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JLPT N4Expressions

てすみません— Sorry for Doing (Something)

Apologizes for an action: the te-form states what was done, and すみません delivers the apology. Often in past form すみませんでした.

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Pro lessonUNIT 77 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb te-form] + すみません

Examples · 例文

  • 遅刻してすみません。

    Chikoku shite sumimasen.

    I'm sorry for being late.

    遅刻して (being late, te-form) + すみません

  • ご迷惑をかけてすみませんでした。

    Go-meiwaku o kakete sumimasen deshita.

    I'm sorry for causing you trouble.

    かけて + すみませんでした = past polite apology

  • 夜遅く電話してすみません。

    Yoru osoku denwa shite sumimasen.

    I'm sorry for calling so late at night.

    電話して (calling, te-form) + すみません — apology for the late call

Usage notes · 注意

  • Apology levels: ごめん (casual) < すみません (polite) < 申し訳ありません (formal) < 大変申し訳ございません (very formal).
  • てすみません links the specific action directly to the apology.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones てすみません is tested against.

vsてくれてありがとう

Same te-form + emotion frame, but opposite polarity: てくれてありがとう thanks someone for a favor, while てすみません apologizes for one's own action.

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