Извините, можно войти?

excuse me

Breakdown of Извините, можно войти?

• войти: to come in / to enter
• можно: may / can

Questions & Answers about Извините, можно войти?

Why does извините end in -те? Is it formal?

Yes. Извините is the polite/plural imperative form of извинить (извините! = “Excuse me / Sorry”).

• Извини = informal (to one person you’re on ты terms with)
• Извините = formal (to one person on вы terms) or to multiple people

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What exactly does извините mean here: “sorry” or “excuse me”?

In this situation it’s best understood as “Excuse me”—a polite attention-getter before asking permission. It can also function as “Sorry,” but in Извините, можно войти? it’s typically “Excuse me…”

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Why is можно used instead of могу?

Можно means “it is allowed / it’s possible (by permission)”, so it’s the natural word for asking permission.
Могу войти? means “Am I able to come in?” (ability/capacity), and can sound less clearly like a permission request. In many contexts people still understand it as permission, but Можно войти? is the standard polite formula.

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Why isn’t there a word for “I” in the sentence?