How to Say Sorry in Chinese

Ways to say sorry in Chinese

Which sorry fits?

Sorry for bumping into you

不好意思。 (Bù hǎoyìsi.): Sorry!

An accidental bump is a small slip, so keep it light. If you stepped hard on someone's foot, 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) fits.

To squeeze past: 借过。 (Jièguò.), Excuse me, coming through.

Sorry I'm late

不好意思，我来晚了。 (Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ lái wǎn le.): Sorry I'm late.

Say it as you arrive. Late for class or work, people also say 我迟到了 (wǒ chídào le). Replying late to a message: 抱歉，回复晚了 (bàoqiàn, huífù wǎn le).

If they waited a long time: 让你久等了。 (Ràng nǐ jiǔ děng le.), Sorry to keep you waiting.

Sorry, it was my fault

对不起，是我的错。 (Duìbuqǐ, shì wǒ de cuò.): I'm sorry, it's my fault.

You broke, lost or forgot something, or let someone down. 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) is the real apology, and 是我的错 (shì wǒ de cuò) owns the mistake out loud.

Stronger: 真的对不起。 (Zhēn de duìbuqǐ.), I'm really sorry.

Sorry to bother you

不好意思，打扰一下。 (Bù hǎoyìsi, dǎrǎo yíxià.): Sorry to bother you.

Before you interrupt someone who is working or talking. 一下 (yíxià) makes the request small: just a moment.

As you leave: 打扰了。 (Dǎrǎo le.), Sorry for taking your time.

A formal apology

很抱歉给您带来不便。 (Hěn bàoqiàn gěi nín dàilái búbiàn.): We're sorry for the inconvenience.

Work email, customer service, announcements. 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) is the formal word, and 您 (nín) is the polite form of you.

Short and strong: 非常抱歉。 (Fēicháng bàoqiàn.), I'm very sorry.

Sorry for your loss

请节哀。 (Qǐng jié'āi.): I'm sorry for your loss.

Condolences are not an apology, so never 对不起 (duìbuqǐ). 请节哀 (qǐng jié'āi) asks the family not to grieve too much; the fuller set phrase is 节哀顺变 (jié'āi shùnbiàn).

When you hear the news: 听到这个消息，我很难过。 (Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, wǒ hěn nánguò.), I'm so sorry to hear that.

The difference: 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) vs 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) vs 抱歉 (bàoqiàn)

不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi): Light

Small slips and everyday friction. Bumping someone, interrupting, asking a small favor. Also means excuse me, or feeling embarrassed. Mostly spoken, and in texts. Literally roughly “not good meaning”, a mild embarrassment.

抱歉 (bàoqiàn): Medium, formal

A sincere apology with a formal edge. A delay at work, a mistake in an order, a canceled booking. Writing and formal speech, though it is said out loud too. Literally “hold regret”.

对不起 (duìbuqǐ): Heavy

Real fault: you did something wrong. Breaking or losing something, forgetting a promise, hurting someone. Speech and writing. Literally “can't face you”.

English uses sorry for everything from a bump on the train to a broken promise. Mandarin splits it by weight: 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) keeps everyday friction light, 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) admits real fault, and 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) adds a formal edge.

So pick the word that matches what happened, not the strongest one. 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) for squeezing past a stranger isn't wrong, but it makes a small moment heavier than it needs to be.

Say 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) with a light middle syllable: 不 (bu) is said lightly inside this set phrase. In 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi) it keeps its own tone, bù, because 好 (hǎo) is a third tone; before a fourth tone it rises to bú, as in 不要紧 (bú yàojǐn). Why it's bú yàojǐn: the tone sandhi checker.

Stronger apologies: really sorry, my bad, forgive me

• 真的对不起 (zhēn de duìbuqǐ): I'm really sorry The simplest way to add weight to 对不起 (duìbuqǐ).
• 真的很抱歉 (zhēn de hěn bàoqiàn): I'm truly sorry Sincere and a little formal. Common at work and in writing.
• 是我的错 (shì wǒ de cuò): It's my fault Takes the blame instead of only saying sorry.
• 我错了 (wǒ cuò le): I was wrong Owning a mistake to family, a partner or a teacher.
• 请原谅我 (qǐng yuánliàng wǒ): Please forgive me Serious. Save it for something that really needs forgiving.
• 怪我 (guài wǒ): My bad / that's on me Casual. 都怪我 (dōu guài wǒ) means it's all my fault.
• 我的锅 (wǒ de guō): My bad (slang) Internet slang, friends only: the 锅 (guō, wok) is the blame you carry.

Check your own apology sentence.

How to reply when someone says sorry

• 没关系 (méi guānxi): It's okay / never mind Neutral. The standard reply. Safe with anyone.
• 没事 (méi shì): No worries / it's nothing Casual. Very common in speech. 没事儿 (méi shìr) in the north.
• 不要紧 (bú yàojǐn): It's not serious Reassuring. Tells them no real harm was done.
• 别放在心上 (bié fàng zài xīn shàng): Don't take it to heart Warm. For someone who is clearly upset about it.

Not 不客气 (bú kèqi): that answers 谢谢 (xièxie, thank you). And 没问题 (méi wèntí, no problem) answers a request, not an apology.

对不起。 (Duìbuqǐ.) Sorry. · 没关系。 (Méi guānxi.) It's okay.

Hear it in “Nothing On The Floor”: 没关系 (méi guānxi), 没事 (méi shì) and 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) in a song · Hear it in “Lobby Lights”: 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) and 不客气 (bú kèqi) in a song

How to say excuse me in Chinese

• 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi): Excuse me The all-purpose opener: to get a stranger's or a waiter's attention.
• 请问 (qǐngwèn): Excuse me, may I ask… Goes in front of a question. Polite and neutral everywhere.
• 打扰一下 (dǎrǎo yíxià): Sorry to bother you Interrupting someone who is working or already talking.
• 借过 (jièguò): Coming through Getting past people on a crowded train, in a lift or a queue.
• 麻烦让一下 (máfan ràng yíxià): Could you let me through? A softer way to ask someone to move.
• 劳驾 (láojià): Excuse me, would you mind… Northern Mainland China, especially Beijing. Rare in Taiwan.

• 不好意思，请问洗手间在哪儿？ (Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐngwèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?): Excuse me, where is the restroom?
• 劳驾，让一下。 (Láojià, ràng yíxià.): Excuse me, could you move a little?
• 打扰一下，您有时间吗？ (Dǎrǎo yíxià, nín yǒu shíjiān ma?): Sorry to bother you, do you have a moment?

Also useful: please and no

Asking politely

• 请坐。 (Qǐng zuò.): Please sit down.
• 麻烦你帮我一下。 (Máfan nǐ bāng wǒ yíxià.): Could you give me a hand?
• 请等一下。 (Qǐng děng yíxià.): Please wait a moment.

Asking permission worksheet

Saying no gently

• 不用了，谢谢。 (Búyòng le, xièxie.): No thanks.
• 今天不太方便。 (Jīntiān bú tài fāngbiàn.): Today isn't a good time.
• 我再想想。 (Wǒ zài xiǎngxiang.): Let me think about it (often a soft no).

Declining an invitation worksheet

Use 您 (nín), the polite you, with elders, teachers and customers: 让您久等了 (ràng nín jiǔ děng le), sorry to have kept you waiting.

Keep going

• Thank you in Chinese: How to say thanks, and how to reply.
• Polite Phrases and Everyday Reactions: Printable PDF workbook with apologies, thanks and everyday replies.
• Apologizing worksheet: Trace 对不起 (duìbuqǐ), 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) and 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi).
• Apologizing after a mistake: Write 误会 (wùhuì), 解释 (jiěshì) and 原谅 (yuánliàng) in context.