……
Usages of sumimasen
すみません が、 答え を 知らなかった。sumimasen ga, kotae wo siranakatta.
I am sorry (but), I didn't know the answer.
A:すみません。 B:いいえ。A:sumimasen. B:iie.
A: I'm sorry. B: No problem.
どうも すみません。doumo sumimasen.
I am very sorry.
どうも すみません。doumo sumimasen.
Thank you very much.
すみません。 お手洗い は どこ です か。sumimasen. otearai ha doko desu ka.
Excuse me. Where is the toilet?
すみません。 デパート の 行き方 を 教えて ください。sumimasen. depaato no ikikata wo osiete kudasai.
Excuse me. Can you inform me how to get to the department store?
〜て すみません〜te sumimasen
I'm sorry for ...
Test yourself: What does sumimasen mean?
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“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".
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning JapaneseMaster Japanese — from sumimasen to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
