Best phrase to use when passing by someone in your path/way?

Question

I do hear Entschuldigung a lot in this case, but what other words or phrases are there to politely excuse yourself while brushing past someone?

Not so polite forms: "Aus dem Weg!", "Heiß und fettig!", "Mutter mit Kind!", "Lasst mich vor, ich bin Arzt!". — user unknown, Jun 28 '15 at 23:00
"Tüt-tüt!"... sehr umgangssprachlich und weder besonders höflich noch besonders unhöflich. — Robert, Jun 29 '15 at 02:23

score 9 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 29 '15 at 08:59

9

You can also say:

Verzeihung
Pardon
Sorry

And you can put an “Oh, …” at the beginning of your excuse.

edited Jun 29 '15 at 08:59

Jan

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answered Jun 28 '15 at 19:41

hellcode

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And "Danke!" if the other person steps aside or "Darf ich bitte (durch)?" for those remaining in your way. – Stephie Jun 28 '15 at 19:48
How does Verzeihung come across vs Pardon and Sorry? – cheznead Jun 28 '15 at 19:51
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In my opinion Verzeihung and Pardon are the most polite expressions, Entschuldigung is poilte, too and Sorry may be a bit lapidary, but this may vary from region to region. The English and French words are widely used - at least by people under 50 years ;-) – hellcode Jun 28 '15 at 19:56
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@hellcode: this would also make a useful addendum to your great answer. – Takkat Jun 28 '15 at 20:53
Thanks hellcode. Another question, would Oh, Pardon have the same register as it has in English? – cheznead Jun 28 '15 at 21:00
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Pronunciation note: Pardon is not pronounced as in English; instead, either more or less as in French, or like Pardong (in any case stressed on the second syllable). – chirlu Jun 29 '15 at 06:33
"Pardon" wird vor allem in West- und Süddeutschland verwendet, im Norten und Osten ist es weniger Verbreitet. Generell, sind einige französische Begriffe in Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland und Südhessen sehr verbreitet. (Trottoir[Sprich Trottwa] für "Gehsteig", oder Portmonee für "Geldbörse") – jawo Jun 29 '15 at 09:15
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@shinninja For me "Verzeihung" sounds much more polite than the rest and I prefer it. "Sorry" sounds very informal. – Ludi Jul 16 '15 at 21:56

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:42

related: When to use 'Entschuldigen Sie'

You would use "Entschuldigen Sie (bitte), .." if you want something or just "Entschuldigung?" if it is clear what you want .. for example, if people block your way in the supermarket and you want to pass.

"Entschuldigung, dürfte ich kurz vorbei." would be the nicest. You can add that if the person is not getting what you want or if you want to be extra polite.

"Sorry" instead of "Entschuldigung" is shorter and very common today, but you would only use it if you are dealing with younger people.

Best phrase to use when passing by someone in your path/way?

2 Answers2