How to Say ‘I'm the one who should apologize.’ in Japanese
こちらこそすみませんでした。
kochira koso sumi mase n deshi ta
[koh-CHEE-rah koh-soh soo-mee mah-seh n desh ta]
🇯🇵 In Japan: After a mix-up, the person who caused the confusion often takes the blame back like this. Mutual apology smooths things over regardless of who was really at fault.
Phrase Breakdown
こちらこそ
kochira koso
I'm the one who should (say that) / likewise
'Kochira' means 'this side' (me). 'Koso' stresses it: 'it's really me who…'. Say it as one word: ko-chi-ra-ko-so.
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。
Likewise, nice to work with you.
Words in this phrase
こちら
kochira
[koh-CHEE-rah]
I; our side
Polite word for 'this side', often meaning 'I' or 'we' in replies.
こちらから連絡します。
I will contact you.
こそ
koso
[koh-soh]
indeed; likewise
Emphasizes that the feeling is mutual.
こちらこそ、ありがとうございます。
No, thank you as well.
すみませんでした。
sumi mase n deshi ta
I'm sorry (for what happened).
This is the past-tense form of 'sumimasen'. It is a polite apology for something already done. Say it as su-mi-ma-sen-de-shi-ta, with the 'shi' softly whispered.
遅れて、すみませんでした。
I'm sorry I was late.
Words in this phrase
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
excuse me; sorry
A polite attention-getter and light apology. Used to call a pharmacist/staff or to be polite before asking for help.
すみません、薬剤師さん。
Excuse me, pharmacist.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative (part of ません)
「ませ」 is part of 「ません」, the polite negative form.
はいていません。
I haven’t vomited.
ん
n
[n]
negative ending
The final sound completing the negative polite form.
一人は魚が食べられません。
One person cannot eat fish.
でし
deshi
[desh]
was (polite) (part of でした)
でし is part of でした, the polite past form of です. It helps make a polite question about the past.
もうけっかはでしったと聞きましたか。
Have you already heard that the results were out?
た
ta
[ta]
past tense ending
This marks the action as completed in the past.
スタッフが来ました。
The staff member came.
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