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Breakdown of 〜te sumimasen
すみませんsumimasen
I'm sorry; pardon me; thank you
〜て〜te
verb suffix for forming the imperative, among other things
Usages of 〜te sumimasen
遅れて すみません。okurete sumimasen.
I'm sorry for being late.
メール を 送らなくて すみません。meeru o okuranakute sumimasen.
I'm sorry for not sending the email.
大きな 声 で 話して すみません でした。ookina koe de hanashite sumimasen deshita.
I'm sorry for speaking loudly.
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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