How to Say ‘Excuse me.’ in Japanese
すみません。
sumi mase n
[sue-mee mah-seh n]
💬 Usage Tip: [すみません] is super useful: it can mean "excuse me," "sorry," or even a light "thanks for the trouble." A tiny phrase with big power.
🇯🇵 In Japan: In a taxi, starting with [すみません] sounds polite and natural when getting the driver's attention.
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[sue-mee]
excuse
Part of すみません, used to politely get someone's attention or say sorry.
すみません、と運転手さんに声をかけます。
You say, “Excuse me,” to get the driver's attention.
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite continuation
Middle part of すみません; it helps form the polite expression.
すみません、がとても丁寧です。
“Sumimasen” is very polite.
ん
n
[n]
final n sound
The ending sound in すみません that completes the polite phrase.
すみません、の最後はんです。
The last sound of “sumimasen” is “n.”
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