The word excuse me

[Lanae]

Ok when I was at beauty supply store and i said to a korean lady "excuse" she just looked at me all mad.

And Hmart, the same crap from another korean lady at a customer service.

I was just getting their attention! The Excuse me is a polite way to get someone's attention.

Do some koreans get insulted when someone says "excuse me" to them in English.

Like What did i ever done to them between saying excuse me and getting their attention?

 

[eleos1954]

Ok when I was at beauty supply store and i said to a korean lady "excuse" she just looked at me all mad.

And Hmart, the same crap from another korean lady at a customer service.

I was just getting their attention! The Excuse me is a polite way to get someone's attention.

Do some koreans get insulted when someone says "excuse me" to them in English.

Like What did i ever done to them between saying excuse me and getting their attention?

Depends on what was going on at the time when "excuse" me was used.

 

[98cwitr]

Eh I think tone and inflection has a lot to do with it too. The statement or phrase "Excuse me please" and gesturing a light smile has been a good route for me.

I was in the grocery store last week and a lady and man, with two children (2 and infant) in one of those double-wide shopping carts (so both kids could sit) was parked slap dab in the middle of the aisle; as she grabbed her 4th or 5th container of baby formula. I just kinda parked my cart behind her and didn't say anything. After about 30 seconds she glanced over my way, and with a bit of an attitude asked "Oh, am I in your way?" Obviously rhetorical, but I replied with "Well, please finish grabbing what you need." She replied: "Oh, well I didn't hear you say 'excuse me.'" My first thought was "Because I didn't say that." "Excuse me" insinuates that YOU are the one in the way, and you are asking someone else for pardon because YOU were in the wrong. Sure, we use "excuse me" to get someone's attention rather than "Ma'am/Sir, would you mind moving your cart to the left/right so I can get by you please (too many words, right?), but we also want to be mindful of the words we use, as they have significant meaning. So really, the person in the way should be the one to say "excuse me," and not the other way around. These can be friendly exchanges, unless of course there's some sort of unspoken social expectation that precedes polite dialog. I'm sure we're all familiar with common curtsies (unless you think you're entitled to park in the middle of a grocery store aisle).

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

Every culture is different about everything from certain words, to phrases to actions. Like in america if you tip your waiter is thankful. In Japan if you tip your waiter will be angry and offended because they don't do tips.

Being married to a filipinio, theres a big cultural difference between our countries. Sometimes words I say to her she gets upset about not understanding what the word fully means or thinking I meant it as a hurtful word. Just as sometimes she says things that sound hurtful but are not meant to be.

For example when my mom and I went to her country her family said we were fat. In america you would be offended by that. But for them it was not said as to be hurtful. Its kind of blunt and used out of semi-poor english.

This all said I wouldn't be to hurt by them taking what you said the wrong way. Maybe try another word like "Pardon me" or "Hi, could you help me with something?".

 

[Kit Sigmon]

Ok when I was at beauty supply store and i said to a korean lady "excuse" she just looked at me all mad.

And Hmart, the same crap from another korean lady at a customer service.

I was just getting their attention! The Excuse me is a polite way to get someone's attention.

Do some koreans get insulted when someone says "excuse me" to them in English.

Like What did i ever done to them between saying excuse me and getting their attention?

I don't know what it be like where you live but where I use to live, asians be
on point about they business and be serious. Not overly friendly until they
have established that you be a good customer and all that.

Language thingy...Try saying hey, good morning/good evening (depending upon
what time of day it be).