Saying “sorry” in Japanese is simple, but are you really conveying your sincerity? 🤔
From a casual “Gomen” to the formal “Mōshiwake gozaimasen,” Japanese has a wide range of apology expressions. And believe it or not, the way you say “sorry” can completely change how sincere you sound!
In this blog, we’ll break down the nuances of ‘Gomen nasai’ and other apology phrases so you can better understand how they affect the tone and impression of your words.
A single apology can shape the way others see you—let’s dive into the fascinating world of Japanese apologies!
Various Japanese Ways to Say ‘You shouldn’t do this’ and ‘I’m sorry
「こんなことをしちゃダメよ～（konnakotowoshichadameyo～）」「ごめんごめん（gomengomen）」
🙆♀️ Emotion Level: Not really angry, just a mild warning 📝 Explanation: A gentle way for a parent to caution their child. The soft ending “~” makes the tone friendly and warm.
「こんなことして…ダメじゃない？気をつけようね！（konnakotoshite…damejanai？kiwotsukeyone！）」「ごめんごめん（gomengomen）」
🙆♀️ Emotion Level: Still calm, but advising caution 📝 Explanation: Using a question form makes it less accusatory and encourages the child to think about their actions.
「こういうことをしちゃダメでしょ、ちゃんと考えてね（koiukotowoshichadamedesho,chantokangaetene）」「ごめんごめん（gomengomen）」
🤨 Emotion Level: More serious, emphasizing reflection 📝 Explanation: The phrase “Think properly!” encourages reasoning and thought before action.
「こんなことをしちゃダメって言ったでしょ？（konnakotowoshichadametteittadesho？）」「ごっめーん（gommen！）」
😕 Emotion Level: Slight frustration, but still controlled 📝 Explanation: The “right?” at the end reminds the listener that this is a repeated warning.
「こんなことして…ダメじゃない。何回言えばわかるの？（konnakotoshite…damejanai.nankaiiebawakaruno？）」「ごっめーん（gommen！）」
😤 Emotion Level: Slight irritation, expressing repetition 📝 Explanation: The phrase “How many times do I have to tell you?” emphasizes frustration over repeated mistakes.
「こういうことをしちゃダメでしょ、ちゃんとやめなさい（koiukotowoshichadamedesho,chantoyamenasai！）」「ごっめーん（gommen！）」
😠 Emotion Level: Anger increasing, demanding immediate action 📝 Explanation: “Stop properly!” is a stronger command, requiring immediate action.
「こんなことをしちゃダメって何度言ったら分かるの！？（konnakotowoshichadamettenandoittarawakaruno！？）」「ごめんなさい（gomennasai）」
😡 Emotion Level: Strong frustration, repeated warning reaching a limit 📝 Explanation: The phrase clearly shows anger due to repetition.
「こんなことして！ダメじゃない！！やめなさい！！（konnakotoshite！damejanai！！yamenasai！！）」「ごめんなさい（gomennasai）」
🔥 Emotion Level: Very angry, commanding immediate cessation 📝 Explanation: Short, firm sentences convey urgency and strong disapproval.
「こういうことをしちゃダメでしょ！いい加減にして！！（koiukotowoshichadamedesho！iikagennishite！！）」「ごめんなさい（gomennasai）」
😤 Emotion Level: Frustration has peaked, final warning 📝 Explanation: “Enough already!!” expresses the limit of patience.
「こんなことをしちゃダメって言ってるでしょうが！！（konnakotowoshichadametteitterudeshoga！！）」「ごめんなさい！（gomennasai！）」
💢 Emotion Level: Fully angry, almost yelling 📝 Explanation: “I told you!!” strongly reinforces that this was already warned multiple times.
「こんなことして！！ダメじゃない！！絶対に許さない！！（konnakotoshite！！damejanai！！zettainiyurusanai！！）」「ごめんなさい！（gomennasai！）」
🚨 Emotion Level: Extreme anger, decision to never forgive 📝 Explanation: “Never forgive!!” expresses an absolute refusal to accept the action.
「こういうことをしちゃダメでしょ！！！もう我慢の限界よ！！（koiukotowoshichadamedesho！！！mogamannogenkaiyo！！）」「ごめんなさい！（gomennasai！）」
💀 Emotion Level: Complete loss of patience, total frustration 📝 Explanation: “I can’t take it anymore!!!” represents emotional exhaustion and final anger.
Credit
Picture By 「いらすとや（https://www.irasutoya.com/）」
Voice By 「ondoku3.com（https://ondoku3.com/）」
Voice By 「あみたろの声素材工房（https://amitaro.net/）」
