How to use “Com licença” and “Desculpa” in Portuguese

Introduction

Learning polite phrases is essential when starting Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains how and when to use Com licença and Desculpa, two common expressions for getting attention, apologizing, or asking permission. Clear examples, simple dialogues, and common mistakes will help beginners use these phrases naturally in real situations.

What do Com licença and Desculpa mean?

Com licença literally means with permission and is used to politely ask someone to move, to pass by, or to get attention. It is the equivalent of excuse me in many situations.

Desculpa is an informal way to say sorry or excuse me, coming from desculpar, to excuse. For more formal contexts you can use desculpe, but desculpa is extremely common in casual speech among friends, family, and service settings.

When to use Com licença

Com licença is versatile and can be used in several everyday situations. It is polite and safe for beginners to use in almost any context where you need to interrupt, pass by, or request permission.

Common situations:

When passing through a crowded space:
Com licença, posso passar?

When needing to get someone’s attention politely:
Com licença, o ônibus passa por aqui?

When entering or leaving a room, especially if people are talking:
Com licença, vou entrar.

When interrupting a conversation or service:
Com licença, posso fazer uma pergunta?

Examples of Com licença in real contexts

At a bus stop:
Com licença, esse assento está vazio?

In a shop:
Com licença, onde ficam os trocadores?

On the sidewalk:
Com licença, posso passar?

Addressing a stranger on the street:
Com licença, você sabe onde fica a estação?

When to use Desculpa and Desculpe

Desculpa is used to apologize for small mistakes or inconveniences. Use desculpa with friends and people of similar age or familiarity. For more formal situations, such as speaking to older people, officials, or in formal customer interactions, prefer desculpe.

Common situations:

Accidentally bumping someone:
Desculpa, não te vi.

Interrupting a person who is speaking informally:
Desculpa, posso falar?

Apologizing for being late among friends:
Desculpa pelo atraso.

Examples of Desculpa and desculpe

Bumping into someone on the bus:
Desculpa, foi sem querer.

Low-level mistake in a store:
Desculpe, eu peguei o produto errado.

Apologizing to a waiter for a small problem:
Desculpe, este prato chegou frio.

When you need to interrupt a teacher politely:
Desculpe, professor, posso perguntar algo?

Com licença vs Desculpa: quick comparison

Use Com licença when you need to ask permission, pass by someone, or get attention politely. It signals courtesy before acting.

Use Desculpa when you need to apologize for something you already did or to say sorry for a small mistake. It expresses regret or asks for forgiveness.

Overlap: in some situations both can work. For example, if you accidentally touch someone and want to both get past and apologize, you can say Com licença, desculpa or choose the one that fits the priority: get past (com licença) or apologize (desculpa).

Short dialogues to practice

Practice 1: Passing through a crowd
Pessoa A: Com licença.
Pessoa B: Claro, pode passar.

Practice 2: Bumping into someone in a store
Pessoa A: Desculpa, eu não te vi.
Pessoa B: Tudo bem.

Practice 3: Asking a question in class
Pessoa A: Desculpe, posso fazer uma pergunta?
Professor: Sim, pode.

Practice 4: Entering a busy room
Pessoa A: Com licença, vou pegar só um copo d’água.
Pessoa B: Vai em frente.

Politeness levels and intonation

Intonation matters. A calm, polite tone makes com licença and desculpa sound natural. Quick, sharp delivery can sound rude. For more formality or to show extra respect, use com licença plus a title, or replace desculpa with desculpe.

Examples:

Formal:
Desculpe, senhor, poderia me ajudar?

Informal:
Desculpa, você tem um lápis?

Common mistakes beginners make

Using desculpa when you should ask permission. If you need to get past someone or enter a space, start with com licença rather than desculpa.

Overusing desculpa for big mistakes. For serious apologies, use a stronger phrase like sinto muito instead of relying on desculpa.

Mixing formality. Using desculpa with people you should treat formally can sound disrespectful. Use desculpe or add a title such as senhor/senhora.

Literal translations. Avoid translating from English word for word. In many cases Brazilian Portuguese uses different phrasing; learning common set phrases is best.

Useful vocabulary and short phrases

Com licença — excuse me; may I?

Desculpa — sorry (informal)

Desculpe — sorry (formal)

Sinto muito — I’m sorry (for serious situations)

Com licença, posso passar? — Excuse me, can I pass?

Desculpa pelo atraso — Sorry for the delay

Desculpe, você pode repetir? — Sorry, can you repeat?

Practical tips for learners

Memorize the default pairing: com licença to ask or get by, desculpa to apologize informally. These two will cover most everyday interactions.

Practice with short role plays. Use the sample dialogues in real practice or language exchange to build confidence.

Pay attention to responses. Typical replies to com licença are claro, pode passar, or sem problema. For desculpa, people often say tudo bem or sem problema.

Record yourself. Compare your intonation to native speakers in videos or apps to make your phrases sound natural.

Real-world examples you might encounter

On public transportation a person stands up and says:
Com licença, senhor, posso sentar?

At a cafe you drop a cup and say:
Desculpa, eu quebrei sem querer.

At the office you interrupt a colleague:
Desculpe, você tem um minuto?

In a store you need to pass behind someone:
Com licença, posso passar?

Short practice exercises

Exercise 1: Translate and practice out loud — I need to pass by: Com licença, posso passar?

Exercise 2: Choose formal or informal — Apologize to your boss for being late: Desculpe pelo atraso

Exercise 3: Fill in the blank — You bump a stranger: _____, foi sem querer. Answer: Desculpa

When to use other apology phrases

For stronger apologies use sinto muito. Use this when something serious happened or to express deep sympathy. Avoid mixing it with desculpa in formal statements.

To ask for forgiveness in a formal context you might say Peço desculpas, which is more formal than desculpa or desculpe.

Summary cheat-sheet

Com licença — use before interrupting, passing, or entering.

Desculpa — informal apology for small mistakes.

Desculpe — formal apology or when speaking to strangers in polite contexts.

Sinto muito — serious apology or to express sympathy.

Conclusion

Mastering Com licença and Desculpa gives you polite, ready-to-use tools for everyday Brazilian Portuguese. Use com licença to ask permission or get by, and desculpa to apologize informally. Practice short dialogues, mind your tone, and switch to desculpe or sinto muito when more formality or a stronger apology is needed.