How to Say Sorry in Japanese: 10 Useful Phrases

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Japanese has several ways to apologise, and the best choice depends on what happened, who you’re speaking to and how formal the situation is.

For a quick starting point:

• Use すみません (sumimasen) for a minor apology, to get someone’s attention or to excuse yourself.
• Use ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) for a direct personal apology, especially with someone you know.
• Use 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen) or 申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen) when the situation is formal or the mistake is serious.

The ten expressions below cover casual apologies, formal workplace language, requests for forgiveness and a few phrases that English often translates as “sorry” even though they do a different job in Japanese.

The romanisation uses macrons for long vowels, as in hontō and mōshiwake, and writes the particle を as o.

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How to Say “I’m Sorry” in Japanese: ごめんなさい (gomen nasai)

ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) is a common, direct apology for something you did wrong. It suits many ordinary personal situations, but it is not the safest all-purpose choice for a serious workplace mistake or a formal apology to a customer.

With friends and family, you can shorten it to ごめん (gomen). ごめんね (gomen ne) can sound warmer or softer, depending on your tone and relationship. These are levels of casualness, not fixed masculine and feminine forms.

For more emphasis, add 本当に (hontō ni, “truly”): 本当にごめんなさい (hontō ni gomen nasai), “I’m truly sorry.”

A Formal “I’m Very Sorry”: 申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen)

申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen) is a formal apology used in business, customer service and other situations where you need to show particular respect. It can also fit a serious mistake, whatever the setting.

申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen) has essentially the same meaning but is a little less formal. For extra emphasis, you may hear 本当に申し訳ございません (hontō ni mōshiwake gozaimasen), “I’m truly sorry.” The right choice still depends on the relationship and situation, rather than a simple rule that every work mistake needs the most formal phrase.

If you’re learning how Japanese marks respect more generally, our guide to Japanese honorifics explains the wider system.

“Excuse Me” or “Sorry” in Japanese: すみません (sumimasen)

すみません (sumimasen) is one of the most useful expressions in Japanese. You can use it for a minor apology, to get someone’s attention, to pass through a tight space or before making a polite request.

If you bump into someone, for example, you might say あっ、すみません (a, sumimasen), “Oh, sorry.” You can also say すみません before asking a stranger for help.

すみません can even express thanks when someone has gone to some trouble for you. In that situation, it acknowledges the burden as well as your gratitude, and you can follow it with ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu). Our guide to saying thank you in Japanese has more examples.

What’s the Difference Between sumimasen and gomen nasai?

すみません (sumimasen) covers more situations. It works as a light apology, “excuse me”, a polite lead-in to a request and sometimes an expression of thanks. It is also a natural choice with a stranger or someone you do not know well.

ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) focuses more directly on apologising for something you did. The shorter ごめん (gomen) belongs with friends, family and other close relationships.

There is some overlap, so context and tone matter. For a serious or highly formal apology, move beyond both and use 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen) or 申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen).

“Please Excuse Me”: 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu)

失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) literally acknowledges that you are doing something discourteous. In practice, it is a conventional “excuse me” when you enter or leave a room, interrupt someone, end a call or take your leave.

If you leave work before other people, say お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu), roughly “Excuse me for leaving before you.” A common reply is お疲れ様でした (otsukaresama deshita) or お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu), which recognises the other person’s work.

For a discourtesy that has already happened, use the past form 失礼しました (shitsurei shimashita), “I’m sorry for being rude.”

“Please Forgive Me” in Japanese: 許してください (yurushite kudasai)

許してください (yurushite kudasai) means “Please forgive me.” It is a request for forgiveness, not a complete apology on its own, so use it after you have acknowledged what happened and apologised clearly.

The phrase combines the て-form of 許す (yurusu, “to forgive” or “to permit”) with ください (kudasai, “please”). Because asking someone to forgive you can put pressure on them, it may not be appropriate while they are still upset or when you first need to take responsibility.

A Formal “I Apologise”: 謝罪いたします (shazai itashimasu)

謝罪いたします (shazai itashimasu) is an explicit, formal way to say “I apologise.” 謝罪 (shazai) means “apology” or “to apologise”, and いたします (itashimasu) is the humble form of します (shimasu).

You are more likely to meet this wording in an official statement, public announcement or other institutional setting than in an everyday personal conversation. It sounds formal, but it does not automatically mean “my deepest apologies”; the surrounding words and situation carry that force.

“Sorry to Intrude”: お邪魔します (ojama shimasu)

お邪魔します (ojama shimasu) is a conventional greeting when entering someone else’s home. It literally acknowledges that you are intruding, but in this setting it works more like a polite “Thank you for having me” or “Sorry to intrude” than an apology for a mistake.

When you leave after the visit, say お邪魔しました (ojama shimashita). You may also hear these expressions when someone enters or leaves another person’s workspace, but the home visit is the clearest everyday use.

“I’m Sorry for the Inconvenience”: ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ありません (gomeiwaku o okake shite, mōshiwake arimasen)

ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ありません (gomeiwaku o okake shite, mōshiwake arimasen) apologises for causing someone trouble or inconvenience. It is a useful formal pattern for work, customer service and written notices.

You can adjust the formality:

• ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ございません。 (gomeiwaku o okake shite, mōshiwake gozaimasen) is more formal.
• ご迷惑をおかけして、すみません。 (gomeiwaku o okake shite, sumimasen) is less formal.

Both are apologies for the inconvenience you caused. They are not general replacements for thanking someone who helped you.

A Casual “My Bad”: 悪い悪い (warui warui)

悪い悪い (warui warui) is a very casual apology, close to “My bad” or “Sorry, that was my fault.” Use it only with someone you know well and for a small mistake. In a serious situation, it can sound flippant.

“Please Give Me a Break”: 勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai)

No, I’m not referencing Uncle Jesse’s catchphrase from Full House.

勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai) asks someone to spare you, let you off or give you a break. Depending on the context, it can be a plea for leniency, a refusal of an unreasonable request or an expression of exasperation.

It may follow an apology, but it is not an apology formula in itself. Do not use it as though Japanese requires a second, more intense phrase after a major mistake.

How to Apologise Politely in Japanese

A good apology is more than choosing the most formal expression you know. Match the phrase to the seriousness of the mistake, your relationship with the other person and the setting, then explain or put things right where that is appropriate.

You may also notice that すみません (sumimasen) can express gratitude when another person has taken trouble on your behalf. This does not mean Japanese speakers apologise instead of saying thank you as a rule. It is one way to acknowledge both the help and the burden.

A bow can accompany a greeting, thanks or apology in Japan. A deeper bow generally shows more respect or seriousness, but the appropriate gesture depends on the setting. You do not need gender-specific hand positions, and copying a dramatic bow from television is not a substitute for a sincere apology.

土下座 (dogeza) means kneeling on the floor or ground and bowing very deeply. It is an extreme gesture, not an everyday step tied to 勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai), and it is far more common as a dramatic image than as practical advice for a learner.

For a serious mistake, take responsibility and choose an appropriately formal apology. Japanese does not require you to stack a fixed number of apology phrases.

Choose the Apology That Fits

For most learners, the three expressions worth remembering first are すみません (sumimasen), ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) and 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen). Together they cover a minor apology, a direct personal apology and a more formal one.

The other expressions help when you need to excuse yourself, ask for forgiveness, acknowledge an inconvenience or recognise that an English translation such as “sorry to bother you” is really a conventional Japanese greeting.

As you continue learning, our Japanese grammar guide will help you change phrases for tense and formality. You can also explore Japanese culture and everyday context, learn Japanese slang, practise reading and writing hiragana, or build your vocabulary with these useful Japanese words and phrases.