Japanese in 20 seconds
“お先に失礼します” — how to leave work before your coworkers in Japan
Leaving the office before others in Japan? Say “お先に失礼します” (literally “excuse me for leaving first”). Your coworkers answer “お疲れ様です”. At work, it's goodbye.
You say
お疲れ様です。
Thanks for your hard work.
You say
お先に失礼します。
I'm heading out first.
What it means
- Literally: sorry for going first
- At work
- = goodbye
Literally, it means excuse me for leaving first. At work, it's simply how you say goodbye.
Good to know
You leave with this one. The people who stay answer with: thanks for your hard work. Both sides covered.
Say it slowly
お先に失礼します
o · sa · ki · ni · shi · tsu · re · i · shi · ma · su
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