Perdona.

Here, perdona is most commonly the informal singular imperative of perdonar.

That means it is a command/request used with tú:

• Perdona. = talking to one person you would address as tú

In this standalone sentence, it usually works like:

• an apology
• a polite interruption
• a way to get someone’s attention

Although perdona can also be a present-tense verb form in other contexts, when it appears alone like this, learners should normally understand it as the command form.

Because Spanish changes the verb depending on who you are speaking to and the level of formality.

• perdona → informal, tú
• perdone → formal, usted
• perdonad → informal plural in Spain, vosotros
• perdonen → plural/formal, ustedes

So if you are speaking to one person informally, Perdona. is the expected form in Spain.

Usually, no.

Spanish very often omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is. So:

• Perdona. sounds natural
• Tú perdona. is possible, but usually adds emphasis or contrast

Most of the time, just Perdona. is the normal choice.

In standard Peninsular Spanish, it is pronounced approximately:

pehr-DOH-na

More closely:

• per- with a light tapped r
• stress on -do-
• d between vowels is usually softer than English d

A rough IPA version is: /peɾˈðona/

Notes for an English speaker:

• the r is not the strong English r
• the d in much of Spain sounds softer, a bit like the th in this, but not exactly the same
• the stress is on do

It is informal.

Use Perdona. with:

• friends
• family
• children
• people your age in casual situations
• many everyday informal interactions

If you want to be more formal or polite, especially with strangers, older people, or in professional situations, use:

• Perdone.

In Spain, choosing between Perdona and Perdone matters because formality is still reflected in everyday language.

Yes.

Even if the meaning is already known, it is useful to know that Perdona. can be used in several very natural situations, such as:

• when lightly apologizing
• when interrupting someone
• when asking someone to repeat something
• when getting someone’s attention

So the exact English translation depends on context and intonation.

They are very close, but they are not exactly the same.

• Perdona. is a verb form
• Perdón. is a noun/interjection

In practice:

• Perdón. is often used like Excuse me? / Sorry? / Pardon?
• Perdona. can sound a bit more directly addressed to the other person, since it comes from the verb perdonar

Both are common. In many everyday situations, either could work, but they do not feel completely identical.

This is a very common learner question.

Very broadly:

• Perdona. is often used for small apologies, interruptions, or getting attention
• Lo siento. is often used for genuine regret or stronger emotional apology

For example:

• brushing past someone: Perdona
• saying something more serious or expressing sympathy: Lo siento

They can overlap, but they are not always interchangeable.

Not if you want to be grammatically precise.

In Spain:

• to one person informal: Perdona
• to more than one person informal: Perdonad

If you want to be formal or are using a more general plural form:

• Perdonen

So Perdona is specifically for one person in informal speech.

Because by normal Spanish stress rules, it does not need one.

Perdona ends in a vowel, so Spanish naturally stresses the second-to-last syllable:

• per-DO-na

Since that is exactly the intended stress, no accent mark is needed.

Compare this with words that need a written accent because the stress breaks the normal pattern. Perdona does not.

Yes. Spanish often adds words around it to adjust tone.

Some common variations are:

• Perdona, ... → very common before a question or interruption
• Perdona un momento. → softer, more polite
• Perdóname. → forgive me / sorry, a bit more direct or personal
• Ay, perdona. → more expressive, often after a small mistake

Intonation matters a lot:

• soft tone = polite apology or interruption
• sharp tone = surprise, correction, or disbelief in some contexts

Yes, very common.

In Spain, Perdona is a normal everyday word in spoken language. You will hear it:

• in shops
• on the street
• in conversation
• when someone wants to interrupt politely
• when someone has done something minor, like bumping into you

So it is absolutely worth learning early, especially for real-life conversation.