Japanese word

ごめん

Pronunciation

Romajigomen

Meaning

  • interjectionI'm sorry, sorry

Example

ごめん、遅れました。go me n oku re ma shi ta

I'm sorry I'm late.

Illustration for ごめん (I'm sorry)

More examples

宿題を忘れてごめん。明日は持ってきます。shuku dai o wasu re te go me n asu wa mo tte ki ma su

Sorry for forgetting my homework. I will bring it tomorrow.

電話に出られなくて、ごめんと伝えました。den wa ni de ra re na ku te go me n to tsuta e ma shi ta

I said I was sorry for not answering the phone.

Core concept

Marks a casual apology for a mistake or inconvenience and can also serve as a gentle way to interrupt someone.

Common phrases

  • ごめんなさいgo me n na sa i

    I'm sorry

  • ごめんねgo me n ne

    sorry

  • ごめんくださいgo me n ku da sa i

    excuse me

Similar words

すみませんsumimasen: A polite expression used to apologize or get someone's attention.
ごめんなさいgomennasai: A polite apology for a mistake or hurtful action.

Definition in Japanese

相手に迷惑をかけたことを詫びるときに用いる、くだけた言葉。ai te ni mei waku o ka ke ta ko to o wa bi ru to ki ni mochi i ru ku da ke ta koto ba

Word origin

The interjection ごめん (gomen) comes from 御免 (gomen, "pardon") and is the shortened casual form of ごめんなさい (gomennasai), a phrase asking for pardon.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, ごめん (gomen) is casual, while すみません (sumimasen) is commonly chosen when greater politeness is needed.

Other meanings

  • excuse meinterjection

Word lists with this word