😅🙏

How to Say ‘Sorry to bother you.’ in French

Pardon de vous déranger.

par-DOHN duh voo day-rahn-ZHAY

[par-DOHN duh voo day-rahn-ZHAY]

🇫🇷 In France: Opening with an apology for interrupting is the normal polite way to approach a stranger in France. Jumping straight to a compliment or a question without it can come across as abrupt.

Phrase Breakdown

Pardon

[par-DOHN]

sorry / excuse me / pardon

Short, polite word to apologize, get past someone, or ask someone to repeat.

Example

Pardon, je peux passer ?

Excuse me, can I get by?

de vous déranger.

duh voo day-rahn-ZHAY

to bother you.

'Déranger' means to disturb. Say 'dé-ran-jé'.

Example

Je ne veux pas vous déranger.

I don't want to bother you.

Words in this phrase

[duh]

to / of

A very common preposition used in many expressions, including infinitive phrases.

Example

De vous rencontrer à nouveau serait utile pour la suite.

To meet you again would be useful for what comes next.

vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

déranger

[day-rahn-ZHAY]

to disturb / to bother

Infinitive verb meaning to interrupt or inconvenience someone.

Example

Je ne veux pas déranger.

I don't want to disturb.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer