对不起
duìbuqǐ
I'm sorry
How to say "excuse me" or "sorry" in Chinese
不好意思
bù hǎoyìsi
Excuse me / sorry
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
不 (bù) means 'not', 好 (hǎo) means 'good', and 意思 (yìsi) means 'meaning' or 'sense'. Literally 'not good meaning', it conveys a sense of awkwardness or apology.
Variations and politeness
抱歉
bàoqiàn
Sorry — More formal and sincere than 不好意思.
对不起
duìbùqǐ
Sorry — More commonly used in spoken Chinese for apologies.
没关系
méi guānxi
It doesn't matter — Used to reassure the other person.
Mini dialogue
A
不好意思，我迟到了。
bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ chídào le.
Sorry, I'm late.
B
没关系。
méi guānxi.
It doesn't matter.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When you need to get someone's attention politely, like saying 'excuse me'.
- When you want to apologize for a minor mistake or inconvenience.
- When you feel embarrassed or want to express mild regret.
Avoid when
- For serious apologies where you need to express deep regret; use 对不起 instead.
- When you want to say 'excuse me' to pass by someone; use 借过 (jièguò) instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'excuse me' in Chinese?
You can say 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) to get someone's attention politely or to apologize for a minor inconvenience.
How do you pronounce 不好意思?
It is pronounced bù hǎoyìsi, with the tones: bù (4th tone), hǎo (3rd tone), yì (4th tone), si (neutral tone).
When do you use 不好意思 instead of 对不起?
Use 不好意思 for minor apologies or to express embarrassment. Use 对不起 for more serious apologies.
More phrases for this situation
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