Pardon!

I’m fairly certain that the most commonly used word in the French language is “pardon”. It’s a seemingly simple word that the entire world probably understands. But in fact, I find it to be an enigma full of complications. For starters, it’s surprisingly tricky to say. So tricky in fact, that I’m sure it took me at least two or three weeks to perfect my pronunciation of it. And then there’s the fact that pardon, though it has one real meaning, is used and pronounced differently depending on the situation.

In the metro, people seem to bark when they say “pardon” – it’s used more of a command then a means of excusing yourself. And it’s said so quickly and so harshly that it sounds like “paa-donn” – the “r” is completely forgotten. This version of the “pardon” is a formality - either a remnant from centuries of demonstrating good manners or an excuse for the push or shove you are about to receive from an angry looking Parisian.

Then there’s the “pardon” when you bump into someone or accidentally step onto someone’s foot in a café or other public place that is not the street or the metro – a place where life moves a little slower. This pardon is much more of an apology, said slower with a slight pronunciation of the “r”, including a look of genuine concern and benevolence, and followed by the formal “excusez-moi” usually with hand gestures and facial expressions indicating the same.

Finally, there’s the “pardon” that is sometimes substituted by an “excusez-moi” – the pardon followed by a request. “Pardon, excusez-moi, Monsieur… la Place de la Concorde, c’est dans quelle direction?” As this is the “pardon” followed by a question, a favor you could even say, it has a certain pleasant sound about it that you could never find with the métro-pardon. After all, when people are obligated to ask others for directions, they are bound to do so in the nicest way possible. And thus, this “pardon” is said softly, slowly and sometimes sweetly - the "r" is certainly more prominent. Although, this could be because this particular “pardon” is rarely, if ever, used by Parisians. No doubt the Parisians would consider this “pardon” à la provence.