Uses of 'すみません'


I came across many situations where the word 'sumimasen' was used:

  1. Apology
  2. Thanks and apology
  3. Making a request
  4. Getting attention
  5. Taking leave

Above are most common I could find, however, take following examples:

  1. Imagine that you are at the bank, sitting with a group of people waiting to be served at the counter. Suddenly, the man next to you is called. “Ieda-san! Omataseitashimashita (thank you for waiting)!” the clerk shouts, and the man responds with “sumimasen.”
  2. A woman goes to the department store to buy a new bicycle which requires her to fill out a registration card. After she fills it out, and the clerk assisting her checks it, the clerk returns it saying “sumimasen,” and of course, she replies, “sumimasen.”

At these two situations, I was very much confused as why 'Sumimasen' was used.
Could you please enlighten me up?




Using すみません is very important in Japanese and as you've noted, it is used in a
lot of **contexts**. (There have also been many questions here about it).

A few of the relevant ones to look at as references:

[What is the difference between すみません and
すみませんでした?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/20966/what-is-the-
difference-
between-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-and-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%81%A7%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F)

[Using すみません instead of
ありがとう](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1690/using-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-instead-
of-%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86)

[Usage of すみません (sumimasen) versus ごめんなさい
(gomen'nasai)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/317/usage-
of-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-sumimasen-
versus-%E3%81%94%E3%82%81%E3%82%93%E3%81%AA%E3%81%95%E3%81%84-gomennasai)

[Is there a difference between すみません (sumimasen) and すいません
(suimasen?)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1268/is-there-a-
difference-between-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-sumimasen-
and-%E3%81%99%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-suimasen)

# Etymological Definition

すみません is the polite negated form of すむ (済む). 済む means to "complete or end
something." At least to me it was helpful to learn this, because
etymologically what すみません or すまない (it's less polite cousin) mean is "I was
inadequate" or "I was unable to complete [x] / do [x]"

# Functional Definition

[JDICT](http://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93)
translates it as

> excuse me, pardon me, I'm sorry.

[Goo's dictionary](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/120120/meaning/m0u/) defines
it as

[code]

     The etymology of being the polite negation of 済む *plus* a phrase     
     that is employed to express thanks, imposition of a task, or that  
     I've done something wrong.
    
[/code]

This is not exactly identical to the English (or may be just my American
English?) "I'm sorry" as in "I feel emotionally terrible for having done this"
and "I **regret** having done this" in that in Japanese this phrase is used
all over the place for all sorts of things for which I have _zero_ feelings at
all.

# Application

The two examples you picked don't seem like the clearest ways to understand
すみません but the phrase is used a lot every day.

For the bank example, my sense as to what's happening is Ieda-san is
apologizing that he's about to make the clerk do work for him (or
alternatively that he's so blandly unidentifiable that the clerk has to yell
for his name rather than knowing who he is). Alternately, he is apologizing
for not having been able to take care of the matter himself and thus forcing
other customers to wait.

For the department store example, I would imagine the clerk is apologizing for
making her do something, and she in turn is apologizing for making him do
something.

  1. Apology - I am sorry I could not accomplish this.
  2. Thanks and apology - I am sorry I could not accomplish this [if you want to be thankful add ありがとうございます]
  3. Making a request - "I can't accomplish this on my own so ..."
  4. Getting attention - "I am sorry that I can't do this on my own and have had to get your attention"
  5. Taking leave - "due to my inadequacy, I can't stay until the end of what is going on"




Using すみません is very important in Japanese and as you've noted, it is used in a
lot of **contexts**. (There have also been many questions here about it).

A few of the relevant ones to look at as references:

[What is the difference between すみません and
すみませんでした?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/20966/what-is-the-
difference-
between-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-and-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%81%A7%E3%81%97%E3%81%9F)

[Using すみません instead of
ありがとう](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1690/using-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-instead-
of-%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%8C%E3%81%A8%E3%81%86)

[Usage of すみません (sumimasen) versus ごめんなさい
(gomen'nasai)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/317/usage-
of-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-sumimasen-
versus-%E3%81%94%E3%82%81%E3%82%93%E3%81%AA%E3%81%95%E3%81%84-gomennasai)

[Is there a difference between すみません (sumimasen) and すいません
(suimasen?)](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/1268/is-there-a-
difference-between-%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-sumimasen-
and-%E3%81%99%E3%81%84%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93-suimasen)

# Etymological Definition

すみません is the polite negated form of すむ (済む). 済む means to "complete or end
something." At least to me it was helpful to learn this, because
etymologically what すみません or すまない (it's less polite cousin) mean is "I was
inadequate" or "I was unable to complete [x] / do [x]"

# Functional Definition

[JDICT](http://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%99%E3%81%BF%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93)
translates it as

> excuse me, pardon me, I'm sorry.

[Goo's dictionary](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/120120/meaning/m0u/) defines
it as

[code]

     The etymology of being the polite negation of 済む *plus* a phrase     
     that is employed to express thanks, imposition of a task, or that  
     I've done something wrong.
    
[/code]

This is not exactly identical to the English (or may be just my American
English?) "I'm sorry" as in "I feel emotionally terrible for having done this"
and "I **regret** having done this" in that in Japanese this phrase is used
all over the place for all sorts of things for which I have _zero_ feelings at
all.

# Application

The two examples you picked don't seem like the clearest ways to understand
すみません but the phrase is used a lot every day.

For the bank example, my sense as to what's happening is Ieda-san is
apologizing that he's about to make the clerk do work for him (or
alternatively that he's so blandly unidentifiable that the clerk has to yell
for his name rather than knowing who he is). Alternately, he is apologizing
for not having been able to take care of the matter himself and thus forcing
other customers to wait.

For the department store example, I would imagine the clerk is apologizing for
making her do something, and she in turn is apologizing for making him do
something.

  1. Apology - I am sorry I could not accomplish this.
  2. Thanks and apology - I am sorry I could not accomplish this [if you want to be thankful add ありがとうございます]
  3. Making a request - "I can't accomplish this on my own so ..."
  4. Getting attention - "I am sorry that I can't do this on my own and have had to get your attention"
  5. Taking leave - "due to my inadequacy, I can't stay until the end of what is going on"

