How to Say ‘I'm sorry’ in Japanese
ごめんなさい
gomen nasai
[gomen nah-sigh]
💬 Usage Tip: [ごめんなさい] is a standard and polite apology. It is stronger and more formal than casual [ごめん].
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a very useful everyday apology. In very formal business situations, people may use even more formal expressions.
Phrase Breakdown
ごめん
gomen
[gomen]
sorry
The base apology word here. Softer and less casual than just ごめん when combined as ごめんなさい.
ほんとうにごめんなさい。
I’m truly sorry.
なさい
nasai
[nah-sigh]
please; polite ending in this expression
In ごめんなさい, this ending makes the apology more polite and complete.
ごめんなさい、といいます。
I say, “I’m sorry.”
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