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] works for both getting someone's attention and apologizing. In a taxi dispute, it softens the moment and sounds more natural than jumping straight into a complaint.
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
excuse
First part of すみません, used in an apology or to get attention politely.
すみません。少し道を確認したいです。
Excuse me. I'd like to check the route for a moment.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative stem part
Middle part of すみません; by itself it is not used alone, but it helps form the polite expression.
すみません、と丁寧に運転手さんに言いました。
I politely said, 'Excuse me,' to the driver.
ん
n
[n]
n sound ending
Final sound in すみません; it completes the polite phrase.
すみません。今の道について聞いてもいいですか。
Excuse me. May I ask about the road we just took?
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