Disculpe el retraso.

the delay

Breakdown of Disculpe el retraso.

• disculpar: to excuse

Questions & Answers about Disculpe el retraso.

What verb does disculpe come from, and what form is it?

Disculpe comes from the verb disculpar.

In this sentence, it is the usted imperative form, used to address one person formally. In practice, it works like please excuse or forgive.

A useful grammar note: the usted imperative has the same form as the present subjunctive, so disculpe is both:

• the present subjunctive form of yo / él / ella / usted
• the command form for usted

Here, it is clearly being used as a polite command/formula.

Is Disculpe el retraso formal?

Yes. It is formal because disculpe addresses usted.

In Spain, usted is used, but it is noticeably more formal than in many Spanish-speaking countries. So this sentence sounds polite, respectful, and a bit formal.

If you were speaking casually to one person, you would more likely say:

• Disculpa el retraso
• Perdona el retraso
• Perdón por el retraso

Related forms:

• disculpa = informal, one person
• disculpe = formal, one person
• disculpad = informal, several people, common in Spain
• disculpen = formal, several people

Why is Spanish using what looks like a command to apologize?