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FRENCH VERB

s'excuser

to apologize

  • #197 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: excusé
  • Present participle: s’excusant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I apologize
  2. tu you apologize
  3. il, elle, on he/she apologizes
  4. nous we apologize
  5. vous you apologize
  6. ils, elles they apologize

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I apologized
  2. tu you apologized
  3. il, elle, on he/she apologized
  4. nous we apologized
  5. vous you apologized
  6. ils, elles they apologized

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to apologize
  2. tu you used to apologize
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to apologize
  4. nous we used to apologize
  5. vous you used to apologize
  6. ils, elles they used to apologize

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will apologize
  2. tu you will apologize
  3. il, elle, on he/she will apologize
  4. nous we will apologize
  5. vous you will apologize
  6. ils, elles they will apologize

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would apologize
  2. tu you would apologize
  3. il, elle, on he/she would apologize
  4. nous we would apologize
  5. vous you would apologize
  6. ils, elles they would apologize

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I apologize
  2. tu (that) you apologize
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she apologize
  4. nous (that) we apologize
  5. vous (that) you apologize
  6. ils, elles (that) they apologize

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu apologize!
  2. nous apologize! (let’s)
  3. vous apologize! (plural, or formal)

How to use s'excuser

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Je m'excuse pour le retard, il y avait des bouchons.

    Sorry I'm late, there was traffic.

  2. Past

    Il s'est excusé auprès de toute l'équipe.

    He apologised to the whole team.

  3. Imperfect

    Elle s'excusait tout le temps, même pour rien.

    She apologised all the time, even for nothing.

  4. Future

    Je m'excuserai auprès d'elle demain matin.

    I'll apologise to her tomorrow morning.

  5. Conditional

    Tu t'excuserais, toi, après ce qu'il a dit ?

    Would you apologise, after what he said?

  6. Present subjunctive

    Il faut que tu t'excuses auprès de ta sœur.

    You need to apologise to your sister.

  7. Imperative

    Excuse-toi tout de suite, s'il te plaît.

    Apologise right now, please.

Good to know

  • S'excuser de quelque chose, auprès de quelqu'un : je m'excuse du retard. Pardon is the quick everyday sorry.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.