Scusare

Scusare is an Italian verb of the first conjugation that means to excuse or to apologize for a fault, action, or omission. It can mean to pardon someone from blame or responsibility and is often used with a direct object (scusare qualcuno per qualcosa). The reflexive form scusarsi means to apologize oneself, as in Mi scuso per il ritardo. The noun scusa denotes an apology or a justification.

Etymology and related forms: Scusare derives from Latin excusare, formed from ex- “out” and causa “cause, reason,” underscoring the idea of removing the reason for blame. The related noun scusa equals the apology or excuse, and common expressions include chiedere scusa, fare scusa, or semplicemente scusarsi in reflexive usage.

Usage and nuances: Scusare is widely used in formal and informal contexts. It can express a simple apology for a minor inconvenience (Mi scuso per il disturbo), or be used to excuse someone else from blame (Scusa se ti ho fatto aspettare). In many cases, especially in everyday speech, chiedere scusa and scusarsi are preferred to convey politeness; perdonare is a related but stronger term meaning to forgive rather than to apologize.

Conjugation and forms: Scusare is a regular -are verb. Present indicative: io scuso, tu scusi, lui/lei scusa, noi scusiamo, voi scusate, loro scusano. Passato prossimo with avere: ho scusato; imperfect: scusavo, scusavi, scusava, scusavamo, scusavate, scusavano. Subjunctive present: che io scusi, che tu scusi, che lui scusi, che noi scusiamo, che voi scusiate, che loro scusino. Imperative: (tu) scusa, (Lei) scusi, (noi) scoriamo? No, correttamente: (noi) scusiamo, (voi) scusate, (loro) scusino. Reflexive form scusarsi: io mi scuso, tu ti scusi, lui si scusa, noi ci scusiamo, voi vi scusate, loro si scusano. Past participle: scusato.