How to say “Sorry” in Chinese
“Sorry” in Chinese is 对不起。, written in pinyin as Duìbuqǐ.
对不起。
Duìbuqǐ.
Sorry.
When you use it
- To apologise for something real: bumping into someone, arriving late, breaking something.
- Also used to politely interrupt or to get past someone in a crowd.
Use 对不起。 in everyday situations. Greetings, thanks and the small words you use all day.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
不好意思。
Bù hǎoyìsi
Excuse me / sorry.
The light apology, and far more common in daily life than 对不起. Use it for asking someone to move, interrupting, being a few minutes late.
抱歉。
Bàoqiàn
Sorry / apologise.
A step more formal. Frequent in writing and in semi-formal speech.
对不住。
Duìbuzhù
Sorry.
The older, folksier apology. You hear it from vendors and taxi drivers more than from young people.
What usually trips people up
- Do not reach for 对不起 every time English would use 'sorry'. For small daily friction — squeezing past someone, asking a stranger to repeat themselves — 不好意思 sounds natural where 对不起 feels heavy, as if you caused real trouble.
- Do not confuse it with the reply. When someone apologises to you, the answer is 没关系 (méi guānxi, "it's fine"), not another apology.
- It is duìbuqǐ with an unstressed 不 — pronouncing every syllable at full volume (duì bù qǐ) is the fastest way to sound like a textbook.
What you might hear back
- 没关系。Méi guānxiIt's fine.
- 没事。Méi shìNo problem.
- 下次注意就行。Xiàcì zhùyì jiù xíngJust be more careful next time.
Common questions
- How do you say "Sorry" in Chinese?
- "Sorry" in Chinese is 对不起。 — written in pinyin as Duìbuqǐ. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.
- What does 对不起。 mean in Chinese?
- 对不起。 (Duìbuqǐ) means "Sorry". Broken down word by word: 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) means "sorry / excuse me".
- When would you use "Sorry" in Chinese?
- To apologise for something real: bumping into someone, arriving late, breaking something. Also used to politely interrupt or to get past someone in a crowd.
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