What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down to ご迷惑をおかけして (gomeiwaku o okake shite), meaning "causing [you] trouble" and 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen), meaning "there is no excuse".
Which one should you use?
While ご迷惑をおかけしてすみません is polite and common in daily life, ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません is significantly more formal and carries a deeper sense of apology. For a different context, お手数おかけして本当にすみません is often used in formal customer service settings or when asking someone for their assistance.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません is a highly formal and polite expression suitable for business settings or speaking to superiors. In contrast, ごめん、迷惑かけたね is an informal way to apologize when you feel like you have caused someone trouble or burdened them.
How does it change in a sentence?
The te form of the verb okake suru (to cause/inflict) is used in ご迷惑をおかけして to connect the action of causing trouble to the apology.
How do you pronounce it?
gomeiwaku o okake shite mōshiwake arimasen
Did you know?
- When saying ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません, it is common to perform a deep bow, as the physical angle of the body communicates the level of 'trouble' caused more than the words themselves.
- In Japanese culture, apologizing for 'trouble' can sometimes be used as a social lubricant to initiate a request. By pre-emptively apologizing for the burden, you show respect for the other person's time and boundaries.
- Japanese has a distinct concept called 迷惑 (meiwaku) that describes a specific kind of social nuisance, which is often considered a serious moral failing in society regardless of the intent.
Examples in context
- 大変ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません。I'm sorry to trouble you so much.This sentence is useful for expressing that you are sorry to trouble someone very much using ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません.Tatoeba #137269 by bunbuku, translation #54757 by CM
- ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありませんが、確認をお願いします。Gomeiwaku o okakeshite moushiwake arimasen ga, kakunin o onegaishimasu.I am sorry to trouble you, but please check this.
- 何度もご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません。Nando mo gomeiwaku o okakeshite moushiwake arimasen.I am sorry to trouble you so many times.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A client is calling a business partner to report a mistake.
- 美咲 Misakiご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ありません。Gomeiwaku o okakeshite moushiwake arimasen.I am sorry to trouble you.
- 健太 Kentaいえ、大丈夫ですよ。Ie, daijoubu desu yo.No, it is okay.
- 美咲 Misakiすぐに修正いたします。Sugu ni shuusei itashimasu.I will fix it immediately.
- 健太 Kentaよろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Thank you for your help.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
