失礼します
shitsurei shimasupolite, business
On the phone, Japanese people usually end a call with 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu), "excuse me for hanging up". It is the polite standard in business and with strangers. It is also called では、また (dewa, mata) and じゃあね (jaa ne).
Meaning: ending a phone call (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 失礼します | shitsurei shimasu | polite, business |
| では、また | dewa, mata | casual |
| じゃあね | jaa ne | casual, friends |
Business calls often end with よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu) and then 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu). With friends, people say じゃあね (jaa ne) or またね (mata ne).
Which one should you use?
The word さようなら (sayounara) is not normally used to end phone calls, because it sounds final.
When do people say it?
In business, it is polite to let the caller hang up first, or to wait a moment before ending the call.
Did you know?
- Japanese phone etiquette treats the end of a call as part of the conversation, so a short bow is common even though the other person cannot see it.
Examples in context
- では、失礼します。Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.Well then, goodbye.
- よろしくお願いします。失礼します。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Shitsurei shimasu.Thank you in advance. Goodbye.
- じゃあね、また電話する。Jaa ne, mata denwa suru.Bye, I will call again.
Example conversation
Office worker Sato ends a call with a client, Mr. Yamada.
- Satoご連絡ありがとうございました。Gorenraku arigatou gozaimashita.Thank you for contacting us.
- Yamadaこちらこそ。よろしくお願いします。Kochira koso. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Likewise. Thank you.
- Sato失礼します。Shitsurei shimasu.Goodbye.
