申し訳

• Reading: もうしわけ
• Romaji: moushiwake
• Kanji breakdown: 申 (shin/mō) — humbly say; 訳 (yaku/wake) — reason, explanation
• Pronunciation: /moː.ɕi.wa.ke/

Meaning

Apology; excuse. Most commonly used in the expression 'there is no excuse' to convey sincere regret.

A noun most frequently encountered in the set phrases 申し訳ない (informal) and 申し訳ありません / 申し訳ございません (formal). Literally means 'something to say in one's defence.' When negated (申し訳ない), it becomes one of the most important apology expressions in Japanese, conveying that one has no excuse for the inconvenience caused.

Examples

1. 遅れてしまい、申し訳ありません。 I'm sorry for being late.
2. 申し訳ないけど、明日の予定を変更してもいい？ I'm sorry, but would it be okay to change tomorrow's plans?
3. お客様にご迷惑をおかけして、申し訳ございません。 We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to our customers.

Usage Guide

Context: apologies, business, customer service

Tone: apologetic

Origin & History

Compound of 申す (mōsu, humble form of 'to say') and 訳 (wake, reason/explanation). Literally 'something to humbly state as an explanation' — when negated, it means there is nothing one can say to justify the situation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal