You're Eight Minutes Late. In Japan That Is Not a Little Late.
To say Sorry I'm late. in Japanese, say 遅れてすみません (okurete sumimasen).
Your guide has been standing at the meeting point since 8:58. Saying sorry in English is not going to cover this.
In this video
- 遅れてすみません。 okurete sumimasen. Sorry I'm late.
- 大丈夫ですよ。 daijōbu desu yo. It's totally fine.
Kanji in this phrase
- 遅れて
- おくれて
Why this phrase
Tours, restaurant reservations, meeting a local host: eight minutes is not a rounding error here, it's late. One short sentence fixes it, and the reply is almost always a warm 「大丈夫ですよ」, which is exactly why you should still say it. One takeaway: 「遅れてすみません」. Hana is the person who has been waiting.
Up next
Beginner
▶
You Walked Thirty Minutes to That Restaurant in Japan. It Needed a Booking.
yoyaku wa hitsuyō desu ka · Do I need a reservation?
Survival
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The Cashier Scanned Everything, Then Pointed Behind You and Walked Off. You Haven't Paid Yet.
achira de onegai shimasu · Please pay over there.
Beginner
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The Machine Just Ate Your Five Hundred Yen. Do Not Walk Away From It.
kowarete imasu · It's broken. It isn't working.
Beginner
▶
The Cash Machine in Japan Just Gave You a Note the Bus Will Refuse.
ichiman-en satsu demo ii desu ka? · Is a ten thousand yen note okay?
More phrases like this
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- Twenty Five Thousand Steps a Day in Thirty Six Degrees. Your Feet Give Out Before Your Japanese Does. · bansoukou
- Couldn't Finish Your Ramen in Japan? Ask This Before You Box It Up. · mochikaeri dekimasu ka?
- Sharing a Konbini Meal in Japan? Don't Forget This One Request. · o-hashi o ni-zen kudasai
- Two Food Stalls, One Crowd, No Line in Sight. Ask This. · doko ni narabimasu ka?
- Getting in a Tokyo Taxi? Say Where You're Going in Three Words · ~ made onegai shimasu
- Walking Into a Japanese Restaurant? The First Thing They Ask You · futari desu
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- You're Not Ready to Buy. Three Words Get You Out Gracefully. · mata kimasu
- The Place Is Packed. Ask This Before You Stand in Line. · koko de matte mo ii desu ka?
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