You have somehow screwed up with someone… and want to say sorry? Or maybe you accidentally did something wrong? Or maybe you did it on purpose but now regret it? No matter where you are, it’s always important to know how to apologize, and so is it in China. It could get you out of awkward situations, like say, if someone starts yelling at you and you’re… well, not quite sure what they’re yelling about or why they look so mad.
There are a number of ways expressing your apology in Chinese, and here let’s make things easier by listing out the 3 most common ones:
1- 对不起 – Dui Bu Qi
“对不起” is certainly one of the first phrase you should learn when studying the Chinese language, and for good reason. It literally means “sorry”, which is certainly a word you will use many times no matter what language you are speaking. It’s amazing how saying “对不起”can (sometimes) immediately defuse a tensed situation! So, consider “对不起” as the magic Chinese word you need to know first! It can be used in most situations where you’ve made a mistake.
“对不起” can be a classic apology that everyone uses. It may be utilized in most things if you’ve created a slip-up.
Associate in nursing apology strategy may be a linguistic expression or vocalization won’t to understand Associate in nursing apology. Because it may like shot ease up a scenario, this is often an excellent word to know! 对不起 suggests that “unworthy”, and conveys that means of “I owe you”. The foremost ordinarily used self-deprecating formula in American is (be) sorry, whereas the one that’s often utilized in Chinese apologies is 对不起.
Do note though’, that in some cases, 对不起 may be a powerful word to use, and may solely be used once you wish actually need to emphasize your own mistakes and want to invite forgiveness. As an example, you’d seriously use 对不起 once you understand you’ve sent the incorrect value to your client; and you’re aiming to get to re-confirm the worth with him or her. That creates you wish to invite forgiveness. UPDATE: Don’t use 对不起 for “light” things, like posing for a favor, or asking somebody for direction, “… 不好意思 (see #3) is far higher for that sort of situations! 对不起 cannot be used wherever you’d say “excuse me?” In English. Here are four examples wherever you must undoubtedly be victimization 对不起. Example 1: You absently tread someone’s foot within the bus.
2 – 抱歉 (pinyin：bào qiàn)
抱歉 (bào qiàn) is in our way to mention sorry in Chinese. 抱 (bào) suggests that hold, 歉 (qiàn) suggests that regret. There are 2 ways to translate 抱歉 in English. It will initial mean: feeling sorry Associate in nursing guilty for an inconvenience that you simply caused. It also can mean regretting one thing that happened to somebody.
”抱歉” is often a phrase that you’ll use to apologize for things you’ve done but feel concerned for it.
Here many cases wherever you’d use it: Example 1: You created an arrangement with a colleague however had to schedule, inflicting him to maneuver his whole schedule around. You say:
真抱歉给你添了这么多麻烦。
When you feel guilty concerning one thing, you use 抱歉. It suggests that “to apologize” in English. This word is especially used once you feel sorry concerning one thing dangerous that happened to others, and you would like to specify your regret.
抱歉 is a lot of doubtless to be utilized informal things like within the geographic point or used for somebody that you simply do not know all right and need to be polite with. 抱 bào typically suggests that to hug; here it suggests that to bear(feelings or emotions). 歉 qiàn suggests that the sensation of sorry or regret. Typically 抱歉 may be a lot of polite and formal manner of the way to act repentant in Chinese compared with 对不起 duibuqi.
3 – 不好意思 (Pinyin：bù hǎo Yi Si
Bear activity his eyes – feeling shy? Sorry? Originally, the word 不好意思 (bù hǎo Lolo si) didn’t mean sorry and simply meant “embarrassed and shy”. As in:
Now, but 不好意思 (bù hǎo Lolo si) is incredibly typically used as a lot of polite thanks to apologizing. As a sort of apology, it’s two meanings. You’ll be able to use it to mention sorry in Chinese concerning things or things that don’t seem to be too necessary, however, you continue to feel embarrassed concerning, like being late or rejecting missive of invitation. Example 1: It took you forever to induce to figure as a result of it had been descending and every one the taxis were full, and you had to require the underground instead (seriously this happens all the time in Shanghai). You say:
Another that means of不好意思 (bù hǎo Lolo si) in English is “excuse me”. It’s a proper phrase which will be wont to get someone’s attention once you got to raise one thing. Example 2: to form matters worse, you didn’t apprehend wherever the depot was.
不好意思 is employed as milder thanks to say “sorry” in Chinese. This phrase is employed notably in things wherever you’re feeling some form of embarrassment. Also, this phrase also can mean “excuse me”, particularly once you are perturbing somebody and making an attempt to induce their attention.
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When you’re voice communication 对不起, you’re just about admitting your error directly and apologizing for that scenario. So, in English, it’s translated as ‘‘sorry”. Like several expressions of feeling and requests, apologies also can be accomplished by differing kinds of methods. in step with Blum-Kulka et al. (1989), 2 main sorts of apology methods may be known, that is, direct and indirect. Once Chinese speakers use 对不起 to apologize, it’s going to be translated as I’m sorry, excuse me, pardon me, etc. in American, counting on specific contexts. 不好意思, on the opposite hand, is according to be used a lot of and a lot of wide in informal Chinese, that carries the same that means with 对不起 (Zhang, 2012). Additionally, compared to 对不起, Chinese self-deprecating formulas 原谅, 抱歉 and 道歉 are utilized in a lot of formal things during which a lot of severe offenses could be caused for the listener.