A: ⹎㞞䞮Ợ ♦㔋┞┺. B: ⹎㞞䞮┺┞㣪? 㩲Ṗ 㡺䧞⩺ ▪ ⹎㞞䞮㬶.
A: I’m so sorry. B: Not at all. It’s actually me who should be sorry.
A: 㠊㩲⓪ ⹎㞞䟞㠊㣪. ㌂ὒ䞶Ợ㣪. B: ⶊ㓾 Ⱖ㝖㦚㣪? ⹎㞞䞶 ộ☚ Ⱔ⍺㣪. ㌂㔺 ⹎㞞䞲 Ị ⋮㰖㣪.
A: I’m sorry about yesterday. I apologize. B: What are you talking about? There was nothing to be sorry for.
Actually, I’m the one who should be sorry.
A: 㘮Ⰲ
Sorry. B:
⹎㞞䞮┺Ⳋ ┺㟒? Do you think sorry is enough?
A: ㌂㩫㧊 㧞㠞㠊.
I had some unavoidable circumstances. 䞲 ⻞Ⱒ ⽦ 㭒⧒.
Cut me some slack, please. B:
♦㠊, ⶦ ⁎⩊ 㑮☚ 㧞㰖. Alright. It could happen, I guess.
NOTE: 㘮Ⰲ, borrowed from English, is the lightest apology and can be used only to someone with whom one is on Ⱖ terms.
• Expressing regret in a formal setting 㧊⻞ ㌂Ị㠦 ╖䟊 㥶Ṧ㓺⩓Ợ ㌳ṗ䞿┞┺.
We are truly sorry about the recent incident. 㟧ῃ Ṛ㠦 ⹎㓺⩂㤊 㧒㧊 ㌳₊ ộ㦚 㥶Ṧ㦒⪲ ㌳ṗ䞮⓪ 㧛┞┺.
We regret that an unfortunate incident has occurred between the two countries.
4.5 ‘Excuse me but…
The difference between 㬚㏷ ⹎㞞䞿┞┺ and 㔺⪖䞿┞┺
The literal translation of these two expressions can be misleading because either can correspond to English ‘excuse me.’ In such cases, 㬚㏷䞿┞┺ offers a thankful way
to start asking for a favor; it is not really an apology. In contrast, 㔺⪖䞿┞┺ is restricted to the following three cases: 1 asking a personal question, 2 calling for
attention when entering someone else’s place, or 3 addressing a stranger
– all of which involve making an unwarranted imposition. In its third use, 㔺⪖䞿┞┺ can
be replaced by 㬚㏷䞿┞┺ if it is to ask for a favor, such as directions. ⹎㞞䞿┞┺ instead of 㬚㏷䞿┞┺ is used to a person you don’t know well, but is
younger than you are.
㔺⪖㰖Ⱒ ἆ䢒䞮㎾㠊㣪? Excuse me, but are you married?
㩖 㔺⪖䞿┞┺, 㞞㠦 ῂ Ἒ㎎㣪? Excuse me, is someone in?
㔺⪖㰖Ⱒ㬚㏷䞮㰖Ⱒ 㩚㻶㡃㦒⪲ Ṗ⓪ ₎ 㫖 Ṗ⯊㼦 㭒㔲Ỷ㔋┞₢? Excuse me, but could you tell me how I can get to the subway station?
㔺⪖䞿┞┺㬚㏷䞿┞┺, 㡂₆ 㧦Ⰲ 㧞⋮㣪? Excuse me, is this seat taken?
㬚㏷䞮㰖Ⱒ 㩲 Ṗ 㫖 㧶₦ ⽦ 㭒㔲Ỷ㠊㣪? Excuse me, but could you watch my bag for a minute?
⹎㞞䞮㰖Ⱒ ⌊㧒 ⳾㧚㧻㏢Ṗ 㠊❮㰖 㫖 㞢㞚⽦ 㭚⧮㣪? I’m sorry, but can you find out for me where our meeting place is tomorrow?
4.6 Expressing condolences and encouragement
• Expressing condolences in formal speech or writing 㞶☚㦮 ⦑㦚 䚲䞿┞┺.
Please accept my sincere condolences. ㌒Ṗ 㫆㦮⯒ 䚲䞿┞┺.
I express my deepest condolences. ㌒Ṗ ἶ㧎㦮 ⳛ⽋㦚 カ┞┺.
I pray that his soul will be blessed. • Expressing condolences in person
㠒Ⱎ⋮ ㌗㕂㧊 䋂㎎㣪. ⶦ⧒ἶ 㥚⪲㦮 Ⱖ㝖㦚 ✲⩺㟒 䞶㰖… You must be very sad. I can’t find the words to console you…
㿿ỿ㧊 䋂㎾㰖㣪. Ⱔ㧊 䧮✲㔲㬶? You must have been very shocked. It must be very hard on you.
㩲Ṗ ☚㤖㧊 ♶ 㧒 㧞㦒Ⳋ 㠎㩲✶㰖 Ⱖ㝖䟊 㭒㎎㣪 Please let me know anytime if there is any way I can be of help.
NOTE: A sympathetic look or silence might be all you can offer under some circumstances. In any event, 㬚㏷⹎㞞䞿┞┺ is to be avoided as it is not
equivalent to English ‘sorry’ in this situation. 㬚㏷⹎㞞䞿┞┺ can be used only to apologize or to thank for a favor, not to express condolences.
• Encouragement
A: ㌞⪲ 㔲㧧䞮⓪ ㌂㠛㧊 㧮 ♒㟒 䞶䎦◆, ệ㩫㧊㠦㣪. B: ⍞ⶊ ệ㩫䞮㰖 Ⱎ㎎㣪. 㧮 ♮㔺 Ệ㡞㣪.
A: I’m worried about the new business that we are undertaking. It’s got to work out. B: Don’t worry too much. It’ll be fine.
A: 㧊⻞㠦 㭧Ṛ ἶ㌂⯒ 㢚㩚䧞 㭓 㛪㠊. B: ὲ㺄㞚. ┺㦢㠦 ₆Ⱖἶ㌂⯒ ▪ 㧮 ⽊Ⳋ ♮㰖. 䧮⌊.
A: I completely messed up on the mid-term exam this time. B: That’s okay. You can make up for it on the final exam. Cheer up.
A: 㰗㧻☚ 㧮Ⰲἶ 㡂㧦䂲ῂ䞲䎢☚ 㹾㧊ἶ 㣪㯮 ṯ㞚㍶ 㩫Ⱖ ㌊ⰱ㧊 㞞 ⋲┺.
B: 㣿₆⯒ ⌊㎎㣪. 㱣䞮ἶ 䟊⦆ ⋶ ✲㔲 㢂 Ệ㡞㣪.
A: I got laid off from work and got dumped by my girlfriend. If it’s like this every day, I really have no desire to live.
B: Cheer up. After it rains, the sun will surely come out.
4.7 Extending an invitation or making an offer
• Treating someone to a meal
A: ᾦ㑮┮, 㔳㌂╖㩧㦚 䞲 ⻞ 䞮ἶ 㕌㦖◆ 㔲Ṛ ὲ㺄㦒㎎㣪?
B: 㔲Ṛ㦖 ὲ㺄㦖◆ 䞯㌳㧊 ⶊ㓾 ☞㧊 㧞┺ἶ? A: Professor, I’d like to invite you to a meal. Would you have time for it?
B: My time is okay, but how can a student have the money? A: 㔲Ṛ✺ ὲ㺄㦒㔲Ⳋ 㧊⻞ ⁞㣪㧒 㩖⎗㠦 㩲Ṗ 䞲䎇 ⌊Ỷ㔋┞┺.
B: 㟒, 㤆Ⰲ ὒ㧻┮ 㾲ἶ┺ Ṧ㌂䞿┞┺. A: If you are available this Friday evening, I’ll treat you to a nice dinner.
B: Wow, what a great manager Thank you. A: 㡺⓮ 㩖⎗㦖 ⌊Ṗ 㘶Ợ. ⶦ ⲏἶ 㕌㦖 Ệ 㧞㦒Ⳋ Ⱖ䟊.
B: 㩖⎗㦚 㘲┺ἶ? 䦶…ṧ㧦₆ ⧣㓺䎆Ṗ ➷₆⓪◆. A: Tonight’s dinner is on me. Let me know if there’s anything you want to eat.
B: You’re paying? Hmm… suddenly I’m hungry for lobster. • At a person’s house
A: 㹾Ⰶ Ị 㠜㰖Ⱒ Ⱔ㧊 ✲㎎㣪. 㧛ⰱ㠦 ⰴ㦒㔺㰖 ⳾⯊Ỷ⍺㣪. B: ⰱ㧞㠊 ⽊㧊⓪◆㣪. 㧮 ⲏỶ㔋┞┺.
A: There’s not much, but help yourself. I hope the food will be to your taste. B: Everything looks delicious. Thank you, I’ll enjoy it.
4.8 Telephone expressions
• Asking who is calling
͑
㔺⪖㰖Ⱒ 㠊❪㎎㣪 ῂ㎎㣪? May I ask who’s calling?
㠊❪⧒ἶῂ㔲⧒ἶ 㩚䟊 ✲Ⰺ₢㣪? Who may I tell him is calling? • Transferring a phone call
㩚䢪 ∪ ✲ⰂỶ㔋┞┺. I will put him on the phone.
㩚䢪 ☢⩺㡆ἆ䟊 ✲ⰂỶ㔋┞┺. I will put you through to the number.
㧶㔲Ⱒ ₆┺Ⰲ㎎㣪. 㧶㔲Ⱒ is formal-sounding compared to 㧶₦Ⱒ.
• Answering a phone call which has been transferred to you
͑
㩚䢪 ∾㔋┞┺.
