Translation guide
Expressing apology, regret, or sympathy in Japanese depends heavily on the situation, relationship, and degree of formality. Direct translations of 'sorry' exist, but natural Japanese often uses different expressions for apologizing, expressing regret, or showing sympathy.
Saying 'I'm sorry' for a mistake, inconvenience, or offense.
Standard polite apology. Suitable for most everyday situations. Can be shortened to ごめん in casual speech.
遅れてごめんなさい。
I'm sorry I'm late.
ごめん、忘れちゃった。
Sorry, I forgot.
Versatile apology that also means 'excuse me' or 'thank you'. Slightly more formal than ごめんなさい. Common in service situations.
Very formal apology, used in business or serious situations. Literally 'I have no excuse'.
ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません。
I am very sorry for causing you trouble.
Casual, masculine apology. Literally 'it was bad (of me)'. Used among close friends.
悪かった、もうしないよ。
Sorry, I won't do it again.
Saying you feel sorry about a situation, not necessarily taking blame.
Expresses regret or disappointment. 'It's unfortunate' or 'I'm sorry to hear that'.
それは残念です。
I'm sorry to hear that.
Expresses sympathy or pity. 'I feel sorry for you/them'. Slightly more empathetic than 残念.
お母さんが病気だそうで、気の毒です。
I'm sorry to hear your mother is sick.
Expresses pity, often for someone in a pitiful situation. Can sound condescending if used directly to the person.
Showing compassion or understanding when someone shares bad news.
Common sympathetic phrase. 'That must have been tough.' Shows you understand their hardship.
事故にあったそうで、大変でしたね。
I heard you were in an accident. I'm so sorry.
Polite expression of sympathy. 'My condolences' or 'I'm sorry for your trouble'.
お気の毒に、何かお手伝いできることはありますか。
I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?
Expressing deep remorse, often in formal or written contexts.
Most formal apology. Used in business, customer service, or when addressing superiors.
ご不便をおかけして申し訳ございません。
We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience.
Literally 'I apologize'. Formal and direct, often used in official statements.
この度の不祥事について深く謝罪します。
We deeply apologize for the recent scandal.
ごめんなさい is a straightforward apology, while すみません can also mean 'excuse me' or 'thank you'. すみません is more common in public or service contexts. ごめんなさい is slightly more personal and often used among friends or family.
ごめんなさい、ちょっと手が離せなくて。
Sorry, I'm a bit busy right now.
すみません、駅はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the station?
English 'I'm sorry' can express both apology and sympathy. In Japanese, these are often separate expressions. Using ごめんなさい to express sympathy (e.g., for someone's loss) can sound odd. Use 残念です or お気の毒に instead.
すみません、間違えました。
I'm sorry, I made a mistake.
彼は仕事を失ってかわいそうだ。
I feel sorry for him losing his job.