How to Say ‘Excuse me.’ in Japanese
すみません。
sumi mase n
[soo-mee mah-seh n]
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
excuse
A stem used in the polite expression すみません, often for getting someone's attention or apologizing lightly.
すみません。すみません、と係員に聞きました。
Excuse me. I said, "Excuse me," to the staff member.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite part
Part of the polite ending in すみません. By itself, it is not usually used as a separate word here.
すみません。『ませ』はすみませんの一部です。
Excuse me. 'Mase' is one part of sumimasen.
ん
n
[n]
final n sound
The final sound in すみません. It completes the polite expression.
すみません。『ん』はすみませんの最後です。
Excuse me. 'N' is the end of sumimasen.
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