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How to Say ‘Sorry, my friend is coming soon...’ in Japanese

すみません、もうすぐ友達が来るので…。

sumi mase n mou sugu tomodachi ga kuru no de

[soo-mee mah-seh n MOH soo-goo Tomodachi ga ku-ru noh deh]

🇯🇵 In Japan: This is a typical polite brush-off. Japanese people rarely say a direct "no", so treat a trailing excuse like this as a clear decline and gracefully let it go.

Phrase Breakdown

すみません、

sumi mase n

I'm sorry,

Here すみません softens a polite refusal. Pause at the comma.

Example

すみません、今日は無理です。

Sorry, today isn't possible.

Words in this phrase

すみ

sumi

[soo-mee]

excuse me; sorry

A polite attention-getter and light apology. Used to call a pharmacist/staff or to be polite before asking for help.

Example

すみません、薬剤師さん。

Excuse me, pharmacist.

ませ

mase

[mah-seh]

polite negative (part of ません)

「ませ」 is part of 「ません」, the polite negative form.

Example

はいていません。

I haven’t vomited.

ん

[n]

not

The final sound in the polite negative ending ません.

Example

できません。

I can't do it.

もうすぐ

mou sugu

soon

もうすぐ means 'very soon'. Lengthen the first vowel: moo-sugu.

Example

もうすぐ電車が来ます。

The train is coming soon.

Words in this phrase

もう

mou

[MOH]

soon (in もうすぐ)

With すぐ, it means 'very soon'.

Example

もうすぐ夏です。

It's almost summer.

すぐ

sugu

[soo-goo]

immediately; soon

Means right away or soon, often used by staff to reassure customers.

Example

すぐお持ちします。

I'll bring it right away.

友達が来るので…。

tomodachi ga kuru no de

my friend is coming, so...

ので gives a reason. Leaving the sentence unfinished is a gentle way to say no.

Example

友達が来るので、もう帰ります。

My friend is coming, so I'll head home now.

Words in this phrase

友達

tomodachi

[Tomodachi]

friend

A person with whom one is friendly.

Example

友達に会います。

I will meet a friend.

が

[ga]

subject marker

A particle marking the subject of the sentence.

Example

興味がある分野を教えてください。

Please tell me the field you are interested in.

来る

kuru

[ku-ru]

to come

Refers to someone arriving at a place.

Example

彼が今日来ます。

He is coming today.

の

[noh]

nominalizer (in ので)

Part of ので, giving a reason: 'because'.

Example

疲れたので帰ります。

I'm tired, so I'll go home.

で

[deh]

because (in ので)

Completes ので, a soft way to give a reason.

Example

雨なので行きません。

Since it's raining, I won't go.

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