You’ll find a bit of overlap between saying “I’m sorry” and saying “Excuse me” in Japanese, but English faces the same issue from time to time. How often do you say “I’m sorry” when you really mean “Excuse me?” The good news is that means you probably already have a head start on these seven expressions!
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How to say ‘Excuse me’ in Japanese
The most essential expression for “excuse me” is sumimasen (すみません). You can use it after bumping into someone, calling out to a waiter at a restaurant, and pretty much every other situation you can think of where you’d use “Excuse me” in English.
- Sumimasen. Toire wa doko desu ka.（すみません。トイレはどこですか。）= Excuse me. Where is the restroom?
You can also use sumimasen—or a more casual variant like sumanai (すまない)—to ask someone to excuse you for an action. All you’ll need to do is conjugate the action into te-form and attach sumimasen to the end.
- Chikoku shite sumimasen.（遅刻してすみません。）= Please excuse me for being tardy.
3 polite ways to say ‘Excuse me’ in Japanese
In more formal situations, you may want to use an expression for “excuse me” that has a little more nuance. These three phrases are similar but are used in slightly different ways. Understanding Japanese honorifics will put you ahead of the curve with these ways to say “Excuse me.”
Shitsurei shimasu (Pardon me)
You can essentially use shitsurei shimasu (失礼します) as a more polite way to say sumimasen. It literally means “I am being/about to be rude.” If you’re about to interrupt someone at work or hang up the phone, that’s a good time to use shitsurei shimasu.
- Shitsurei shimasu. Oisogashii desu ka.（失礼します。お忙しいですか。）= Pardon me. Are you busy?
Ojama shimasu (Please pardon the intrusion)
When entering someone’s home, say ojama shimasu (お邪魔します), which literally means “I am interrupting” or “I am in the way.” It sounds a little self-deprecating, but it roughly equates to the expected greeting “Thanks for having me” in English.
- Ojama shimasu! Keiko desu.（お邪魔します！けいこです。）= Please pardon the intrusion! It’s Keiko.
Gomen kudasai (Excuse me)
While gomennasai (ごめんなさい) is a common way to say “sorry” in Japanese, gomen kudasai (ごめんください) is a way to politely announce your presence when you’ve suddenly dropped in on someone.
- Gomen kudasai! Tanaka san wa irasshaimasu ka.（ごめんください！田中さんはいらっしゃいますか。）= Excuse me! Is Mr./Ms. Tanaka present?
3 short ways to say ‘Excuse me’ in Japanese
Getting someone’s attention doesn’t require a long expression. Sometimes, a few short syllables are enough to let another person know you have something to say.
Ano… (Um…)
Have you ever tried to call attention to yourself by saying “um…” or “um, excuse me…?” That’s exactly what ano (あの) is in Japanese. You can also use it as a filler word when you’re mulling over your thoughts (you use filler words in English, too!).
- Ano, chotto ii desu ka.（あの、ちょっといいですか。）= Um, excuse me, do you have a moment?
Hai? (Pardon?)
Hai typically means “yes” in Japanese, but you can also use it as a short way to let someone know that you either didn’t quite hear them or that you’d like them to repeat themselves.
- Okaikei wa jūichiman en desu.（お会計は十一万円です。）= Your total is 110,000 yen (approximately $750).
- Hai?（はい？）= Pardon?
Chotto! (Hey, excuse me!)
Saying “Excuse me” isn’t always meant to be polite. On the contrary, you might really mean “Excuse you” when trying to call someone out for being rude. That’s where chotto (ちょっと)—which literally means “a little bit”—comes in.
- Chotto! Ittai nani shiteiru no?（ちょっと！一体何しているの？）= Hey, excuse me! What do you think you’re doing?
Excuse me! Would you like to learn Japanese?
Expressions like “Excuse me” are essential Japanese phrases for travel and other short-term engagements with the language. However, understanding the nuances behind the various ways to gently apologize, announce yourself, or get someone’s attention is also useful if you want to learn Japanese at a higher level. Learning good manners early sets you up for pleasant conversations, no matter how you plan to use the language!
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