{"id":70267,"date":"2020-09-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-10T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=70267"},"modified":"2022-08-09T18:31:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-09T09:31:52","slug":"gomenasai-how-apologize-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/gomenasai-how-apologize-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"Gomennasai and the Many Ways to Apologize in Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gomennasai<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(\u3054\u3081\u3093\u306a\u3055\u3044) is perhaps one of the first words that you will learn when you become interested in the Japanese language. But, gomennasai<\/em>\u00a0has many variants that offer us many possibilities to say, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>Below, we will learn some of the other variations of an apology, their meaning, and when to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Gomennasai,<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI’m sorry\u201d, can be used as a formal apology.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Informal and Formal Version<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The word\u00a0gomennasai<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is considered the dictionary form that means\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d and can be\u00a0used as a formal apology<\/strong>.\u00a0However, the shortened word,\u00a0gomen<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(\u3054\u3081\u3093), is also heard frequently in daily life.\u00a0Children and young people use this abbreviation as a colloquial way to ask for forgiveness. People also use it when they are in a hurry or\u00a0as a gentle form of expression among friends or relatives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Use Gomen<\/em>\u00a0for a colloquial apology<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Feminine Version of Gomennasai<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In almost every language, the younger generation change words in many ways.\u00a0<\/em>For example, the phrase\u00a0gomennasai<\/em>\u00a0became modified into\u00a0gomen<\/em>, and from there, became\u00a0<\/em>gomen-ne<\/em>\u00a0(\u3054\u3081\u3093\u306d).\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phrase is most commonly used by women<\/strong> and frequently heard from teenage pop idols. This form of an apology can be interpreted as sweet and cute, which can appeal to an audience if trying to gain sympathy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gomen-ne
Gomen<\/em>\u2013ne<\/em>\u00a0it is a cute way of apologizing in Japanese.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Masculine Version of Gomennasai<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the curiosities of the Japanese language is how they deal with gender \u2013 small changes can be made without changing the root of the original word. Again, we jump from gomen-ne<\/em> to gomen-na<\/em><\/strong> <\/em>(\u3054\u3081\u3093\u306a). Men most commonly use this phras<\/strong>e<\/strong> and is considered a ‘masculine’ form of an apology. <\/strong>Said in this way, one can casually deliver an abbreviated apology while sounding attractive to the ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gomenna
Gomen-na<\/em>\u00a0it is an informal apology normally used by men to apologize.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Other Ways to Use Gomennasai<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gomennasai<\/em>\u00a0is not the only way to say \u201csorry.\u201d<\/strong> For instance, when we use\u00a0sumimasen<\/em> in Japanese<\/a>, it’s another way to apologize or ask for one’s attention. However,\u00a0gomennasai<\/em>\u00a0is one of the fundamental words Japanese children learn from an early age. Japanese culture\u00a0focuses on showing deep respect and consideration for other people\u2019s own space<\/strong>. That is why\u00a0gomennasai<\/em>\u00a0is taught at an early age and used in any critical situation where it\u2019s appropriate to offer an apology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two useful ways to use gomennasai <\/em>are the following ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gomen Kudasai<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Gomen kudasai<\/em><\/strong> (\u3054\u3081\u3093\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044) is a mix of \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d with \u201cPlease.\u201d Together, they form the phrase, \u201cPlease, sorry for the inconvenience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This phrase is useful when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n