Ahh, and now we come to “sumimasen.” If you ever go to Japan or enter, say, a Japanese store, it is sure to be the most commonly heard phrase of all. It is the commonest way of apologizing, being neither “too” polite and ingratiating, or in any way rude. That said, I could probably make an entire page just with”ways of apologizing in Japanese.” There are literally at least 6 or 7 ways that I can think of off the top of my head that are used commonly. Probably these are the most common apologies you will find in anime:
- gomen nasai (more familiar)
- warui (rude/very familiar)
- sumanai (rude/superior)
- shitsurei (shimashita) (formal, more like “excuse me” than “I’m sorry”l)
- moushiwake (nai/arimasen) (literally, “I have no excuse”)
Of course, there are many more…
In the sound file, Esther says “sumimasen, kakka.” Don’t worry about “kakka” – it is just a fancy form of address equivalent to “Your Excellency.” She uses it because she is speaking to Ion, who holds the rank of Count (“hakushaku”).
Listen to Esther from Trinity Blood say “sumimasen, kakka”
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sumimasen = I’m sorry
kakka = Your Excellency