申し訳ありません
mōshiwake arimasen[mo̞ːɕiβ̞a̠ke̞ a̠ɾʲima̠sẽ̞ɴ]
In Japanese, "my apologies" is expressed as 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen).
申し訳ありません is a formal way to say sorry and express regret for a mistake or inconvenience. Use it when you have caused a significant inconvenience to a customer, a superior or a stranger in a professional setting.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun 申し訳, which means an excuse or a way to explain oneself and ありません, which means there is not or does not exist. Together, the phrase literally means "there is no excuse".
Which one should you use?
While 申し訳ありません is used for professional mistakes or serious inconveniences, ごめんなさい is much more casual and used with friends or family. For an even more formal and polite version, you can use 申し訳ございません, which translates to "I am deeply sorry".
How do you pronounce it?
mōshiwake arimasen
Did you know?
- There is a distinct difference between ごめんなさい and すみません. While both mean 'sorry', すみません can be used to say 'thank you' when someone has gone out of their way to help you.
- In Japanese business culture, saying 申し訳ありません is often accompanied by a deep, still bow. The depth and duration of the bow are as much a part of the apology as the words themselves.
- The word 申し訳 (mōshiwake) contains the verb 申し (mōshi), which is the humble form of 'to say'. This means the phrase is not just saying 'there is no excuse', but is more like 'I cannot even offer a humble explanation'.
Examples in context
- 連絡が遅れて、申し訳ありません。Renraku ga okurete, moushiwake arimasen.My apologies for the delay in contacting you.
- ご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ありません。Gomeiwaku o okakashite, moushiwake arimasen.My apologies for causing you any inconvenience.
- 返事が遅くなり、申し訳ありません。Henji ga osoku nari, moushiwake arimasen.My apologies for my late reply.
Example conversation
A client, Ren, calls Hiromi to apologize for a scheduling error.
- 蓮 Ren会議の時間を間違えてしまい、申し訳ありません。Kaigi no jikan o machigaete shimai, moushiwake arimasen.My apologies, I made a mistake regarding the meeting time.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫ですよ、蓮さん。Daijoubu desu yo, Ren-san.It is fine, Ren.
- 蓮 Renお時間を無駄にしてしまい、申し訳ありません。O-jikan o muda ni shite shimai, moushiwake arimasen.My apologies for wasting your time.
- 陽葵 Himari気にしないでください。Ki ni shinaide kudasai.Please do not worry about it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 申し訳ありません, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
