How to Say ‘Excuse me’ in Japanese
すみません
sumi mase n
[soo-mee mah-seh n]
💬 Usage Tip: Use [すみません] to get staff attention, or to say “sorry/thanks” in one handy word. Great for starting a payment question politely.
🇯🇵 In Japan: In Japan, saying [すみません] before a request is super normal and softens everything—especially at the register.
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[soo-mee]
sorry; excuse me
The start of すみません; used to get someone’s attention politely (common at a counter).
すみません、会計をお願いします。
Excuse me, could I pay, please?
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
sorry; excuse me
Middle part of すみません; together with the other tokens it forms a polite apology/attention-getter.
すみません、カードで払えますか。
Excuse me, can I pay by card?
ん
n
[n]
sorry; excuse me
Ending sound of すみません; completes the polite phrase used in shops and restaurants.
すみません、ここでタッチですか。
Excuse me, do I tap here?
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