive to offensive and gruesome stories and may not withstand these matters. As a forewarning to others that an unpleasant situation is about to be heard, be considerate enough to say “Pasintabí pô” beforehand. Depending on the context, this could mean “Please be forewarned” or "Excuse me." This can commonly be heard of when reporters are about to show a unpleasant news in television.See this expression in use in a typical scenario.