Com licença
kong lee-SEN-sah
How to say itPart of: Please & sorry
“Excuse me (to pass, enter, leave or interrupt).”
Com licença (“with permission”) is the excuse me of getting past someone, entering a room, leaving the table or interrupting. Often just licença. It asks permission; it never apologises. To get a stranger’s attention Brazilians say desculpa or moço / moça, and for “pardon?” they say oi? or como?. The reply to com licença is pois não or claro.
Looking for please, sorry and excuse me? Please and sorry in Portuguese: the guide
PoliteAll Brazilalso: licençaReply: Pois não!
How Brazilians use it
“Com licença, eu preciso passar.”
“Excuse me, I need to get past.”
On a bus, in a crowd.
“Licença, licença! Vou descer aqui.”
“Excuse me, excuse me! I’m getting off here.”
The short, repeated version.
“Com licença, posso entrar?”
“Excuse me, may I come in?”
At a door.
“Com licença, só um minuto.”
“Excuse me, just a minute.”
Stepping away or interrupting.
How to reply
Similar expressions
Brazil vs Portugal
The same use in Portugal, with one more: Portuguese speakers also answer the phone with com licença when they are about to step away.
Common mistakes
- Don’t use com licença to apologise: it only asks to pass or to be allowed; sorry is desculpa.
- Don’t use it for “pardon?”: that is oi?, como? or perdão?.
- Don’t write com licensa: licença, with ç.
Frequently asked questions
What does com licença mean in English?
Excuse me, in the sense of “may I”: to get past someone, enter a room, leave the table or interrupt. Literally “with permission”. It is not an apology.
How do you pronounce com licença?
kong lee-SEN-sah. The m of com is nasal, not a hard m, and the ç is an s.
What is the difference between com licença and desculpa?
Com licença asks permission: let me through, may I. Desculpa apologises, and also gets attention: desculpa, moço! Bumping into someone is desculpa; squeezing past them is com licença.
How do you respond to com licença?
Pois não (go ahead), claro (of course) or à vontade (make yourself at home). Pois não looks like “well, no” but means yes.