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How to Say ‘Excuse me’ in Portuguese

Com licença

kohng lee-SEN-sah

[kohng lee-SEN-sah]

🇵🇹 In Portugal: Say this as you knock and open a consulting-room door, or when squeezing past someone. For apologising after a mistake, Portuguese people use desculpe "sorry" instead.

Phrase Breakdown

Com

[kohng]

with

Preposition used to connect an idea to a quality, person, or thing.

Example

Com experiência internacional, o candidato destaca-se mais.

With international experience, the candidate stands out more.

licença

[lee-SEN-sah]

permission

Permission; used with 'com' to politely ask to pass or enter.

Example

Peço licença para entrar.

I ask permission to come in.

Guides for Portuguese learners

The Portuguese You Actually Need in Your First Month in PortugalThe European Portuguese phrases for your first weeks in Portugal: paperwork, renting a flat, the bank, the health centre, cafés, trains and your new neighbours.

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