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.
Structure
[Verb te-form] + すみません
Examples
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
• 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.
More expressions
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