How to Say “Sorry I’m Late” in Japanese

Ways to say it

Which one should you use?

There is a subtle difference between two common ways to express being late. 遅れてすみません focuses on the fact that you have deviated from a specific schedule or set time. In contrast, 遅くなって、すみません focuses on the passage of time, such as when a process or an event has taken longer than expected or when you are simply late because things became delayed.

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

The phrase 遅れてすみません is polite and suitable for use with teachers, bosses or strangers. For a more formal apology, you might use 遅れてしまいました。 or お待たせいたしました, which translates to 'I apologize for keeping you waiting.' If you are speaking to friends or family, you can use the informal versions 遅くなってごめん。 or 遅刻してごめんなさい。 or replace the polite ending with the informal 遅れてごめん.

How does it change in a sentence?

If you want to express the apology in the past tense (for example, once you have already arrived and the lateness is a completed event), you can change the ending to 遅れてすみませんでした.

How do you pronounce it?

okurete sumimasen