Significado
Used to get someone's attention or to politely apologize for a minor interruption.
Banco de ejercicios
3 ejerciciosTo politely get someone's attention in Japanese, you would say, 「___、すみません。」
If you want to politely apologize for a minor interruption in Japanese, you might say, 「あのう、___。」
Complete the phrase used to politely get someone's attention or apologize for a minor interruption: 「___、___。」
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The etymology of 'sumimasen' is interesting. It comes from the verb 'sumu' (済む), which means 'to end,' 'to be over,' or 'to be settled.' The negative form 'sumimasen' literally means 'it does not end' or 'it is not settled.' In this context, it implies that the situation or the feeling of indebtedness/apology is not yet resolved or cannot be fully settled. It's a humble way of acknowledging a slight inconvenience or seeking forgiveness, suggesting that one cannot fully atone for it. Over time, it evolved into a general all-purpose apology, expression of gratitude (in certain contexts, like 'thank you for your trouble'), and a way to politely get someone's attention. The 'anou' (あのう) is an interjection used to soften the speech, indicate hesitation, or draw attention before making a request or statement. It doesn't have a direct etymology in the same way 'sumimasen' does but functions as a conversational filler or discourse marker to make the interaction smoother and more polite.
