How to Say ‘Excuse me.’ in Japanese
すみません。
sumi mase n
[soo-mee mah-seh n]
🇯🇵 In Japan: [すみません] is the normal way to get a stranger's attention before asking for directions. It's more natural than jumping straight into your question.
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
excuse me; sorry
A common polite expression used to get attention, apologize lightly, or say thank you in some situations. This token is the first part of すみません.
すみません、と言って先生を呼びました。
I said, “Excuse me,” and called the teacher.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative ending part
This is the middle part of ません, a polite negative ending. By itself, it is not usually used as a standalone word.
「ません」の中に「ませ」があります。
The part “ませ” is inside “ません.”
ん
n
[n]
n sound
This is the Japanese ん sound. It often appears at the end of words or before certain consonants.
「すみません」の最後は「ん」です。
The last part of “sumimasen” is “n.”
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