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    申し訳ございませんでした (moushiwake gozaimasen deshita) - past tense, 'I was extremely sorry'

    Grammar & Usage

    fixed expression
    very formal, highly polite

    How it works

    This phrase is a highly polite past tense apology. It combines 申し訳 (moushiwake, 'excuse/apology'), which literally means 'there is no reason to excuse', with the negative-polite form of ございます (gozaimasu, a humble equivalent of あります/です), and the past tense helper ました (mashita). The -masen deshita suffix indicates a past-tense negative-polite state.

    Sample sentences

    先日は、ご連絡が遅くなり、大変申し訳ございませんでした。

    I was extremely sorry that my contact was late the other day.

    お客様、この度は多大なるご迷惑をおかけし、誠に申し訳ございませんでした。

    Customer, we were truly sorry for causing you such great inconvenience this time.

    私の確認不足でご迷惑をおかけし、申し訳ございませんでした。

    I was sorry for causing you trouble due to my insufficient confirmation.

    Quick facts

    politeness:This is one of the most polite and humble forms of apology in Japanese, often used in business or formal situations for significant mistakes or when addressing superiors/customers. It conveys a deep sense of regret for a past action or inaction. It focuses on the state of being inexcusable or having no excuse.
    usage_context:Used for situations where one feels a strong sense of responsibility or guilt for a past event, and a simple ごめんなさい (gomennasai) or すみませんでした (sumimasen deshita) is insufficient.

    Mnemonic

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    Example

    先日は、ご連絡が遅くなり、大変申し訳ございませんでした。

    I was extremely sorry that my contact was late the other day.

    お客様、この度は多大なるご迷惑をおかけし、誠に申し訳ございませんでした。

    Customer, we were truly sorry for causing you such great inconvenience this time.

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