ごめん

interjection

may I come in?; hello?

Used when calling from the entrance of a home or shop; in modern Japanese this is most commonly heard in the fixed polite phrase ごめんください.

See also: ごめんください

• ごめんください、どなたかいらっしゃいますか。

  Hello, is anyone here?

noun

permission; leave; license

Older or formal respectful noun use meaning permission, leave, or license. In ordinary modern contexts, 許可 or 免許 is usually clearer.

• 古ふるい言いい回まわしの「御ご免めんを願ねがう」は、許ゆるしや退たい出しゅつの許きょ可かを求もとめる表ひょう現げんだ。

  The old expression 御免を願う asks for permission or leave to withdraw.

• 「天てん下か御ご免めん」は、公おおやけに許ゆるされたという意い味みで使つかわれる。

  天下御免 is used to mean that something is officially permitted.

noun

dismissal; discharge; being relieved of duty

Now chiefly encountered in fixed expressions such as お役御免, meaning that someone or something has been relieved of its role, retired, or is no longer needed. The noun is respectful in origin.

• この古ふるいプリンターは、今日きょうでお役やく御ご免めんだ。

  This old printer is being retired as of today.

noun

not wanting; objecting to; being fed up with; wishing to avoid

Usually used in the pattern 〜はごめんだ, meaning that the speaker definitely does not want something or has had enough of it. It can sound blunt or emphatic.

• 徹てつ夜やはもうごめんだ。

  I don't want to pull an all-nighter ever again.

• あんな思おもいをするのは二に度どとごめんだ。

  I never want to go through something like that again.