ごめん
gomen
The Japanese phrase for saying "sorry casually" is ごめん (gomen).
ごめん is an informal apology used with friends or family for minor mistakes. You can also use 悪い (warui) as an informal way to apologize, which can be translated as "my bad" or "my fault" in English.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle ね to the end of ごめん to make ごめんね makes the apology sound softer and more personal, often used with close friends or partners. Using a rising intonation or an exclamation mark, such as with ごめん！, is common when apologizing for a very quick, minor mistake like bumping into someone.
How do you pronounce it?
gomen
When do people say it?
A common casual response to ごめん is いいよ (ii yo), which means "It's okay" or "No problem".
Did you know?
- The word ごめん is a shortened version of ご免, which originally referred to a formal permit or official exemption from a duty.
- In Japanese text messaging, people often write ごめん using a small 'tsu' to make it ごめんっ, which mimics the sound of a quick, breathless apology in person.
- In some regions of Japan, people use the phrase ごめん as a way to excuse themselves when leaving a room or ending a conversation, similar to saying 'excuse me'.
Examples in context
- Gomen, okurete shimatta! (ごめん、遅れてしまった！)Sorry, I'm late!
- あ、ごめん。A, gomen.Oh, sorry.
- 忘れてて、ごめんね。Wasuretete, gomen ne.Sorry, I forgot.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are hanging out at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、ごめん！コーヒーこぼしちゃった。Hiroto, gomen! Kohi koboshichatta.Hiroto, sorry! I spilled some coffee.
- 大翔 Hiroto大丈夫だよ。気にしないで。Daijoubu da yo. Kinishinaide.It's okay. Don't worry about it.
- 美咲 Misaki本当にごめんね。Hontou ni gomen ne.I'm really sorry.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ、全然大丈夫。Ii yo, zenzen daijoubu.It's fine, it's really okay.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ごめん, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
