How do you say "I'm really sorry." in Japanese?

"I'm really sorry." in Japanese is "ほんとうにごめんなさい。". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

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How to Say ‘I'm really sorry.’ in Japanese

Q: What does "ほんとうにごめんなさい。" mean in English?

"ほんとうにごめんなさい。" means "I'm really sorry." in English. Usage tip: [ほんとうに] adds emphasis, so [ほんとうにごめんなさい] sounds more sincere and apologetic than [ごめんなさい] alone.

ほんとうにごめんなさい。

hontou ni gomen nasai

[hohn-toh nee gomen nah-sigh]

💬 Usage Tip: [ほんとうに] adds emphasis, so [ほんとうにごめんなさい] sounds more sincere and apologetic than [ごめんなさい] alone.

🇯🇵 In Japan: A deeper apology is often valued in Japan, especially if you inconvenienced someone. A small bow may naturally go with this phrase.

Phrase Breakdown

ほんとうに

hontou ni

Words in this phrase

ほんとう

hontou

[hohn-toh]

truth; really

Adds the sense of truly or really to the apology.

Example

ほんとうにごめんなさい、とあやまります。

I apologize by saying, “I’m truly sorry.”

に

[nee]

-ly; truly

Makes ほんとう function like really or truly.

Example

ほんとうにごめんなさい、とていねいにいいます。

I politely say, “I’m truly sorry.”

ごめんなさい

gomen nasai

Words in this phrase

ごめん

gomen

[gomen]

sorry

The core apology word in the phrase ごめんなさい.

Example

ほんとうにごめんなさい、とつたえます。

I express, “I’m truly sorry.”

なさい

nasai

[nah-sigh]

polite ending

This ending makes the apology more polite and suitable in many situations.

Example

ほんとうにごめんなさい、といいます。

I say, “I’m truly sorry.”

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