申もうし訳わけ

も

う

し

わ

け

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Used in formal apologies and expressions of regret. Often appears in set phrases like 申し訳ありません or 申し訳ない.

ござい

ませ

ん

。

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.

謝しゃ罪ざい
謝罪 is a more formal, often public apology, while 申し訳 is used in personal, polite expressions of regret.
すみません
すみません is a casual to polite apology, while 申し訳 is more formal and often used in business or serious contexts.

From 申す (もうす, humble 'to say') + 訳 (わけ, 'reason, excuse'). Literally 'saying an excuse', it developed into a formal apology.