How to Apologize in Japanese
From casual "my bad" to deep formal apologies.
Japan has a rich culture of apology, and the language reflects it. There are dozens of ways to say sorry, and which one you pick signals exactly how serious you are and how much you respect the other person. Getting the level wrong can make things worse — too casual sounds dismissive, too formal sounds sarcastic among friends. Mastering the right apology for each situation is one of the fastest ways to earn trust in Japan.
Casual
ごめん！
Gomen!
Sorry! (to close friends)
ごめんね、遅れた。
Gomen ne, okureta.
Sorry I'm late. (casual)
悪い悪い。
Warui warui.
My bad, my bad.
ごめんなさい、忘れてた。
Gomen nasai, wasureteta.
I'm sorry, I forgot.
Formal
すみません、ご迷惑をおかけしました。
Sumimasen, gomeiwaku wo okake shimashita.
I'm sorry for the trouble I caused.
申し訳ございません。
Moushiwake gozaimasen.
I sincerely apologize. (very formal)
大変失礼いたしました。
Taihen shitsurei itashimashita.
That was very rude of me. (formal)
今後このようなことがないよう気をつけます。
Kongo kono you na koto ga nai you ki wo tsukemasu.
I'll make sure this doesn't happen again.
お詫び申し上げます。
Owabi moushiagemasu.
I offer my apologies. (highest formality)
At Work
確認不足で申し訳ありません。
Kakunin busoku de moushiwake arimasen.
I'm sorry for not checking thoroughly enough.
対応が遅くなり、申し訳ございません。
Taiou ga osoku nari, moushiwake gozaimasen.
I apologize for the delayed response.
私の説明不足でした。
Watashi no setsumei busoku deshita.
My explanation was insufficient.
ご指摘いただきありがとうございます。以後気をつけます。
Goshiteki itadaki arigatou gozaimasu. Igo ki wo tsukemasu.
Thank you for pointing that out. I'll be more careful going forward.
ご期待に添えず、申し訳ございません。
Gokitai ni soezu, moushiwake gozaimasen.
I'm sorry for not meeting your expectations.
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