How to say “Sorry” in Japanese
How to say sorry in Japanese: すみません vs ごめん(なさい), which one doubles as excuse me, when each fits, native audio, and an AI grader that scores you saying it.
すみません。
I'm sorry. / Excuse me.
ごめん。
I'm sorry. / Excuse me.
When to use which
すみません (sumimasen) is the workhorse. It covers "sorry," "excuse me," and even a light "thank you for going out of your way" — you'll use it to get past someone on a train, flag down a waiter, and apologize for being two minutes late, all in the same afternoon. If you learn one apology, learn this one.
ごめんなさい (gomen nasai) and its casual clip ごめん (gomen) are the personal apology — for friends, family, and situations where the relationship is close enough that すみません would feel stiff. Between friends, ごめん or the softened ごめんね is the natural choice; すみません to your best friend sounds like you're apologizing to a stranger.
The learner mistake runs in both directions: using ごめんなさい with a boss or store staff (too personal — you want すみません or, for real fault at work, 申し訳ありません), and using すみません with close friends (too distant). The register is the message. That's also why "sorry" is a perfect first sentence to practice aloud — the words are easy, and everything that matters is in the choice.
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すみません is sorry, excuse me, and thank-you-for-the-trouble in one word. Knowing which job it's doing — that's the part you can only learn by producing it, not by reading it.
Frequently asked
What's the difference between すみません and ごめんなさい?
すみません is the general-purpose, polite apology that also works as "excuse me." ごめんなさい (or casual ごめん) is a personal apology for people you're close to. With strangers and staff, default to すみません.
Does すみません mean excuse me or sorry?
Both, plus a light thank-you. Context does the work: bumping into someone (sorry), calling a waiter (excuse me), someone holding a door for you (thanks for the trouble). It's the single most useful word in beginner Japanese.
How do you apologize formally in Japanese?
申し訳ありません (moushiwake arimasen) — literally "I have no excuse" — is the formal apology for workplaces and serious situations. すみません covers everyday slips; 申し訳ありません is for when it actually matters.
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