謝る
ayamaru[a̠ja̠ma̠ɾɯ̟]
To say sorry in Japanese is to 謝る (ayamaru).
The verb 謝る is used to describe the action of apologizing, where one person is the subject performing the act of apologizing to another person. While 謝る describes the act itself, there are various specific phrases used to actually perform the apology depending on the situation, such as すみません (I'm sorry / excuse me), ごめんなさい (I'm sorry) or 申し訳ございません (I deeply apologize / I'm sincerely sorry).
How does it change in a sentence?
To tell someone to apologize politely, use the form 謝ってください.
How do you pronounce it?
ayamaru
Did you know?
- While すみません is used to say 'sorry', it is also the most common way to say 'thank you' when someone has gone out of their way to help you. It acknowledges the trouble the other person took on your behalf.
- In Japanese business culture, an apology is often used as a social lubricant to maintain harmony rather than an admission of guilt. A person may 謝る simply to acknowledge that a situation is inconvenient, even if they did nothing wrong.
- The phrase 申し訳ございません literally translates to 'there is no excuse/explanation', effectively telling the listener that you have no defense for your actions.
Examples in context
- 間違いを素直に謝るべきです。machigai o sunao ni ayamaru beki desu.You should honestly apologize for your mistake.
- もっと誠実に謝るべきだよ。motto seijitsu ni ayamaru beki da yo.You should apologize more sincerely.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about a fight with a friend.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔に謝るつもりはある？Hiroto ni ayamaru tsumori wa aru?Do you intend to apologize to Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、明日謝るよ。Un, ashita ayamaru yo.Yeah, I'll apologize tomorrow.
- 美咲 Misakiそうしたほうがいいよ。Sou shita hou ga ii yo.It's better to do that.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかってるよ。Wakatteru yo.I know.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 謝る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
