不错
bú cuò
Not bad
不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) — how to say "sorry" in Chinese
不好
意思
Sorry, embarrassed
Character composition
不
not
好
good
意思
meaning
Radicals / Keys
女
Woman
#38 · nǚ · 3 strokes
心
Heart
#61 · xīn · 4 strokes
一
One
#1 · yī · 1 stroke
Synonyms
Examples
不好意思，打扰一下，请问洗手间在哪里？
Excuse me, sorry to bother, where is the restroom?
不好意思，我迟到了。
Sorry, I'm late.
Mnemonic
[bù hǎo yì si-] sounds like "boo how ee si", a kitten named Boo who accidentally ate someone's cheese. Now he blushes and feels 不好意思. He meows: "Boo, how sorry I am — the cheese wasn't mine!" 🐱🧀
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "sorry" in Chinese?
"sorry" in Chinese is 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si).
What does 不好意思 mean in English?
不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) means "Sorry, embarrassed".
How is 不好意思 pronounced?
It is pronounced bù hǎo yì si (written as bu hao yi si, buhaoyisi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "sorry" in Chinese characters?
It is written 不好意思.
What HSK 3.0 level is 不好意思?
不好意思 is on the HSK 3.0 level 2 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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