The everyday way to say sorry in Japanese is すみません (sumimasen), polite enough for strangers and small mistakes. With friends and family, say ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) or simply ごめん (gomen). For serious or business apologies, use 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen), literally "there is no excuse".
- Everyday
- すみません (sumimasen)
- Personal
- ごめんなさい (gomen nasai)
- Casual
- ごめん / ごめんね (gomen / gomen ne)
- Formal
- 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen)
- Level
- A1
Which Japanese apology should you use?
Match the apology to how serious the mistake is and how close you are to the person. Getting it wrong in either direction sounds off: ごめん to a client is flippant, and 申し訳ございません to your brother is comically stiff.
| Japanese | Romaji | Register | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ごめん / ごめんね | gomen / gomen ne | Casual | Friends, partners, family; ね softens it |
| ごめんなさい | gomen nasai | Personal | Sincere apologies to people you know; children to adults |
| すみません | sumimasen | Polite, everyday | Strangers, neighbours, small slips such as bumping into someone |
| 失礼しました | shitsurei shimashita | Polite | A small lapse in manners: a wrong number, an interruption |
| 申し訳ありません | mōshiwake arimasen | Formal | Mistakes at work, apologising to customers or seniors |
| 申し訳ございません | mōshiwake gozaimasen | Very formal | Customer service and official apologies |
You will also hear すまん (suman) and すまない (sumanai), blunt casual forms used mostly by older men, and common in films and manga.
What is the difference between gomen nasai and sumimasen?
ごめんなさい is personal: you are asking the other person to forgive you. すみません comes from 済む (sumu, to be settled) and literally says the matter is not settled. Because it is more social than personal, すみません also works as "excuse me" and even as a thank you, while ごめんなさい only apologises. To a boss or a teacher, すみません or 申し訳ありません is the safer choice.
お母さん は いま 病院 に います。 冬 が 来ます。 病院 は 寒い です。 ごめんなさい。Okāsan wa ima byōin ni imasu. Fuyu ga kimasu. Byōin wa samui desu. Gomen nasai.
How do you apologise for something specific in Japanese?
Put the verb in its te-form before the apology to name what you are sorry for. In formal settings, people often follow the apology with a promise to do better.
遅れてすみません。
Okurete sumimasen.
Sorry I'm late.
遅れて is the te-form of 遅れる (okureru, to be late).
お待たせして申し訳ありません。
Omatase shite mōshiwake arimasen.
I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting.
以後気をつけます。
Igo ki o tsukemasu.
I'll be more careful from now on.
Often follows a formal apology.
ごめんね、忘れてた。
Gomen ne, wasureteta.
Sorry, I forgot.
Casual, to a friend.
How do you say 'I'm sorry' to show sympathy?
In English, "I'm sorry" can express sympathy. Japanese apology words cannot: if a friend tells you bad news, ごめんなさい sounds as if you caused it. Use a phrase that recognises how they feel instead.
それは大変でしたね。
Sore wa taihen deshita ne.
That must have been hard.
A kind, natural response to bad news.
お大事に。
Odaiji ni.
Take care of yourself.
To someone who is ill or injured.
ご愁傷様です。
Goshūshōsama desu.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Only for a death, for example at a funeral.
To get a stranger's attention rather than apologise, see how to say excuse me in Japanese.
Read free Japanese chapters at A1 and watch characters apologise, from ごめん to 申し訳ありません.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
How do you reply when someone apologises in Japanese?
Casually, いいよ (ii yo, "it's fine") or 気にしないで (ki ni shinaide, "don't worry about it"). Politely, 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu, "it's all right") or いえいえ (ie ie).
How do you pronounce sumimasen?
"Soo-mee-mah-sen", with even stress. In casual speech it often becomes すいません (suimasen), which you will hear everywhere but should not write in formal messages.
Is gomen nasai OK at work?
It is not rude, but it sounds too personal for professional mistakes. At work, use すみません for small things and 申し訳ありません for anything serious.
What does mōshiwake arimasen mean literally?
Roughly "there is no excuse": 申し訳 means an excuse or justification, and ありません says there is none. ございません is the extra-polite version of ありません.