すみません

sorry, excuse me

Mnemonic

Ink down a stranger's white sleeve, and nothing you can say makes it even again. That unsettled feeling is すみません. And it works for squeezing past someone too.

Worth knowing

Does double duty: an apology, and a way to get a stranger's attention. ごめんなさい is warmer and more personal.

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Emaki is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Kaishi 1.5k or its authors. The word, reading and meaning come from the Kaishi 1.5k deck, used with their permission. The mnemonic, the note and the kanji breakdown are original work, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.