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失礼します and すみません。Is one form more polite or does it depend on the amount of
time involved before someone leaves a situation? It seems like 失礼しますis used in
preparation for leaving and すみません is used when actually leaving. I want to be
polite when leaving a conversation, and excusing myself. Thank you.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-07-04T12:18:45.273
49021
2019-09-26T13:12:29.257
2019-09-26T13:12:29.257
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question
words word-usage
What is the difference between 失礼します and すみません?
> It seems like 失礼します is used in preparation for leaving and すみません is used
> when actually leaving.

失礼します and すみません have different usage.

失礼します is a phrase that could be used in this situation. Because, it basically
means "Excuse me!", but it has also meanings like: "Goodbye!", "I'm leaving.",
"I have to go.", "I hate to run, but...", or "I've got to go."  
But, すみません means only as "Excuse me!", so it needs an additional phrase
meaning the reason to leave the situation in order to use it in this situation
like:

  * すみませんが失礼します。 
  * すみません。ちょっと席｛せき｝を外｛はず｝させてください。 
  * すみませんが急用｛きゅうよう｝がありますので。 
  * すみません。（携帯｛けいたい｝）電話｛でんわ｝が鳴｛な｝っていますので。
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-04T15:33:23.693
49028
2017-07-05T12:53:34.170
2017-07-05T12:53:34.170
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answer
Adding a little to what mackygoo says, it helps me to consider the characters
for the expressions.

「失礼」 means rudeness, a lapse of form, so to speak. So, 「失礼します。」 is rather
literally "I am rude." or "I am being rude." That's why you tend to use it
when you're climbing over people's legs to get from one car to the next on the
train.

「[済み]{すみ}ません。」 means "I can't clear this." Or, rather, "It doesn't end." In
other words, you need to be bothersome, or to interrupt something. So you
would tend to use it when you want to get someone's attention to ask
directions (「済みません、[道]{みち}を[教えて]{おしえて}いただけませんか？」) or tell them they've dropped
something (「済みません。[御落とし]{おおとし}[物]{もの}ではありません？」)

A phrase that is commonly used in the Kansai area is 「お[先]{さき}に失礼します。」(along
with 「[お疲れ]{おつかれ}[様]{さま}です。」). But I'm not going to try to explain it because,
as near as I can tell, the usage is rather dependent on the dialect. The use
in Osaka is definitely different from the use in Kobe. Keep your ears open for
it.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-05T13:27:33.143
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2017-07-05T13:27:33.143
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answer