How to Say ‘Excuse me, that is lovely.’ in Japanese
すみません、それすてきですね。
sumi mase n sore suteki desu ne
[soo-mee mah-seh n soh-reh soo-teh-kee dess neh]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Starting with [すみません] is very natural when speaking to a stranger, because it politely gets their attention before the compliment. It makes the approach feel less abrupt and more considerate.
Phrase Breakdown
すみません、
sumi mase n
excuse me; sorry
A polite way to start speaking to someone.
すみません。
Excuse me.
Words in this phrase
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
excuse me
First part of すみません, used to get someone's attention politely.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that's lovely.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
(part of excuse me)
Middle part of すみません; together with the other parts it forms a polite attention-getter or apology.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that's lovely.
ん
n
[n]
(part of excuse me)
Final part of すみません; completes the polite phrase excuse me / I'm sorry.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that's lovely.
それ
sore
[soh-reh]
that
Refers to something a bit away from both speaker and listener, or just mentioned.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that is lovely.
すてきですね。
suteki desu ne
is lovely; is wonderful, isn’t it?
The compliment itself, said softly and politely.
すてきですね。
That’s lovely.
Words in this phrase
すてき
suteki
[soo-teh-kee]
lovely; wonderful; nice
A polite compliment word for something attractive or admirable.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that's lovely.
です
desu
[dess]
is; am; are
The polite copula used in polite compliments.
それはすてきです。
That is lovely.
ね
ne
[neh]
isn't it?; right?
Adds a gentle, friendly tone to the compliment.
すみません、それすてきですね。
Excuse me, that's lovely, isn't it.
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