How to Say ‘Sorry to bother you when you're busy.’ in Japanese
お忙しいところすみません。
o isogashii tokoro sumi mase n
[oh ee-soh-gah-shee tokoro soo-mee mah-seh n]
🇯🇵 In Japan: This is the standard cushion at the start of a call or email to someone you don't know well. You say it whether or not they're actually busy, and skipping it can make you sound abrupt.
Phrase Breakdown
お忙しいところ
o isogashii tokoro
while you are busy
Polite opener in business. 忙しい (isogashii) means 'busy'.
お忙しいところ失礼します。
Excuse me for interrupting while you're busy.
Words in this phrase
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.
チケットを二枚お願いします。
Two tickets, please.
忙しい
isogashii
[ee-soh-gah-shee]
busy
An i-adjective meaning busy, often used for work or schedules.
今週は仕事が忙しいです。
Work is busy this week.
ところ
tokoro
[tokoro]
point; moment
Used in the grammar pattern for just did something.
今来たところです。
I just got here.
すみません。
sumi mase n
sorry to bother you
Means 'excuse me' or 'sorry'. Here it is an apology for taking someone's time.
遅れてすみません。
Sorry I'm late.
Words in this phrase
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
sorry; excuse me
Beginning of a common apology phrase.
遅れてすみませんでした。
I am sorry for being late.
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.
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