The statement I beg your pardon connotes many things, therefore, knowing how to respond correctly makes one’s message lucid.
“I beg your pardon” could mean that the speaker wants you to repeat a statement said previously or is trying to call your attention to a specific problem.
One thing is sure, “I beg your pardon” has more meaning than meets the eye.
Today in this article, we will be highlighting the 19 correct responses to the statement “I beg your pardon” and the reasons why these responses are suitable.
How to Respond to “I beg your Pardon?”
Below are the twenty best responses to the statement I beg your pardon. These responses only is a fraction of the many answers to give to this multifaceted statement; they include:
Could you repeat that?
Telling someone to repeat whatever it was they had said isn’t a bad thing to ask; for the sake of clarity, this response is one worth utilizing.
Could you repeat that as a response to an I beg your pardon statement signals to the speaker that their message wasn’t understood and so need to be restarted?
To prevent any ambiguity, when someone uses I beg your pardon after a comment has been said, the best response to give should be Could you repeat that?
Is this what you mean?
Another response that can be used to tackle an I beg your pardon statement, mainly if there isn’t a clear-cut description of a task to be executed, should be is this what you mean?
By giving this reply, anyone required to perform a particular duty has applied discretion so as not to do a messy job.
Mostly used when the person giving out the task is caught up in a lot of tasks that they quickly dish out the duty with the assumption their subordinate understands.
Shall we continue with the task at hand?
There might have been a pause in a project due to logistical reasons, and upon sorting that out, the task still stays pending; the best way to go about the job continuation is to enquire whether the activity could go on.
Regardless if you get an I beg your pardon statement before or after asking, this response brings to the person in charge the state of the project and why there is a need to complete it.
It’s alright, and I don’t hold it against you.
As stated from the onset of this article, the statement “I beg your pardon” has various meanings as per the setting in which it was said.
In this context, the response above would be appropriate if there had been an underlying issue of wrongdoing needing apologies.
For example, when someone wrongly accuses another of a crime, they are Innocent too.
If the scenario described best fits the statement, then the response it’s alright, I don’t hold it against you will be suitable.
However, this response is only used if the accused deems it fit to forgive a pardon.
Is there anything I could do to help?
Used the response is there anything I could do to help when the person being referred to is reluctant to seek assistance.
A particular individual has the habit of not wanting to open up to being unable to do certain things due to some restraint. However, seeking to know what they want is one way to have them relieved of their inability.
They are likely to be guarded at first when offered help; at the second, third, and fifth attempt, they will give in to your offer for help with an I beg your pardon.
Give them the benefit of the doubt that you are willing to help if they’re ready to reach out to you.
How about you calm down?
This response is a suggestion for one to relax, especially during an argument or any tense situation.
When trying to explain an idea and are met with opposition, an individual gets agitated and escalates the situation.
When the effort to alleviate them refuses to yield any results, the best thing to do when they respond to you is to suggest they take a break.
Can we work things out?
In a setting where teamwork is prioritized, the need to settle any dispute and forge ahead should not be taken for granted; hence when this happens, the best response to an I beg your pardon, in this case, is to work things out.
It’s okay to have a conflict of ideas in any environment with a diverse number of people, but when this conflict threatens the team’s collective goal, there is a need for order.
Using this response, the parties involved in the tiff have agreed to bury the hatchet and are willing to contribute to the organization’s progress.
I was only joking
Used in instances where one person teases another, the one being teased responds with an I beg your pardon, in which the speaker indicates that they are only joking.
Here is the scenario in which this response is often light-hearted and where banters and silly jokes take precedence.
Maybe the person to whom the banter is directed wishes to understand the point of the joke and says, I beg your pardon; the response, in this case, is to let them know that it was only a joke.
What do you mean by that?
It gets ugly when an action or statement is misused; therefore, to douse the tension, the need to know what the statement means becomes pertinent.
In response to an I beg your pardon statement, what do you mean by that draws the attention of the person who had initially made a statement the other may find insulted or demeaning by seeking clarity on the context of the statement? The rift is settled.
Do you want answers?
The suspense is created by giving the response: Do you want answers to the statement? I beg your pardon is one not everyone will be willing to bear; this is why giving this reply should be done with care.
When the response Do you want answers is given, a subtle message is passed to the one demanding to take caution in their asking, especially if the details are not so good to be spoken of.
By responding in the light of the Response above, the one demanding knows best not to push further with the question if they do not want their name dragged into the mud.
I don’t understand what you want me to do.
For clarity’s sake, the response above is suitable whenever one is unsure of the action expected of them.
By opening up to not comprehending the task required of a person, they give room for further explanation and avoidance of mistakes likely to arise from not asking.
I am sorry, it wasn’t my intention to be rude
I am sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It is an answer to give if one has got off on the wrong foot with another for the first time.
Maybe they have rudely commented on their style of dressing, speaking, or just something that could cause embarrassment to another.
When next these individuals cross the path and one is seeking forgiveness, then this response is highly suggested.
You will be attended to shortly
Those in a formal environment will find the answer you will be attended to quickly, especially for an impatient customer.
Due to the workload and the need to meet clients’ demands, sometimes other customers are kept waiting, and while they may have run out of patience, one is likely to get an I beg your pardon statement.
The statement is just to know why they’re being delayed and if they should stay or return later. At this point, the best response will be to assure them that they will be attended to shortly.
It is beyond my capacity
When the odds of carrying out a task are stacked against you, it is proper to let whoever the job is for that it is beyond your capacity. This prevents regrets in the long run.
Though the response may not be pleasant initially, it is better than doing something that could tell on your craft, integrity, and self-image.
Letting these individuals know forehand that our inability to carry out the duty they want of you makes them seek an alternative earlier before the due date of the project completion.
Never mind. I wasn’t talking to you
In a situation where a person is unsure if they are being spoken to, they are likely to inquire with an I beg your pardon.
If the speaker isn’t referring to them, the best response is Never mind. I wasn’t talking to you.
Whether or not the individual genuinely seeks to know if they are being referred to or is being answered by the response.
If, on the contrary, the aim was to poke-nose, the reply, in a way, warned them forehand.
There is nothing we can do
Cold as this response may sound, it is the only way to let one know that effort to salvage a deteriorating situation has been exhausted and have the recipient try somewhere else for a solution.
It could be a case of a broken relationship, a theft that can’t be recovered, etc., when a person constantly begs your pardon as regards the situation, responding with there’s nothing we can do settles the matter.
It gives them the nudge to try somewhere else or resign to the fate of the condition; whichever they choose, you have responded best to their beg-your-pardon statement.
It is just a compliment
Not everyone can differentiate between a compliment; and a taunt; it is in your best interest to spell it out before they assume the contrary.
It is just a compliment as a response to begging your pardon draws the fine line between your listener assuming the worst of your admiration while making them bask in the admiration.
What do you suggest we do?
Nothing hurts like running out of ideas. Unfortunately, everyone experiences a bout of blankness, writers, inventors, and artists; everybody eventually runs out of ideas.
Fortunately, we don’t all run out of ideas simultaneously; this is why it is important to seek one whenever that block hits.
The response: what is it that you suggest we do? Consider the fact that one is short on inspiration and hence makes demands from another who is either a superior or a colleague to boost their creativity.
That was a ridiculous thing to do
When was the last time you witnessed something silly? When was the last time a close friend did something awkward? How did you scold them?
If you take their behavior too personally, your response may do more harm than the correction intended; this is why you must take great care in responding in a way not to cause hate.
By pointing out to them calmly the absurdity of their action, you make it clear that you value their personality as a friend and would not want them doing things that will make anyone disrespect them.
Wrapping Up
It is tough finding the proper response to an I beg your pardon statement considering the diversity of this singular statement. With the correct information, giving the appropriate response becomes a walkover.
Fortunately, this piece has highlighted the typical response to the statement above, comprehensively explaining the conditions under which the answers work effectively.
All it takes is to scour for the response that fits the setting to avoid a misinterpretation.