Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago

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Pardon. Désolée. Excusez-moi. Your textbook probably taught you all three mean "sorry," so you've been using them almost interchangeably. And most of the time, that's fine. But each one has a natural home; a specific moment where it just fits better than the other two.

In this video, I show you where each word belongs: the light, reflexive "pardon" for a bump in the metro, the more regretful "désolée", and "excusez-moi," which isn't really an apology at all.

I also share a fourth word: one that grammar teachers love to correct, but that French people use constantly anyway. By the end, you'll have a real feel for which one to reach for, and when. À très vite !

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0:00 - Intro
0:54 - Pardon
3:01 - Désolé(e)
4:54 - Excusez-moi
6:34 - The fourth "sorry"
7:40 - Recap

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* Read, save and/or print the full written lesson here (free) - commeunefrancaise.com/blog/pardon-vs-desolee-french&source=youtube

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* Actual spoken French is almost a completely different language than technical written French, which is what you were taught in schools. We specialize in everyday spoken French: speaking and understanding it, at all ages and levels. - commeunefrancaise.com

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At Comme une Française, we specialize in everyday spoken French. We focus on three unique aspects that are different from school French, self-study books, Duolingo, etc:
1. We focus only on the specifics of speaking/understanding/being understood in everyday French and have unique ways to help you learn it properly & faster.
2. We focus on shortcuts to help you make progress faster, which also means we tell you exactly what you can stop learning to prioritize what’s really important.
3. We use French culture as the subject to make it fun and interesting for adults.

Take care and stay safe.
😘 from Grenoble, France.

Géraldine