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How to Say ‘I'm terribly sorry’ in Japanese

大変失礼しました

taihen shitsurei shi mashi ta

[tie-HEN sheet-soo-RAY shee mah-shee tah]

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a formal apology you'll hear from staff who made a mistake. As a customer you'd usually say the lighter すみません instead.

Phrase Breakdown

大変

taihen

[tie-HEN]

very; terribly

Used as an adverb meaning 'very much', common in polite apologies.

Example

大変お世話になりました。

Thank you very much for everything.

失礼しました

shitsurei shi mashi ta

I'm sorry / I was rude

A polite apology meaning 'I was impolite'. The 'shi' in 'shitsu' is often whispered: sh(i)tsurei shimashita.

Example

お待たせして失礼しました。

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting.

Words in this phrase

失礼

shitsurei

[sheet-soo-RAY]

rudeness; excuse me

Means impoliteness; with します it's a polite way to excuse yourself or say goodbye.

Example

お先に失礼します。

Excuse me for leaving before you.

し

shi

[shee]

し is the stem of する, meaning to do.

Example

予約しします。

I do the reservation.

まし

mashi

[mah-shee]

polite past stem

Part of the polite past ending in a verb phrase.

Example

昨日は多くのことを学びました。

I learned many things yesterday.

た

[tah]

past tense ending

This ending completes the polite past tense form.

Example

空席がございました。

There were vacant seats.

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