Polite expression used to apologize, get someone's attention, or when interrupting. Very common in daily conversation.
すみません、駅はどこですか。
Excuse me, where is the station?
遅れてすみません。
I'm sorry for being late.
thank you; you shouldn't have
Used to express gratitude, often when receiving a gift or favor, with a nuance of apology for the trouble caused. Equivalent to 'thank you' or 'you shouldn't have'.
わざわざ来てくれてすみません。
Thank you for coming all this way.
お土産をいただいて、すみません。
Thank you for the souvenir; you shouldn't have.
もしもし is a casual, friendly way to call out to someone (sense 2), while すみません is more polite and works in almost any situation, including asking a stranger for attention.
すみません is more polite and versatile than ごめん, working for apologies, getting attention, and even thanks, while ごめん stays casual and apology-focused.
すみません is a casual, general-purpose apology or thanks, whereas 悪しからず is a formal set phrase used specifically to soften bad news or a refusal.
すみません is a casual, everyday apology or thanks; 恐れ入る is far more formal and humble, typically used in business or polite speech.
すみません is a casual to polite everyday apology, while 申し訳 is more formal and typically used in business or serious situations.
すみません is the standard polite way to call out to a stranger, while もし is an older interjection that has largely been replaced by it in everyday speech.