Please, thank you, sorry, excuse me

In British English, cheers can mean thank you or goodbye, not only a word for raising a glass.

A few small words do a lot of work in English. Please, thank you, sorry and excuse me appear in almost every conversation with strangers. Learners sometimes leave them out because their own language shows politeness in other ways, for example with special verb endings, as Korean does. In English, these small words carry much of the politeness, so it is worth using them often.

Please and thank you

Add please to requests: A coffee, please. Can I have the menu, please? Could you help me, please? Please can go at the start or the end. Thank you and thanks show you are grateful. Thank you very much and thanks a lot are stronger. When someone thanks you, answer You’re welcome. No problem and Sure are more casual. In British English you may also hear Cheers. Cambridge Dictionary lists cheers as informal UK English for thank you and also for goodbye, as in Cheers, see you next week.

Sorry and excuse me

Sorry is for small mistakes and accidents: Sorry, I’m late. Oh, sorry! when you bump into someone. I’m really sorry is stronger. Excuse me has several jobs. Cambridge Dictionary lists these uses: to get the attention of someone you do not know (Excuse me, does this bus go to Oxford Street?), to ask someone to move so you can walk past (Excuse me, can I just get past?), to say politely that you are leaving for a moment, and to say sorry for something you did by accident.

When you did not hear something, American speakers often say Excuse me? or Sorry? with a rising tone. Cambridge notes that British speakers often say Pardon? in the same place. Sorry, could you say that again? and Could you speak more slowly, please? are polite ways to ask for help. Native speakers are usually happy to repeat, so do not be shy about asking.

You can make thanks warmer by saying what it is for. Use thanks for or thank you for and then the reason: Thanks for your help. Thank you for coming. Thanks for the coffee. This small addition shows that you noticed what the other person did.

You want to…	Say
ask for something	A coffee, please.
thank someone	Thank you. / Thanks a lot.
answer thanks	You’re welcome. / No problem.
say sorry	Sorry. / I’m really sorry.
get attention	Excuse me, …
get past	Excuse me, can I get past?
ask to repeat	Sorry? / Pardon? / Excuse me?

BackgroundOn a crowded bus, Minji needs to get off. She says nothing and pushes gently toward the door, and a man frowns. At the next stop she tries again: Excuse me, can I just get past? People step aside at once, and one woman even smiles. The words are the same as in the Cambridge Dictionary example, and they change how the same action feels to the people around her.

Say please and thank you with a warm, rising tone. A flat thank you can sound unfriendly.

Under each line is a pronunciation guide in IPA, the symbols used in learner dictionaries. The recording uses an American voice. Listen two or three times, then say the line at the same speed.

A coffee, please. · ordering politely
Thank you very much. · strong thanks
You’re welcome. · answering thanks
Sorry, I’m late. · a small apology
Excuse me, can I just get past? · asking people to move
Sorry, could you say that again? · asking someone to repeat
Cheers, see you next week. · informal British thanks or goodbye

please	used to make a request polite
thank you	shows you are grateful
thanks a lot	strong, friendly thanks
You’re welcome.	answer to thank you
No problem.	casual answer to thanks
Cheers.	UK informal: thank you or goodbye
Sorry.	for small mistakes
Excuse me.	to get attention or get past
Pardon?	UK: please say that again

Excuse me, is this seat free? Yes, it is. Thank you. You’re welcome. Sorry, could you say that again? I said, are you a student? Oh, yes, I am. Thanks!

What is a standard answer to Thank you?
- You’re welcome.
- Excuse me.
- Sorry.
In British English, cheers can mean…
- thank you or goodbye
- hello only
- I am sorry
You need to walk past people on a bus. What do you say?
- Excuse me, can I just get past?
- Thank you, bye.
- You’re welcome.
Where can please go in a request?
- At the start or the end
- Only at the start
- Only in the middle
You did not hear something in the UK. A common word is…
- Pardon?
- Cheers?
- Welcome?
You bump into someone. What do you say?
- Oh, sorry!
- You’re welcome!
- Cheers!
Which is a stronger thank you?
- Thank you very much.
- Thanks.
- OK.
How do you get a stranger’s attention politely?
- Excuse me, …
- Hey you!
- Sorry, I’m late.
Complete the order: A coffee, ___.
Why should learners use these small words often in English?
- They carry much of the politeness
- They are grammar rules
- They make sentences shorter

Key points

Please for requests; thank you, thanks a lot for thanks.
Answer thanks: You’re welcome. No problem.
Sorry for small mistakes; excuse me for attention or getting past.
Ask to repeat: Sorry? Pardon? (UK) Excuse me? (US)

Sources for this course (3)

Merriam-Webster, entries hello (first known use 1834, alteration of hollo) and goodbye (first known use 1575, alteration of God be with you) (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/...)
Cambridge Dictionary, entries how do you do?, good night, cheers, Ms, excuse me (dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/...)
British Council LearnEnglish, Speaking A1: Meeting new people (learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/speaking/a1/meeting-new-people) with the LearnEnglish team reply on nice to meet you and pleased to meet you, and Listening A1: Meeting a new team member (learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/free-resources/listening/a1/meeting-new-team-member).

Checked: 2026-10-17