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How to Say ‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’ in Japanese

すみません、お待たせしました。

sumi mase n o mata se shi mashi ta

[soo-mee mah-seh n oh mah-tah seh shee mah-shee tah]

Phrase Breakdown

すみません、

sumi mase n

I'm sorry,

すみません is used here as an apology. The 'su' is soft.

Example

すみません、遅れました。

I'm sorry, I'm late.

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]

negative ending

The final sound completing the negative polite form.

Example

一人は魚が食べられません。

One person cannot eat fish.

お待たせしました。

o mata se shi mashi ta

to have kept you waiting.

A set polite phrase for when someone waited for you. Say it smoothly: o-ma-ta-se shi-ma-shi-ta.

Example

はい、お待たせしました。

Here you are, sorry for the wait.

Words in this phrase

お

[oh]

honorific prefix

お adds politeness to certain words and expressions.

Example

チケットを二枚お願いします。

Two tickets, please.

待た

mata

[mah-tah]

kept waiting

Part of 待たせる, meaning to make someone wait.

Example

長く待たせてすみません。

Sorry for making you wait a long time.

せ

[seh]

causative marker (part)

Part of the causative ending (〜せる) meaning “let/make (someone) do.”

Example

きょうは家で休ませます。

Today, I will let them rest at home.

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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