Sorry in Japanese: ごめんなさい, すみません and When to Use Each

Sorry in Japanese: ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) and すみません (sumimasen)

Sorry in Japanese is ごめんなさい (gomen nasai), or just ごめん (gomen) with friends and family. To strangers, shop staff and anyone senior, say すみません (sumimasen), which also means "excuse me". For a serious or business apology, say 申し訳ありません (もうしわけありません, mōshiwake arimasen).

ごめんなさい is written with six hiragana: ご, め, ん, な, さ and い. すみません has five: す, み, ま, せ and ん. Tap any of them to hear each sound.

A simple rule of thumb:

• ごめん and ごめんなさい are personal. Say them to people you're close to.
• すみません is the everyday polite sorry. It's also "excuse me", and it can even mean "thanks".
• 申し訳ありません is for real mistakes. Use it, or the more polite 申し訳ございません, at work and with customers.

Both ごめんなさい and すみません have kanji (御免なさい, 済みません), but the dictionary marks both as usually written in kana. Write them in hiragana.

You may see ごめんなさい spelled gomenasai, with one n. That drops a sound: ごめん ends in ん and なさい starts with な, so it's gomen nasai, or gomennasai as one word.

From casual to formal: every way to say sorry

Japanese picks its sorry by who you're talking to and how big the mistake is. Here are the main ones, from the most casual to the most formal:

To make an apology stronger, put a word in front of it:

• 本当に (ほんとうに, hontō ni, “really”): 本当にごめんなさい, or 本当にごめん among friends.
• 大変 (たいへん, taihen, “very”) and 誠に (まことに, makotoni, “really”): 大変申し訳ございません and 誠に申し訳ございません. Both are formal, and you'll often hear them at work and from staff.

When you apologise afterwards for something that's over, the past form is common: すみませんでした, 申し訳ありませんでした or 申し訳ございませんでした. Precious.jp, a Japanese magazine, calls 申し訳ございませんでした the basic apology in business.

Gomen nasai meaning: ごめん and ごめんなさい

The dictionary gives ごめんなさい the meaning "I'm sorry; my apologies; excuse me; pardon me". Plain ごめん has the same first meaning.

Where it comes from. A column on JapanKnowledge, a Japanese reference site, explains that 御免 is 免, "permission", with the honorific 御 in front. At first it was a respectful word for official permission. Later it was followed by command forms, such as ごめんあれ and ごめんなさい, and came to mean "please forgive me". The short ごめん came into use around the middle of the Edo period (1603 to 1868). The column adds that, read literally, ordering someone to forgive you is rather bossy.

The なさい part is the command form of なさる, a respectful word for "do". So ごめんなさい has respectful parts, but Precious.jp says it's still wrong for superiors and for business. With a boss or a client, say 申し訳ございません.

With strangers, すみません is usually the safer choice too.

A trap: ごめんください. ごめんください (gomen kudasai, “may I come in?”) looks like a sorry, but its first meaning in the dictionary is "may I come in?", called out at the door of a house. Don't use it as your everyday sorry.

A cute sorry. Among friends, ごめん often becomes ごめんね, with the softening particle ね (ne). Two playful forms are ごめんちゃい (gomenchai), which the dictionary marks colloquial, and めんご (mengo), which looks like ごめん said back to front, marked slang and jocular. Keep them for close friends, and never for anything serious.

Sumimasen: sorry, excuse me and thank you

すみません has two meanings in the dictionary: "excuse me; pardon me; I'm sorry; I beg your pardon", and "thank you; you shouldn't have; it's too much". It's marked as polite.

Where it comes from. It's the polite negative of the verb 済む (すむ, sumu, “to finish”) (済): すみ, plus ませ from the polite ます, plus ん, "not". The dictionary also gives 済む a meaning close to sorry: 済む (すむ, sumu, “to feel unease or guilt for troubling someone”). Japanese Wikipedia says that in the late Edo period it meant something like "I'm not satisfied in my feelings". From the end of the Edo period into the early Meiji era (from 1868), it came to be used for both apologies and thanks. Roughly, it says "this isn't settled".

A teacher writing for Japan Living Guide sorts its uses into three:

For more on the thanks use, see Thank You in Japanese.

In speech you'll also hear すいません (suimasen). A Mynavi News article explains it's an easier-to-say form: fine in speech, but in writing, such as emails, すみません is correct. For a stronger sorry, say どうもすみません (dōmo sumimasen).

At work. The same article says すみませんでした is fine to your own boss, but a more formal phrase is better for a serious matter. To a client, say 申し訳ありませんでした or お詫び申し上げます.

Excuse me in Japanese: sumimasen and shitsurei shimasu

Excuse me in Japanese is すみません (sumimasen). To excuse yourself as you go into or leave a room, say 失礼します (しつれいします, shitsurei shimasu, “excuse me”).

Japanese splits the other uses of "excuse me" up:

• Getting attention. To call a waiter or ask a stranger the way, say すみません. Many people start with あのう (anō), a hesitation word the dictionary glosses as "um" or "er": あのう、すみません.
• Getting past people. In a crowd or on a train, a short すみません is usual.
• Going into a room. Say 失礼します as you enter an office, a meeting room or a teacher's room. 失礼 (しつれい, shitsurei, “discourtesy”) means a lack of manners, so you're excusing yourself in advance. Kanji: 失 and 礼.
• Leaving a room. 失礼します works here too. The magazine Dime says some people say 失礼しました as they leave, but 失礼します isn't wrong.
• More politely. Say 失礼いたします. On the phone, Dime gives お忙しいところ失礼いたします, which apologises for taking up the person's time.
• Before a personal question. 失礼ですが (しつれいですが, shitsurei desu ga, “excuse me, but ...”).
• Into someone's home. お邪魔します (おじゃまします, ojama shimasu, “please excuse the intrusion”), as Hello in Japanese explains.
• Leaving work early. お先に失礼します (おさきにしつれいします, osaki ni shitsurei shimasu, “pardon me for leaving (first)”): more in Goodbye in Japanese.

You may also hear ちょっと (chotto, “hey!”), but it's casual and can sound sharp. すみません is safer.

Mōshiwake arimasen and owabi: formal and business apologies

申し訳 (もうしわけ, mōshiwake, “apology”) means an apology or an excuse, so 申し訳ない (もうしわけない, mōshiwake nai) is roughly "there's no excuse". Its polite forms are 申し訳ありません and 申し訳ございません (もうしわけございません, mōshiwake gozaimasen). Kanji: 申 and 訳.

Arimasen or gozaimasen? Dime says both are correct and there's no real difference in meaning, but ございません feels more polite. Use it with superiors and in business. With family, or colleagues you talk to every day, it can sound distant.

The most formal: お詫び申し上げます. お詫び (おわび, owabi, “apology”) comes from 詫びる (わびる, wabiru, “to apologize”). Mynavi News describes 詫びる as realising your mistake and asking forgiveness. お詫び申し上げます adds the humble 申し上げる (もうしあげる, mōshiageru). Mynavi says it fits official apologies to customers and business partners, in documents, emails and letters. You'll often see it in public notices too.

Two more words you'll meet: 謝る (あやまる, ayamaru, “to apologize (apologise)”) is the everyday verb, and 謝罪 (しゃざい, shazai, “apology”) the formal noun. Kanji: 謝.

For a light slip, 失礼しました (しつれいしました, shitsurei shimashita, “my apologies”) is enough. Dime's example is bumping into a colleague in a corridor, with the more polite 失礼いたしました.

Sorry I'm late and other set apologies

Many apologies name what you're sorry for, then add the sorry:

• Sorry I'm late. 遅れてすみません (okurete sumimasen), from 遅れる (おくれる, okureru, “to be late”). The 遅れて part is the te-form: see The Japanese Te-Form. To practise it, try the time and scheduling quiz.
• Sorry for the trouble. 迷惑をかける (めいわくをかける, meiwaku wo kakeru, “to cause trouble (for someone)”) is the phrase behind it. The set apology is ご迷惑をおかけしました. Mynavi News calls it a formal phrase, often used to apologise to business clients. A Kaiwa guide gives a very formal version: 大変ご迷惑をおかけし、誠に申し訳ございませんでした.
• Sorry to keep you waiting. お待たせしました (おまたせしました, omatase shimashita, “thank you for waiting”) is what staff say when you've waited.
• Sorry to trouble you. 恐れ入る (おそれいる, osoreiru, “to be sorry”) is a very polite verb. Japanese Wikipedia notes that, like すみません, 恐れ入ります came to be used for both thanks and apology from the end of the Edo period. You'll often hear 恐れ入りますが before a polite request.

Casual sorry: warui, suman and my bad

Among friends, sorry can get very short:

• 悪い (わるい, warui, “sorry”), often as 悪いね or 悪い悪い. It's a quick "my bad".
• すまない (sumanai) and すまん (suman). すまない is the plain (casual) form of すみません, and すまん is shorter still. You'll often hear them from men and older speakers.
• ソーリー (sōrii), the English word, usually said lightly.

None of these is right for a superior, a customer or a stranger.

Bowing when you say sorry

A Japanese apology usually comes with a bow, お辞儀 (おじぎ, ojigi, “bow”). A guide from Edogawa City, in Tokyo, describes three bows: 会釈 (えしゃく, eshaku, “slight bow (as a greeting or sign of gratitude)”), 敬礼 (けいれい, keirei) and 最敬礼 (さいけいれい, saikeirei, “a respectful bow”).

For a small すみません, a quick nod of the head is normal.

How to answer an apology in Japanese

A Mynavi News article on replying to an apology gives different answers for different people.

To friends, colleagues and juniors:

• 大丈夫 (だいじょうぶ, daijōbu), often as 大丈夫だよ. Its dictionary meanings include "safe" and "all right".
• 気にしないで (きにしないで, ki ni shinaide, “don't worry about it”).

Mynavi also suggests thanking a friend for saying sorry. You'll often hear いいよ (iiyo, “don't sweat it”), which the dictionary marks colloquial, and いえいえ (ieie), "no, not at all" in the dictionary.

To superiors and clients:

• とんでもない (tondemonai, “(it was) no bother at all”), usually as とんでもないです.
• お気になさらず (おきになさらず, o ki ni nasarazu, “not at all”). Mynavi gives the full polite form, お気になさらないでください.

You may also hear 構いません (かまいません, kamaimasen, “no problem”).

When you were partly at fault, add こちらこそ (kochirakoso, “it is I who should say so”). Mynavi's example reply to a business apology starts とんでもないです。こちらこそ, then apologises back. After a mistake in a sport or a game, you'll hear ドンマイ (donmai, “don't worry about it”), from English "don't mind".

Mynavi warns against two things: wrong polite language (keigo), and replies that talk down to the person, such as telling them to be careful next time. Keep joking replies for people you know well.

Questions about sorry in Japanese

Is sumimasen sorry or excuse me?

Sumimasen (すみません) means both "I'm sorry" and "excuse me", and it can also say thank you.

What does gomen nasai mean?

Gomen nasai (ごめんなさい) means "I'm sorry". It comes from 御免, "permission", so it's close to "please forgive me".

Is it gomenasai or gomen nasai?

It's gomen nasai, also written gomennasai, with two n's: ごめん ends in ん and なさい starts with な. Gomenasai, with one n, is a common misspelling.

Should I say sumimasen or gomen nasai?

Say すみません to strangers, staff and anyone senior, and ごめんなさい or ごめん to friends and family.

How do you politely say sorry in Japanese?

The polite sorry is すみません for small things and 申し訳ありません (or 申し訳ございません) for real mistakes and at work.

How do you politely say excuse me in Japanese?

Say すみません to get attention or get past someone, and 失礼します when you enter or leave a room.

How do you say sorry in a cute way?

Friends often say ごめんね, which is softer than ごめん. ごめんちゃい and めんご are playful, for close friends only.

How do you apologise in Japan?

Choose the word for the person and the situation, and add a bow: a nod for a small slip, a deep 45° bow for a serious apology.

How do you answer sorry in Japanese?

With friends and colleagues, say 大丈夫だよ or 気にしないで. To superiors and clients, say とんでもないです or お気になさらないでください.

Sources

• Readings, meanings and register notes: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), including its notes that ごめん, ごめんなさい and すみません are usually written in kana, that すみません is polite and also means "thank you", that ごめんください first means "may I come in?", that めんご is slang and jocular and ごめんちゃい colloquial, and the meanings of 済む, 遅れる, 恐れ入る, お気の毒に and ご愁傷様.
• Where ごめん comes from: JapanKnowledge, 日本語、どうでしょう？「ごめん」は本当に謝っているの？ (2010).
• ごめんなさい in business, and なさい: Precious.jp, 「ごめんなさい」はビジネスには不適切 (2022).
• Where すみません comes from, and 恐れ入ります for thanks and apology: Japanese Wikipedia, すみません.
• すみませんでした, すいません and clients: Mynavi News (2023). お詫び申し上げます: Mynavi News (2025). Replying to an apology: Mynavi News (2025). ご迷惑をおかけしました: Mynavi News (2023). ご愁傷様です: Mynavi News (2022).
• 申し訳ございません and 申し訳ありません: Dime, 正しい敬語表現はどっち？ (2025). 失礼します: Dime, 「失礼します」が持つ意味とは？ (2021).
• The three uses of すみません: Japan Living Guide, Understanding the different uses of "Sumimasen" (2025).
• 遅れてすみません and 大変ご迷惑をおかけし、誠に申し訳ございませんでした: Kaiwa, How to Say Sorry in Japanese: 16 Phrases (2026).
• Bows: Edogawa City, 国がちがうと生活する決まりもちがう.
• Reviewed by two independent reviews; the points about ごめんなさい with strangers, 悪い, すまん, めんご and whether it is ごめん reversed, ソーリー, ちょっと, あのう, すみません in a crowd, 大変 and 誠に at work, お詫び申し上げます in notices, the past form, 恐れ入りますが before a request, the sympathy phrases, nodding, the everyday replies and ドンマイ are waiting for a native speaker's check.