What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of two parts. お手数をおかけして literally means "causing (you) many steps" or "causing (you) many hands" (trouble/effort). The second part, 申し訳ありません, literally means "there is no excuse" or "there is no explanation" for one's actions.
Which one should you use?
While お手数をおかけして申し訳ありません is highly formal, you can replace the final part with すみません to create お手数をおかけしてすみません, which is less formal and more suitable for everyday polite conversation. For a general apology when you have inconvenienced someone or caused trouble, you can also use 失礼しました. If you need to convey a much deeper level of remorse, use 大変申し訳ありません to mean "I am extremely sorry". Finally, for informal situations between friends or acquaintances, you can use ごめんね.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お手数をおかけして申し訳ありません is highly formal and is suitable for business settings or when speaking to a superior. In contrast, お手数をおかけしてすみません is suitable for everyday polite conversation, while ごめんね is an informal way to say "I'm sorry" among friends.
How do you pronounce it?
otesū o okake shite mōshiwake arimasen
Did you know?
- In Japanese business culture, this phrase is often used even when the speaker has done nothing wrong. It serves as a social lubricant to acknowledge that the other person is spending their valuable time.
- The polite apology すみません is derived from a verb meaning 'to be finished' or 'to be cleared', implying that a social debt has been settled.
- The word 手数 (tesū) literally refers to the 'number of hands' or 'hand-steps' required to complete a task. It treats human effort as a countable resource being consumed by your request.
Example conversation
Misaki asks Kenta to double-check a document.
- 美咲 Misakiこの資料を確認していただけますか？Kono shiryou o kakunin shite itadakemasu ka?Could you please check these documents?
- 健太 Kentaはい、いいですよ。Hai, ii desu yo.Yes, I can do that.
- 美咲 Misakiお手数をおかけして申し訳ありません。Otesuu o okakeshte moushiwake arimasen.I am sorry for the trouble.
- 健太 Kenta気にしないでください。Ki ni shinaide kudasai.Please don't worry about it.
