We often say “Sumimasen” in Japanese when we apologize. In English, you will probably say, “I’m sorry.” In what other situations do you use this Japanese phrase?
Imagine you have to walk through a crowd. You may say, “Please let me through.” Now, imagine that you have received a special gift from your aunt. You may ask in surprise, “Did you buy this for me?”
You can use “Sumimasen” in both situations, but not “I’m sorry.” In the first situation, you can say, “Excuse me.” In the second, you can say, “Thank you.” “Sumimasen” has various meanings depending on the situation.
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