🙏😣

How to Say ‘Sorry for the inconvenience.’ in Japanese

ご不便をおかけしてすみません。

go fuben o o kake shi te sumi mase n

[goh foo-BEN wo oh KAH-keh shee teh sue-mee mah-SEH n]

🇯🇵 In Japan: Landlords and businesses routinely apologize like this even when the fault isn't theirs. It's a courtesy rather than an admission of blame.

Phrase Breakdown

ご不便を

go fuben o

inconvenience (as object, polite)

不便 (fuben) means 'inconvenience'. ご (go) is a polite prefix. を (o) marks the object. The 'fu' is soft, with air between the lips, not a hard 'f'.

Example

ご不便をおかけします。

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Words in this phrase

ご

[goh]

honorific prefix

Polite prefix placed before Sino-Japanese words like chuumon.

Example

ご注文をどうぞ。

Please go ahead with your order.

不便

fuben

[foo-BEN]

inconvenience

A situation that is not convenient or causes trouble.

Example

駅が遠くて不便です。

The station is far, so it's inconvenient.

を

[wo]

direct object marker

Marks the direct object of a verb.

Example

本を読む。

Read a book.

おかけして

o kake shi te

causing (you trouble)

おかけして (okake shite) is a humble form of かける (to cause, to impose). It links to the apology that follows. Say it smoothly: 'o-ka-ke-shi-te'.

Example

ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません。

I'm very sorry for causing you trouble.

Words in this phrase

お

[oh]

honorific prefix used in polite expressions

The polite prefix お makes the following word sound more courteous.

Example

お願いできますか。

Could you please do that?

かけ

kake

[KAH-keh]

to cause (trouble); to impose

Stem of kakeru; with meiwaku it means to cause someone trouble.

Example

心配をかけてすみません。

Sorry to make you worry.

し

shi

[shee]

し is the stem of する, meaning to do.

Example

予約しします。

I do the reservation.

て

[teh]

and; -te form

A linking form used to connect verbs to following grammar, such as progressive or polite forms.

Example

仕事を探している人と話しました。

I spoke with a person who is looking for work.

すみません。

sumi mase n

I'm sorry

すみません (sumimasen) is a common polite apology. The 'u' in 'su' is very light, so it sounds like 'smimasen'.

Example

遅れてすみません。

Sorry I'm late.

Words in this phrase

すみ

sumi

[sue-mee]

excuse

A stem used in polite expressions like apologies or getting someone's attention.

Example

すみません、コンサートのチケットについて聞きたいです。

Excuse me, I would like to ask about the concert tickets.

ませ

mase

[mah-SEH]

polite verb form (here part of 'sumimasen')

The polite auxiliary 'masu' in its stem form 'mase', followed by 'n' to make it negative. Together with 'sumi' it forms 'sumimasen', meaning 'excuse me'.

Example

まだ決まっていません。

It hasn't been decided yet.

ん

[n]

(negative ending)

Contracted form of the polite negative ending, as in ありません.

Example

今日は時間がありません。

I don't have time today.

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