Is using ありません common when apologizing?


> 申し訳ございません

Oftentimes, I hear people say this when they apologize. Recently, I’ve learned
that you can also say

> 申し訳有りません

But I’ve never heard anyone actually say it in this form. Is this form common?




Yes, 申し訳ありません is perfectly natural. It's politer than すみません but less polite
than 申し訳ございません. Hotel clerks may stick to 申し訳ございません, and you should use
申し訳ございません in a serious formal apology, too, but there are cases where 申し訳ありません
is enough.

**EDIT:** For example, if you're saying "I'm sorry" to your close boss in the
same section, 申し訳ございません can be an overkill, and I usually say すみません or
申し訳ありません. Of course this largely depends on your workplace, so if everyone
around you is saying 申し訳ございません even in this situation, you may want to do the
same.




Yes, 申し訳ありません is perfectly natural. It's politer than すみません but less polite
than 申し訳ございません. Hotel clerks may stick to 申し訳ございません, and you should use
申し訳ございません in a serious formal apology, too, but there are cases where 申し訳ありません
is enough.

**EDIT:** For example, if you're saying "I'm sorry" to your close boss in the
same section, 申し訳ございません can be an overkill, and I usually say すみません or
申し訳ありません. Of course this largely depends on your workplace, so if everyone
around you is saying 申し訳ございません even in this situation, you may want to do the
same.

