The Art of Saying Sorry in Chinese
What is the easiest way to say sorry, excuse me, or "I'm shy" in Chinese? It's "不好意思"! This HSK 1 reading shows you three simple ways to use this useful phrase in daily life.
翻译 Translation
你好！今天我们来学“不好意思”。这是一个很有用的词。
Hello! Today we are going to learn "不好意思". This is a very useful word.
“不好意思”可以表示对不起。比如，你迟到了，你说：“不好意思，我迟到了。”
"不好意思" can mean sorry. For example, if you are late, you say, "Sorry, I'm late."
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不好意思
sorry; excuse me; shy
phrase
不好意思，我来晚了。
Sorry, I'm late.
你好
hello
phrase
你好！很高兴认识你。
Hello! Nice to meet you.
今天
today
noun
今天天气很好。
The weather is very good today.
我们
we; us
pronoun
我们是学生。
We are students.
学
to learn; to study
verb
我学汉语。
I study Chinese.
这
this
pronoun
这是我的书。
This is my book.
是
to be; is
verb
他是老师。
He is a teacher.
一个
one; a
phrase
我有一个朋友。
I have a friend.
有用
useful
adjective
这本书很有用。
This book is very useful.
词
word
noun
这个汉语词很难。
This Chinese word is difficult.
可以
can; may
verb/auxiliary
你可以帮我吗？
Can you help me?
表示
to mean; to express
verb
“谢谢”表示感谢。
"Thank you" means gratitude.
对不起
sorry
phrase
对不起，我错了。
Sorry, I was wrong.
迟到
to be late
verb
他每天迟到。
He is late every day.
说
to say; to speak
verb
请说慢一点儿。
Please speak a little more slowly.
打扰
to disturb; to bother
verb
不好意思，打扰你了。
Sorry to bother you.
请问
excuse me; may I ask
phrase
请问，你叫什么名字？
Excuse me, what is your name?
哪儿
where
pronoun
你去哪儿？
Where are you going?
害羞
shy
adjective
她很害羞，不爱说话。
She is very shy and doesn't like to talk.
笑
to laugh; to smile
verb
他高兴地笑了。
He smiled happily.
"是"字句 (shì zì jù)
The "是" sentence pattern is the basic "to be" structure in Chinese. It is used to identify or describe someone or something.
The structure is "A + 是 + B," meaning "A is B."
It is one of the first sentence patterns learners should master and is used constantly in everyday conversation.
他是我的汉语老师。
He is my Chinese teacher.
那是一个很好的饭馆。
That is a very good restaurant.
"可以"表示能够 (kěyǐ biǎoshì nénggòu)
"可以" means "can" or "may." It is used to express ability, permission, or possibility.
The structure is "Subject + 可以 + Verb."
It is very common in daily conversation when asking for permission or saying that something is allowed.
我可以问你一个问题吗？
Can I ask you a question?
我们可以一起学汉语。
We can study Chinese together.
请问(qǐngwèn yòng yú tíwèn)
"请问" is a polite phrase used before asking a question. It means "excuse me" or "may I ask."
It makes a question sound more polite and respectful.
The structure is "请问 + question."
It is commonly used when asking strangers for information, such as directions or names.
请问，地铁站在哪儿？
Excuse me, where is the subway station?
请问，你叫什么名字？
Excuse me, what is your name?
请问，这个字怎么读？
Excuse me, how do you read this character?
不好意思
This is a very good lesson to learn. Thanks for the effort!