Why there is no single phrase
Japanese politeness often sits at the start of a request, in a cushion phrase that prepares the listener. Which cushion fits depends on what you are doing: interrupting, entering, adding work or intruding at a bad time.
Getting the cushion right matters more than the exact request wording. A plain request after a good opener sounds polite; an elaborate request without one can sound abrupt.
| What you are doing | Opener to use | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a stranger's or customer's attention | The polite I'm sorry to trouble you | Polite, service and business |
| Interrupting someone who is busy | Sorry to bother you when you are busy | Polite, workplace |
| Entering an office or meeting room | Excuse me for coming in | Polite, workplace and school |
| Entering someone's home | Sorry to intrude | Polite, social |
| Asking for something that creates work | Sorry for the trouble, but | Polite, often written |
Osoreirimasu: the polite opener
Osoreirimasu is a humble phrase that expresses feeling awkward about troubling someone. It is the natural start to a question or request to a customer, a client or anyone you want to treat formally.
You will hear it constantly from staff, and using it yourself instantly raises the politeness of what follows.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恐れ入ります。 | Osoreirimasu. | Excuse me, I'm sorry to trouble you |
| 恐れ入りますが、少々よろしいでしょうか。 | Osoreirimasu ga, shōshō yoroshii deshō ka. | Sorry to bother you, but do you have a moment? |
| 恐れ入りますが、お名前をお伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか。 | Osoreirimasu ga, o-namae o o-ukagai shite mo yoroshii deshō ka. | Excuse me, may I ask your name? |
| 恐れ入りますが、もう一度お願いできますか。 | Osoreirimasu ga, mō ichido onegai dekimasu ka. | I'm sorry, could you say that once more? |
When someone is busy
O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen means sorry, at a time when you are busy. It acknowledges the interruption itself, which makes it the right opener with a colleague at their desk or a superior between meetings.
With peers you can shorten it to chotto ii desu ka, and with friends ima daijōbu is enough.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お忙しいところすみません。 | O-isogashii tokoro sumimasen. | Sorry to bother you when you're busy |
| お忙しいところ申し訳ありません。 | O-isogashii tokoro mōshiwake arimasen. | I'm very sorry to interrupt while you're busy |
| ちょっといいですか。 | Chotto ii desu ka. | Got a minute?: to a colleague |
| 今、大丈夫？ | Ima, daijōbu? | Is now okay?: casual |
| お時間があるときで大丈夫です。 | O-jikan ga aru toki de daijōbu desu. | Whenever you have time is fine |
Entering a room or a home
Entering has its own phrases. At an office door, a teacher's room or a meeting room, knock and say shitsurei shimasu as you go in, and again as you leave.
At someone's home the phrase is ojama shimasu, literally I will be in your way, and ojama shimashita on the way out.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 失礼します。 | Shitsurei shimasu. | Excuse me: entering or leaving a room |
| 失礼いたします。 | Shitsurei itashimasu. | Excuse me: more formal |
| お邪魔します。 | Ojama shimasu. | Sorry to intrude: entering a home |
| お邪魔しました。 | Ojama shimashita. | Thank you for having me: leaving a home |
Adding work or calling at a bad time
When your request creates work for someone, otesū desu ga or otesū o okake shimasu ga goes before it. When you are intruding on their time, such as a late call or a weekend message, name the time itself.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お手数ですが、ご確認ください。 | Otesū desu ga, go-kakunin kudasai. | Sorry for the trouble, but please check this |
| ご迷惑をおかけしてすみません。 | Go-meiwaku o okake shite sumimasen. | Sorry for the inconvenience |
| 夜分遅くにすみません。 | Yabun osoku ni sumimasen. | Sorry to call so late at night |
| お休みのところすみません。 | O-yasumi no tokoro sumimasen. | Sorry to bother you on your day off |
Emails and chat
Written Japanese has fixed cushion phrases for the same idea. They sit at the start of the request paragraph, after the opening greeting.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、 | O-isogashii tokoro kyōshuku desu ga, | I know you are busy, but |
| 突然のご連絡失礼いたします。 | Totsuzen no go-renraku shitsurei itashimasu. | Please excuse this sudden message |
| お手数をおかけしますが、よろしくお願いいたします。 | Otesū o okake shimasu ga, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. | Sorry for the trouble, and thank you in advance |
Making the opener a habit
The opener has to come out before you think about the request, which only happens with repetition in realistic moments. Unihongo's roleplay missions give you several: Call Work About a Train Delay starts with interrupting a busy morning, and Win Support Before the Meeting asks you to approach colleagues who have their own work.
After each conversation, the corrections in the session report can show where a request came out without a cushion, which is an error native speakers notice quickly.
- Stranger or customer: osoreirimasu ga.
- Busy colleague or superior: o-isogashii tokoro sumimasen.
- Entering a room: shitsurei shimasu.
- Entering a home: ojama shimasu.
- Creating work: otesū desu ga.