How to Say ‘Excuse me.’ in Japanese
すみません。
sumi mase n
[sumi mah-seh n]
Phrase Breakdown
すみ
sumi
[sumi]
excuse me; sorry
First part of すみません, a common polite expression for apology or getting attention.
すみません、ちょっといいですか。
Excuse me, do you have a moment?
ませ
mase
[mah-seh]
polite negative stem part
Middle part of すみません. By itself it is not usually used alone here; it is part of the fixed polite phrase.
すみません、と言いました。
I said, “Excuse me.”
ん
n
[n]
n sound
Final ん in すみません. It completes the fixed expression.
すみません、もう一度お願いします。
Excuse me, one more time please.
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