scusavi

Scusavi is the second-person singular imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb scusare, meaning to excuse or to apologize. In usage, the imperfect expresses a past action that was ongoing, habitual, or not completed at a reference point, so scusavi can be translated as “you were apologizing,” “you used to apologize,” or simply “you apologized” in a narrative context.

Etymology and form: Scusare derives from Latin excusare, from ex- “out” + causa “cause,” evolving through Italian to its present form. The imperfect tense follows the regular -are conjugation pattern: io scusavo, tu scusavi, lui/lei scusava, noi scusavamo, voi scusavate, loro scusavano.

Usage notes: In contemporary Italian, to express apology in the moment the present tense is more common (mi scuso, ti scusi, ci scusiamo). The imperfect scusavi is typically found in storytelling, reported speech, or descriptions of habitual past behavior. It can be paired with time expressions like “quando” or “mentre” to set a past scene.

Examples:

- Quando arrivasti in ritardo, tu scusavi dicendo che era stato un imprevisto. (When you arrived late, you were apologizing, saying it had been an unforeseen event.)

- Da ragazzo, scusavi spesso i ritardi con una scusa plausibile; così hai mantenuto la faccia.

Related forms: scusarsi is the reflexive form meaning “to apologize to someone” (mi scuso, ti scusi, si scusa, ci scusiamo, vi scusate, si scusano). Scusare as a transitive verb can take an object (scusare qualcuno) or an explanation introduced by per.