すみません loses its み in fast speech. You will hear すいません far more than the textbook form: from shop staff, coworkers, and comedians apologizing mid-bit. すんません is rougher still.
Everyday speech, even at work. In writing or a formal apology, use すみません.
Lost among people in very bold fashion, the speaker decides to ask the next person who comes by for directions.
Culture note The speaker uses Kansai dialect: よーわからん = よく分からない, 多ない = 多くない.
Oh, excuse me.
Textbookあ、すみません。「すみません」 loosens to 「すいません」 in everyday speech (the 'm' sound drops). Here it's 'excuse me' to stop a stranger.
A speaker happily thanks 'Bunny-san', the only person who ever praises them.
Oh, sorry.
Textbookあっ、すみません。In quick speech the "み" in "すみません" weakens to "い", giving "すいません". Here it's a light, on-the-spot apology.
At a restaurant, a staff member seats a customer, then turns to the manager with a question.
Oh, manager, excuse me, there's something I don't quite get, and I have a question right off the bat: what exactly is the Earth…
Textbookあ、店長、すみません。少し分からないことがありまして、さっそく質問なのですが、地球とはどういう…'すみません' loosens to 'すいません' as the 'み' slides into 'い' in fast speech. Here it's 'excuse me', catching the manager's attention.
During a photo shoot, one person says this works better with someone you're close to, and these two may not be close.
Oh, sorry.
Textbookああ、すみません。'すみません' softens its 'み' into 'い' and becomes 'すいません', the everyday spoken form; here it's a quick 'oh, sorry'.
One person suddenly starts throwing something at the other and wants them to throw some back.
Culture note Playfully splashing water or sand at each other on a beach is a classic romantic-drama date cliché.
Sorry, I've always wanted to do that, so I just got carried away.
Textbookすみません。憧れていたので、ついやってしまいました。'すみません' slurs to 'すいません' ('mi' becomes 'i'). Also casual: '憧れてた' (drops the 'い' of 'ていた') and 'もんで' for 'もので'.
One friend asks the other to recommend a curry restaurant, but the other angrily insists they don't know any.
Sorry, this guy seems to be in a bad mood or something.
Textbookすみません、この人はどうも機嫌が悪いようです。「すみません」 loses its m sound (み → い) and becomes 「すいません」, the everyday spoken form. The rest is casual too: 「この人は」 → 「こいつ」, 「どうも」 → 「なんか」, 「が」 dropped, and 「ようです」 → 「みたいで」, trailing off.
From other routines in the library. Automatic transcripts, not yet checked line by line.
すいません means “sorry / excuse me”, the spoken way. すみません loses its み in fast speech. You will hear すいません far more than the textbook form: from shop staff, coworkers, and comedians apologizing mid-bit. すんません is rougher still.
With friends: OK. With coworkers: OK. With a boss or teacher: careful. Everyday speech, even at work. In writing or a formal apology, use すみません.
In 1,905 live comedy routines, すいません appears in 865 lines from 175 comedians, and the textbook すみません in 349 lines.