How to Say Excuse Me in Portuguese Like a Brazilian

Excuse me in Portuguese is com licença, and it's what we Brazilians say to squeeze past people, walk into an office, or politely interrupt a conversation. If you're wondering how to say excuse me in Brazilian Portuguese, the answer is almost literal: com licença, which means something like "with your permission".

But in everyday life, almost nobody says the full thing. On the street you'll hear "cença", and also "dá licença", which can be a polite request or a super sarcastic way of saying "oh, please!". And heads up: "permissão" is the word for permission in Portuguese, but it won't help you get through a crowded bus.

In this lesson I'll show you how to ask for permission in Portuguese the Brazilian way, with a video, example sentences, the com licença meaning explained, and the difference between permissão and licença, so you can sound like a local wherever you're coming from.

Video: Ways to Say Excuse Me in Portuguese

In this video I show you how to say excuse me in Portuguese the way we do in Brazil: when to say com licença, when a simple "desculpa" is enough, and which phrases to use next so you're not left speechless. Hit play and repeat out loud.

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List of Ways to Ask for Permission

Besides com licença, there are several ways to ask for permission in Portuguese depending on the situation: "desculpa" when you interrupt someone, "licença" to get past, and "só um momento" to ask for a few seconds. These are the ones you'll hear the most in Brazil.

You can use the following options

• Desculpa
• Licença
• Perdão (very formal)
• Só um momento

To keep the conversation going, you can follow up with the phrases below

• Eu posso...
• Você gostaria de/que…
• Você quer que eu...
• Você tá precisando de...
• Tá faltando alguma coisa?
• Posso te ajudar?
• Só uma pergunta / Só uma perguntinha
• Só uma dúvida
• Só uma informação

Article in Portuguese: Como Fazer Perguntas com Educação: Boas Práticas e Coisas Para Evitar em uma Conversa

“Somos inocentes em pensar, que sentimentos são coisas passíveis de serem controladas. Eles simplesmente vêm e vão, não batem na porta, não pedem licença. Invadem, machucam, alegram.”
― Caio Fernando Abreu

Permissão or Licença in Portuguese: Which One to Use?

So, what does com licença mean compared to permissão? To say excuse me as a courtesy, in Brazil we use licença or com licença, not "permissão". Permissão is formal authorization: the kind you ask your boss for to leave early, or the kind you need to enter a restricted area.

An easy trick: if in English you'd say "excuse me" or "pardon me" to get past, come in, or interrupt, it's licença. If you'd say "Am I allowed to...?" or "I need permission to...", that's when you use permissão. Check out the difference in these sentences:

• Com licença, posso passar? (Excuse me, can I get through?)
• Com licença, posso entrar? (Excuse me, may I come in?)
• Preciso pedir permissão pro meu chefe pra sair mais cedo. (I need to ask my boss for permission to leave early.)
• Você tem permissão pra estacionar aqui? (Do you have permission to park here?)

There's also "com sua permissão" (with your permission), but it sounds very formal, more like a work meeting or a speech than the street. In everyday life, we Brazilians almost always go with licença.

What Does "Cença" Mean in Portuguese?

Sometimes you'll hear people in Brazil say "cença" when they want to say excuse me. It's just the word "licença" with the same meaning: when we say it really fast, we tend to drop syllables, the same way "excuse me" turns into "'scuse me" in English. It's only used when speaking and it's very informal.

The Expression "Dá Licença" in Portuguese

Dá licença has two sides in Brazil: said calmly, it's a polite way to ask for permission, like "dá licença, por favor" (excuse me, please), but with the wrong tone it turns into a sarcastic "oh, please!" or "give me a break!". Your tone of voice changes everything.

In Brazil you'll also hear "dá licença" used like this. Here's a sentence so you can see it in context.

• Como assim? você tá me pedindo um favor depois de todas essas vezes que não fez nem um favor pra mim? aah, dá licença!!!

So what's the dá licença meaning here? It's the same as saying "oh, come on, are you serious?"

Article in Portuguese: Licença não remunerada: o que é, como funciona e o que diz a CLT

Other Ways to Use "Licença" in Portuguese

Licença isn't only for asking permission: in Portuguese it also means authorization, leave from work (paid or unpaid), or a software license. These are the uses you'll see the most in Brazil, especially at work.

• Licença / Permissão (autorização)
• Licença para praticar algum esporte
• Licença de maternidade
• Licença comercial (to use software)
• Licença remunerada

Other Ways to Be Polite in Portuguese

Asking permission is just one part of being polite in Brazil: you'll also need to apologize, say thank you, and know which "you" to use without sounding rude. These lessons build on what you learned here:

• Sinto, sento or cinto? The trap of saying sorry in Portuguese
• Obrigado, brigado or obrigada: which one should you say?
• "Tu" or "você"? The pronoun that changes the tone
• Molestar: the false friend that confuses everyone
• Different ways to agree and disagree in Portuguese
• Ways to call someone when you don't know their name