五月雨式に失礼いたします

[mdchachi]

I encountered 五月雨式に失礼いたします in a business email today. Microsoft's embedded translator in Outlook says:
Excuse me for the May rain ceremony.
So I took a closer look at the email and sure enough that's exactly what the original text says. But I knew there must be some deeper meaning given the context. Google translate has a less literal translation:
Please excuse the ominous atmosphere.
But that doesn't seem to match the writer's intent. Deepl came up with:
If you'll excuse me, sir, I have to take a rain shower.
Or British English:
I beg your pardon in the manner of the May rain.

MS CoPilot seems to be able explain it though:
The phrase "五月雨式に失礼いたします" (samidare-shiki ni shitsurei itashimasu) is a polite Japanese expression often used in business or formal communication. It translates to "I apologize for the repeated interruptions" or "I apologize for the frequent messages." The term "五月雨式" (samidare-shiki) literally means "in the style of early summer rain," which is a metaphor for something happening repeatedly or intermittently.

And Perplexity did a good job as well:
The phrase "五月雨式に失礼いたします" (samidare-shiki ni shitsurei itashimasu) is a polite Japanese expression used primarily in business communication. It can be translated as "I apologize for the repeated interruptions" or "Excuse me for the continuous disturbances."

 

[thomas]

Gemini also figured it out.

Let's break down the Japanese phrase:

五月雨式 (samidare-shiki): This literally translates to "May rain style". However, in a figurative sense, it means "in a drawn-out manner" or "repeatedly". It's a reference to the continuous, drizzling rain that characterizes the rainy season in Japan.

失礼いたします (shitsurei itashimasu): This is a polite way to say "excuse me" or "I apologize".

So, the entire phrase "五月雨式に失礼いたします" translates to:

"I apologize for repeatedly disturbing you."

A more natural English equivalent might be:

• "I'm sorry for the repeated interruptions."
• "Please excuse the multiple contacts."

Contextual Understanding:

This phrase is typically used in business settings when someone has to send multiple emails or make repeated requests to the same person. It's a way to acknowledge that the sender is aware that they are causing inconvenience and to apologize for it.