
In Japanese, how you apologize depends on your relationship with the other person and how serious the situation is.
1. ごめんなさい go me n na sa i (or the short form ごめん go me n — used by children or with close friends and family, for small matters)
2. すみません su mi ma se n (or the casual すいません su i ma se n — polite; used with people you don't know well)
3. 申し訳ございません mo u shi wa ke go za i ma se n (very polite; literally "there is no excuse"; for business or serious matters)
Depending on severity, you can add 「本当に ho n to u ni」 before 1 or 2 ("truly… sorry"), and 「誠に ma ko to ni」 before 3 ("sincerely… sorry").
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