(かんべん)

かんべん
noun, suru verb
pardon, forgiveness, forbearance
1. pardon, forgiveness, forbearance
The act of excusing someone's mistake or offense, or tolerating an inconvenience. Often used in requests asking someone to let something slide or spare the speaker from something unpleasant.
勘弁(かんべん)してください。
Please forgive me. / Give me a break.
もう勘弁(かんべん)してくれよ。
Give me a break already.
今回(こんかい)だけは勘弁(かんべん)してあげる。
I'll let it slide just this once.
残業(ざんぎょう)勘弁(かんべん)してほしいんだけど。
I'd really like to be spared from overtime.

勘弁(かんべん)する is commonly used both to ask for forgiveness and to express the desire to be excused from something.

Common expressions:

  • 勘弁(かんべん)してください (please forgive me / spare me)
  • 勘弁(かんべん)してくれ (give me a break - casual)
  • 〜は勘弁(かんべん)してほしい (I'd like to be spared from...)
  • 勘弁(かんべん)してあげる (I'll let it slide)

Related words:

  • 堪忍(かんにん): patience, forbearance (similar meaning, more literary)
  • (ゆる)す: to forgive (general term)
  • 大目(おおめ)()る: to overlook, turn a blind eye