Polite to Stranger
Cultural · Communication
大変失礼いたしました。お許しいただけますでしょうか。 — I deeply apologize. Could you please forgive me? (Cultural · Communication, Polite to Stranger, JLPT N3)
You
大変失礼いたしました。お許しいただけますでしょうか。
たいへんしつれいいたしました。おゆるしいただけますでしょうか。
I deeply apologize. Could you please forgive me?
Romaji: Taihen shitsurei itashimashita. Oyurushi itadakemasu deshou ka. / Reply Romaji: Iie, daijoubu desu yo. Okini nasaranai de kudasai.
Reply
いいえ、大丈夫ですよ。お気になさらないでください。
いいえ、だいじょうぶですよ。おきになさらないでください。
No, it's quite alright. Please don't worry about it.
Gesture & etiquette
Deep bow (45 degrees), hold for 3 seconds. Avoid looking up during the bow — gaze at the floor in front. Soft, sincere voice. After the bow, stand and make brief eye contact to receive the response.
Shitsurei itashimashita' is past-tense formal apology — slightly less weighty than 'moushiwake gozaimasen' but more serious than 'sumimasen.' Use for mistakes that caused minor inconvenience or social discomfort (calling the wrong name, bumping into someone in a formal setting, interrupting). 'Oyurushi itadakemasu deshou ka' explicitly requests forgiveness — used when sincerity is paramount.