French Phrase
Excuse-moi, mais j'ai une question.
Meaning
Literally “Excuse me, but I have a question.” It’s a polite way to interject in a conversation, classroom, or meeting when you need clarification or want to ask something.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to politely interrupt a speaker, especially in informal settings with peers, classmates, or colleagues. In more formal contexts you would switch to *Excusez‑moi*.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Excuse-moi,maisj'aiunequestion.
Excuse‑moi
Imperative of *excuser* with the direct object pronoun *‑moi*; informal way to say “excuse me”.
mais
Coordinating conjunction meaning “but”, used to introduce a contrasting clause.
j'
Elision of *je* before a vowel or mute *h*; always written *j'* in spoken French.
ai
First‑person singular present of *avoir* (to have).
une
Indefinite article for feminine singular nouns.
question
Feminine noun meaning “question”.
🗨In Conversation
Excuse-moi, mais j'ai une question.
Excuse me, but I have a question.
Bien sûr, vas-y.
Sure, go ahead.
✕Common Mistakes
Excuse moi, mais j'ai une question.
Missing hyphen; the correct form is *Excuse‑moi*.
Excuse‑moi, mais j ai une question.
The apostrophe after *j* is mandatory before a vowel.
Excuse‑moi, mais j'ai une question ?
Using a rising intonation and a question mark makes it sound like you’re asking *if* you have a question, not stating it.
↔Alternatives
Pardon, j'ai une question.
Sorry, I have a question.
Excusez‑moi, j'ai une question.
Excuse me, I have a question.
Je suis désolé, mais j'ai une question.
I'm sorry, but I have a question.
Cultural Tip
In French, politeness is expressed through the choice of pronouns and verb forms. *Excuse‑moi* is informal and works with friends or peers, while *Excusez‑moi* (plural or formal) is preferred with strangers, teachers, or in professional settings. Also, always keep the hyphen in *Excuse‑moi*; dropping it sounds ungrammatical.