Forgiveness and sorry in Italian: scusa, mi dispiace, permesso

English covers several situations with a single word, “sorry”, which is used to get someone’s attention, to apologize, or to ask to pass. Italian separates these uses into several distinct formulas, each reserved for a specific context.

Scusa and Scusi: the basic formula

Scusa and scusi are actually imperative forms of the verb scusare (to excuse). The choice between the two follows the same register as the informal and formal “you”.

Formula	Example	Translation
Scusa	Scusa, hai un minuto?	Excuse me, do you have a minute?
Scusi	Scusi, sa dov’è la stazione?	Excuse me, do you know where the station is?
Scusami / Mi scusi	Scusami per il disturbo.	Excuse me for the disturbance.

This same tu/Lei logic structures the whole of the imperative in Italian, of which scusa and scusi are common forms in conversation.

Mi dispiace: regret, not minor inconvenience

Mi dispiace does not replace scusa. This formula expresses sincere regret or compassion, for a situation that truly affects the other person.

Mi dispiace per quello che è successo ai tuoi genitori.
I’m sorry for what happened to your parents.

Using mi dispiace for a simple brush in the street would sound disproportionate, just as scusa would seem too light for announcing bad news.

Permesso: the real trap for English speakers

Faced with a crowd or a door to pass through, the English reflex is to say “sorry”. In Italian, neither scusa nor mi dispiace is suitable: the expected word is permesso, literally “do you permit”.

Situation	Example	Translation
Making your way through	Permesso, devo raggiungere l’uscita.	Excuse me, I need to reach the exit.
Asking to enter	Permesso, c’è nessuno in casa?	Excuse me, is anyone home?

Many English speakers use scusi in this situation; the Italian remains understandable, but permesso sounds much more natural to a native ear.

Chiedo scusa and Perdonami: stronger apologies

For a mistake that deserves more than a simple scusa, Italian has formulas with more weight.

Formula	Example	Translation
Chiedo scusa	Vi chiedo scusa per il ritardo della riunione.	I apologize for the delay of the meeting.
Perdonami	Perdonami, non volevo ferirti.	Forgive me, I didn’t mean to hurt you.
Ti devo delle scuse	Ti devo delle scuse per ieri sera.	I owe you an apology for last night.

Perdonami carries a stronger emotional charge than scusa: it is reserved for a personal relationship, rarely for a stranger met in the street.

Spiacente: the professional register

In a commercial, administrative context or during a public announcement, Italian prefers spiacente to scusa.

Siamo spiacenti, il volo è stato cancellato.
We are sorry, the flight has been cancelled.

This more neutral register evokes the one used for thanking in Italian in a professional setting: both rely on the same concern for formality as the formal address in Italian.