Apologizing is crucial in any culture, and it's especially important to know how to apologize correctly when you're in a different country. In Japan, understanding how to properly say sorry can make a big difference in your interactions and relationships. Apologies are a key part of Japanese etiquette, and knowing the right way to express them can show your respect and understanding of the culture. In this post, I'll walk you through various types of apologies in Japanese and when to use them.



This is the most common and probably familiar word. It's used when the speaker has done something wrong and wants to apologize for it.

Its informal variant is ごめん, and sometimes you might hear a double ごめん、ごめん, which can come off as somewhat playful and not taken as seriously.


The second most popular and likely the most frequently used is すみません. This word is often used when the speaker wants to ask something, didn't understand something, or simply wants to attract attention, like calling a waiter in a café.

However, すみません is also used for sincere apologies, but unlike ごめんなさい, it is used in more formal situations, such as at work or when you step on someone's foot in public transport.


The word 悪い in Japanese means "bad."

「ごめん、悪かった」 can be translated as "Sorry, my bad" or "I did something wrong." 悪かった is the past tense form of 悪い (remember that adjectives in Japanese have tenses and negative forms).

In casual conversations with friends, when the apology isn't very serious, you might also hear the doubled version: 悪い、悪い [warui, warui].


失礼 is an adjective that means "rude," and します is the formal version of する, to do. しました is the same in the past tense, meaning "did."

Literally, this phrase means "I am being rude" or "I was rude," which makes it a perfect fit for apologies, doesn't it?

This is a very formal phrase, often used by employees serving customers in hotels, banks, restaurants, and so on.


This is the most complex and formal way to apologize.

申す (mousu) means "to say" and is used in keigo, or highly formal Japanese.

訳 (wake) means "reason," and in this context, it can be interpreted as "excuse."

ありません (arimasen) means "there isn't."

You can combine this into a phrase meaning, "There isn't an excuse I can say."

These are very serious apologies and are used in two situations:
1. When we've done something so terrible that we don't believe we can be forgiven.
2. In very formal language, especially in customer service or speaking with someone of very high status.

Now you know how to apologize in various situations, which is very important! Try to remember all the phrases and words, and keep in mind that there are other variants too. So don't be surprised when you hear すまん instead of すみません, or an even more formal 申し訳ございません...

That's all for now, またね！