Introduction

Scusare means “to excuse”, and this page covers exactly one thing: scusare in the present tense. The present is the tense Italian speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for scusare, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the passato prossimo, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about scusare in the present. It is the verb for excusing someone, and it is completely regular in every tense. Its reflexive partner scusarsi is the verb for apologising, and the two share the same stem and endings. For example: “Lui scusa Maria ogni giorno.” — “He excuses Maria.” Everything on this page uses the forms of scusare exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Scusare in the Present — full table

Person Form
io scuso
tu scusi
lui/lei scusa
noi scusiamo
voi scusate
loro scusano
Gerund: scusando · Past participle: scusato
The gerund is scusando, which you use with stare to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Scusando Maria, imparo molto.” — “While excusing Maria, I learn a lot.” The past participle is scusato, which you use with avere in the perfect tenses: ho scusato is the passato prossimo, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how scusare is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for scusare, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of scusare is formed

The present tense of scusare has six forms: io scuso, tu scusi, lui scusa, noi scusiamo, voi scusate, loro scusano. Say them in order — io, tu, lui, noi, voi, loro — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. scusare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of scusare are worth noticing. First, the noi and voi forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its noi and voi forms from the same stem, so learning scusiamo and scusate pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Italian uses where English would often use the continuous form, so scuso can mean both “I excuse” and “I am excusing” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because scusare is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -are endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -are verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of scusare

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use scusare in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and scusare is no exception. Use time expressions such as ogni giorno, sempre or ogni settimana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” — “I excuse Maria.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about scusare does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Lui scusa Maria ogni giorno.” — “He excuses Maria.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Italian often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with scusare in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Noi scusiamo Maria ogni giorno.” — “We excuse Maria.”

4. Scheduled future events

Italian uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu scusi Maria ogni giorno.” — “You excuse Maria.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and scusare in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Loro scusano Maria ogni giorno.” — “They excuse Maria.”

Present Tense vs Passato Prossimo: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the passato prossimo, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the passato prossimo describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as ogni giorno or sempre, while the passato prossimo sentences use ieri or la settimana scorsa. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Lui scusa Maria ogni giorno.” — “He excuses Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Lui ha scusato Maria questa settimana.” — “He has excused Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” — “I excuse Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Io ho scusato Maria questa settimana.” — “I have excused Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.
  • Present Tense: “Tu scusi Maria ogni giorno.” — “You excuse Maria”
  • Passato Prossimo: “Tu hai scusato Maria questa settimana.” — “You have excused Maria”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the passato prossimo sentence is one finished event. Ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

Example sentences: scusare in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” — “I excuse Maria”
  2. “Tu scusi Maria ogni giorno.” — “You excuse Maria”
  3. “Lui scusa Maria ogni giorno.” — “He excuses Maria”
  4. “Noi scusiamo Maria ogni giorno.” — “We excuse Maria”
  5. “Voi scusate Maria ogni giorno.” — “You excuse Maria”
  6. “Loro scusano Maria ogni giorno.” — “They excuse Maria”
  7. “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” — “I excuse Maria”
  8. “Lui scusa Maria ogni giorno.” — “He excuses Maria”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Io scusi Maria.” Right: “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The io form is scuso, not scusi. scusi is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Noi scuso Maria.” Right: “Noi scusiamo Maria ogni giorno.” Why: Noi needs the noi form scusiamo. scuso belongs with io only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno ieri.” Right: “Io ho scusato Maria questa settimana.” Why: Ieri points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho scusato for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Io scusare Maria.” Right: “Io scuso Maria ogni giorno.” Why: The infinitive scusare never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated form scuso.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the io form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scusi
    • B) scuso
    • C) scusa
    • D) scusiamo

  2. What is the tu form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scuso
    • B) scusa
    • C) scusi
    • D) scusiamo

  3. What is the lui/lei form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scuso
    • B) scusi
    • C) scusiamo
    • D) scusa

  4. What is the noi form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scusiamo
    • B) scuso
    • C) scusi
    • D) scusa

  5. What is the voi form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scuso
    • B) scusate
    • C) scusi
    • D) scusa

  6. What is the loro form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scuso
    • B) scusi
    • C) scusano
    • D) scusa

  7. What is the io form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scusi
    • B) scusa
    • C) scusiamo
    • D) scuso

  8. What is the tu form of scusare in the Present indicative?

    • A) scusi
    • B) scuso
    • C) scusa
    • D) scusiamo

Answer key

  1. B) scuso — the correct form is scuso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) scusi — the correct form is scusi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) scusa — the correct form is scusa. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) scusiamo — the correct form is scusiamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) scusate — the correct form is scusate. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) scusano — the correct form is scusano. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) scuso — the correct form is scuso. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) scusi — the correct form is scusi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does scusare mean in English?

scusare means “to excuse”. It is a non-reflexive, regular -are verb.

How is the present tense of scusare formed?

The six present forms are: io scuso, tu scusi, lui scusa, noi scusiamo, voi scusate, loro scusano. scusare is regular: every form follows the standard -are endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the passato prossimo?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the passato prossimo for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: ogni giorno points to the present, ieri points to the passato prossimo.

What are the gerund and past participle of scusare?

The gerund is scusando and the past participle is scusato.

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