shitsurei 失礼

In Japanese, shitsurei 失礼 means "impolite," in the sense someone has done something impolite, but it can also mean "excuse me," in the sense you've done or are about to do something that may be impolite. (e.g. enter a room, leave a room, etc.)

Manga: "Assassination Classroom," Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 暗殺教室 (Chapter 1, 暗殺の時間)

• Kanji
• "Impolite"
• "Excuse Me"

Kanji

The kanji of shitsurei 失礼 mean "without," 失, and "manners," 礼, so "without manners," literally.

Some words that share these kanji are:

• rei wo iu
  礼を言う
  To say [my] thanks.
• kane wo ushinau
  金を失う
  To lose money.

"Impolite"

The word shitsurei 失礼 can refer to something "impolite," a "discourtesy," or even mean someone is being "impolite," "rude," when used alone. Grammatically, it's a na-adjective, so it can qualify nouns as "impolite" too.

• sore wa shitsurei desho?
  それは失礼でしょ？
  That's impolite, [don't you think]?
• shitsurei wo o-yurushi kudasai
  失礼をお許し下さい
  Please forgive [my] discourtesy.
• {shitsurei na} hito
  失礼な人
  A person [who] {is impolite}.
• Tanaka-san ni shitsurei dakara
  田中さんに失礼だから
  Because it's impolite to Tanaka-san.
  • This sort of phrase is used in the "let's not do that" sense.
  • Let's not be impolite to Tanaka-san.

Manga: "Assassination Classroom," Ansatsu Kyoushitsu 暗殺教室 (Chapter 1, 暗殺の時間)

• Context: anime.
• ...e
  ･･･え
  ...eh
• nan-suka?
  何スか？
  (contraction of...)
  • nandesuka?
    何ですか？
    What?
• soitsu semete kita uchuujin ka nanka-suka?
  そいつ攻めて来た宇宙人か何かスか？
  [This guy] is an alien who came attack [us] or something?
  • ...ka ...ka
    〇〇か〇〇か
    X or Y. (an alien "or" something in this case.)
    This is the ka か parallel marker.
• shitsurei na!
  失礼な！
  Impolite, [aren't you]?!
  • Rude!
• umare mo sodachi mo chikyuu desu yo
  生まれも育ちも地球ですよ
  [My place of] birth and rising is Earth.
  • In west Philadelphia Earth, born and raised.
  • ...mo ...mo
    〇〇も〇〇も
    X and Y, too. X and even Y.
    This is the mo も parallel marker.
• Koro-sensei is offended because he was called an "alien" even thought he was born and raised on Earth: a genuine Earthling. Totally not an alien. Nope. (or so he claims.)

"Excuse Me"

The word shitsurei 失礼 can also mean "excuse me" in Japanese. It's used when entering rooms, when leaving the table, when stopping talking to people to answer a call on the cellphone, etc.

The idea is that by admitting you're doing a discourtesy, you imply you're asking to be excused. Some related phrases:

• kore wa shitsurei
  これは失礼
  This is impolite. (excuse me)
• shitsurei wo itashimashita
  失礼をいたしました
  [I] did [something] impolite. (excuse me)