How to Say “Sorry for Bothering You” in Japanese

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お邪魔してすみません
ojama shite sumimasen
The English phrase "sorry for bothering you" is translated into Japanese as お邪魔してすみません (ojama shite sumimasen).
This phrase is an apology used when you are entering someone's home or private space and interrupting their activities. While it functions as an apology for the act of bothering someone, note that お邪魔します is the standard set phrase used specifically when physically entering someone's home or office.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

お邪魔してすみません is a standard polite way to apologize for an interruption. For a more casual version suitable for friends or family, you can use お邪魔してごめんね. If you are in a formal situation and want to say "I'm sorry for being rude", you can use 失礼しました. If you want to say "I apologize for disturbing you", use お邪魔しました. To significantly increase the level of formality and sincerity for business or high-status individuals, replace すみません with 申し訳ありません to say お邪魔して申し訳ありません. Additionally, if you have caused someone trouble or made them go out of their way to assist you, use お手数をおかけしました to mean "I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused you". Finally, すみません alone can mean "Excuse me".

How do you pronounce it?

ojama shite sumimasen

Did you know?

  • The root word 邪魔 (jama) was originally used in a Buddhist context to describe internal and external obstacles that hinder spiritual progress.
  • The term お手数 (otesuu) used in the related phrase お手数をおかけしました refers to the 'number of hands' or the amount of work someone has performed. It treats the inconvenience as a measurable quantity of physical labor.
  • While お邪魔します is said when entering a home, guests typically say お邪魔しました (past tense) when leaving to apologize for the time they spent interrupting the host's life.

Examples in context

  • お邪魔してすみません。
    I'm sorry for bothering you.
    This sentence is useful for expressing the apology お邪魔してすみません.
    Tatoeba #4717925 by riumutu, translation #2793506 by CK
  • お邪魔してすみません、すぐ終わります。
    Ojama shite sumimasen, sugu owarimasu.
    Sorry for bothering you, I will be finished soon.
  • 作業中にお邪魔してすみません。
    Sagyouchuu ni ojama shite sumimasen.
    Sorry for bothering you while you are working.

Example conversation

Himari enters Hiroto's room to borrow a book.

  1. 陽葵 Himari

    お邪魔してすみません、本を借りてもいいですか？
    Ojama shite sumimasen, hon o karitemo ii desu ka?
    Sorry for bothering you, may I borrow a book?
  2. 大翔 Hiroto

    はい、どうぞ。何の本が必要ですか？
    Hai, douzo. Nan no hon ga hitsuyou desu ka?
    Sure, go ahead. Which book do you need?
  3. 陽葵 Himari

    あの、料理の本をお願いします。
    Ano, ryouri no hon o onegaishimasu.
    Um, the cookbook, please.
  4. 大翔 Hiroto

    これですね。ゆっくり読んでください。
    Kore desu ne. Yukkuri yonde kudasai.
    This one, right? Take your time reading it.

Sources

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Aiden Travis
Aiden TravisHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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