🦅 Project Eagle
Synonym Comparison

The Nuance Difference: "とります" vs "しつれいします"

Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.

Japanese Term A

とります

とります (torimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B

しつれいします

しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus

Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

In Japanese, both とります and しつれいします are often translated to English but have distinct usages. とります (とります (torimasu)) represents "to take (a photo, a class, a break, etc.), to grab, to pass (salt)" (Level: N5) and typically represents A versatile verb with multiple meanings depending on the context. Common usages include 写真を撮る. On the other hand, しつれいします (しつれいします (shitsurei shimasu)) translates to "Excuse me; Sorry to bother you; Goodbye (when leaving someone's office/home)" (Level: N5) and is used for Literally 'I'm committing a rudeness.' Used when entering/leaving a room, interrupting someone, or asking to pass by. It's a polite apology for a potential inconvenience.. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "とります"
写真を撮りましょう。
Let's take a photo.
Bilingual Sentence for "しつれいします"
お先に失礼します。
Excuse me, I'm leaving first.

Nuance Mastery Quiz

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "写真を撮りましょう。" (Meaning: "Let's take a photo.")
🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "とります" fits here because it represents "to take (a photo, a class, a break, etc.), to grab, to pass (salt)" in the context: "Let's take a photo.".