Chinese phrases
How to say sorry in Chinese
Sorry in Chinese is 对不起 (duì bu qǐ). It’s a real apology. For small things, people say 不好意思.
对不起
sorry
不 is light here: duì bu qǐ.
Ways to say sorry
对不起
Everydaysorry
When you did something wrong: you broke something, forgot something, or came very late.
不好意思
Everydaysorry; excuse me
Small things: you bumped into someone, need to get past, or are a few minutes late. The one you’ll hear most.
抱歉
FormalI apologize
Formal: emails, announcements, customer service. 很抱歉 is “I’m (or we’re) very sorry.”
打扰了
Formalsorry to bother you
When you interrupt someone or call at a bad time.
我错了
With friendsI was wrong
To a partner, a friend or a parent after an argument. It admits the mistake.
How to answer
没关系
it doesn’t matter
The textbook answer. Fine everywhere.
没事
it’s fine
The everyday answer, often doubled: 没事没事.
不要紧
it’s nothing serious
Kind and reassuring.
Common mistakes
Using 对不起 for small things
对不起 is heavy. If you bump into someone on the metro, 不好意思 is the natural word.
Starting a question with 对不起
To ask a stranger something, start with 不好意思 or 请问, not 对不起.
Three full tones
In 对不起, 不 is short and light: duì bu qǐ.
Late for coffee
对不起，我来晚了！
Leon: Sorry, I’m late!
没关系，我也刚到。
Qiqi: No worries, I just got here too.
