One Japanese Word Does the Job of Three
To say excuse me / sorry / thank you in Japanese, say すみません (sumimasen).
There's one Japanese word that means excuse me, sorry, AND thank you.
すみません
sumimasen
excuse me / sorry / thank you
In this video
- ひとつの言葉で、三つの意味。 Hitotsu no kotoba de, mittsu no imi. One word. Three meanings.
- すみません。 Sumimasen. "Excuse me / sorry / thank you."
- すみません！ Sumimasen! Excuse me! (to flag the waiter)
- 謝る、呼ぶ、感謝する。全部すみません。 Ayamaru, yobu, kansha suru. Zenbu sumimasen. Apologize, call, thank — all 'sumimasen'.
- 日本語、もっと簡単に。 Nihongo, motto kantan ni. Japanese, made simple — follow along.
Why this phrase
Sumimasen is the ultimate multitool — flag a waiter, apologize for a bump, or thank someone. The single highest-value word for a trip to Japan.
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