Suimasen and Sumimasen: Japanese phrases for apologizing

What do “suimasen” and “sumimasen” mean in Japanese?

Japanese native speakers use “suimasen” and “sumimasen” to express their apologies. They use these phrases to mean ‘sorry’, ‘excuse me’, or such in Japanese. Probably, many Japanese learners know these phrases as both are often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain them in detail together with the grammatical background. And also, I will explain which we should use depending on the situation. My explanations would help Japanese learners apologize more confidently and appropriately. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “suimasen”
• Definition and meanings of “sumimasen”
• What does “sumimasen” literally mean?
• Suimasen vs. Sumimasen: which to use
  • Example: how to use “sumimasen”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “suimasen”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “suimasen”.

• suimasen – すいません : a phrase for apologizing meaning ‘sorry’, ‘excuse me’, or such in Japanese.

Japanese native speakers tend to use this phrase in casual situations. This is actually considered as the colloquial version of the other one, “sumimasen”. In more formal situations, therefore, we should avoid using this.

Definition and meanings of “sumimasen”

Next, let me explain “sumimasen”. The definition and meanings are basically the same as those of the colloquial version. Therefore:

• sumimasen – すみません : a phrase for apologizing meaning ‘sorry’, ‘excuse me’, or such in Japanese.

Japanese native speakers use this phrase in more formal situations because this has the grammatically correct pronunciation; the consonant “m” in the middle has not been omitted. Normally this is written in hiragana, but can also be written in kanji. And the kanji expression helps us understand what “sumimasen” literally means in Japanese. Next, let me explain it in detail.

What does “sumimasen” literally mean?

Below is the kanji expression of “sumimasen”.

• 済みません : the kanji expression of “sumimasen”, but this is rarely used today.

This consists of the following three parts:

• 済み : one conjugation of the verb, “sumu”, which means ‘to finish’, ‘to be finished’, ‘to get done’, or such in Japanese. In the phrase, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ませ : one conjugation of the auxiliary verb, “masu”, which is used after a verb to make it polite. Probably, it is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the phrase, this is used after “sumu” to make it sound polite.
• ん : one conjugation of the old auxiliary verb, “nu”, which is used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. In the phrase, this is used after “sumi mase” to deny its meaning.

From these three parts, we can understand that “sumimasen” literally means ‘not to be finished’ politely in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Japanese native speakers use the phrase to say, for example, “this phrase is not sufficient to finish what I’ve done” and express their apologies. Perhaps, this concept is similar to those of some English phrases like “saying sorry is not enough”, I think.

Suimasen vs. Sumimasen: which to use

So far, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “suimasen” and “sumimasen” in detail. Next, let me explain which we should use. Again, but “suimasen” is the colloquial version which lacks the consonant “m”. In formal situations, therefore, we should avoid using it. The correct pronunciation, “sumimasen”, is much better and more suitable. In casual situations, however, just saying “suimasen” is very understandable and acceptable. We should pick either one depending on the situation.

Example: how to use “sumimasen”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• to – と : a case particle working as a quote marker. In the example, this works after the clause to indicate what she said.
• kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
• ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• ni – に : a case particle used to say in which direction an action goes. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to say to whom she apologized.
• ayamat – 謝っ (あやまっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “ayamaru”, which means ‘to apologize’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “ayamat” to make its past tense form, “ayamat ta”.

This is a typical usage of “sumimasen”. It can work alone to mean “I’m sorry” in Japanese. When we want to apologize in Japanese, anyway, this phrase is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definitions and meanings of “suimasen” and “sumimasen” in detail together with the grammatical background. And also, I’ve explained which we should use. Let me summarize them as follows.

• suimasen – すいません : a phrase for apologizing meaning ‘sorry’, ‘excuse me’, or such in Japanese. Japanese native speakers tend to use this phrase in casual situations. This is actually considered as the colloquial version of the other one, “sumimasen”. In more formal situations, therefore, we should avoid using this. In casual situations, however, just saying “suimasen” is very understandable and acceptable.
• sumimasen – すみません : a phrase for apologizing meaning ‘sorry’, ‘excuse me’, or such in Japanese. This phrase literally means ‘not to be finished’ politely in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meanings, but still understandable, I think. Japanese native speakers use the phrase to say, for example, “this phrase is not sufficient to finish what I’ve done” and express their apologies. Perhaps, this concept is similar to those of some English phrases like “saying sorry is not enough”, I think. In formal situations, we should use this official pronunciation.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.