[ Linguistic Bits 15 ] Sorry / Excuse Me 不好意思 | Learn Chinese with Yoyo Mo

今天我们讲讲非常常用的“不好意思”。

jīn tiān | wǒ men | jiǎng jiang | fēi cháng | cháng yòng | de | “bù hǎo yì si”

Today we’re going to talk about the very commonly used phrase “bù hǎo yì si”.

以前我的英国朋友问我：

yǐ qián | wǒ | de | yīng guó | péng you | wèn | wǒ

Once my British friend asked me:

“不好意思”和“对不起”有什么区别？

“bù hǎo yì si” | hé | “duì bu qǐ” | yǒu | shén me | qū bié

What’s the difference between “bù hǎo yì si” and “duì bu qǐ”?

她这么一问，我才发现这两个词确实很类似。

tā | zhè me | yī wèn | wǒ | cái | fā xiàn | zhè | liǎng | gè | cí | què shí | hěn | lèi sì

Her question made me realize that these two phrases are indeed very similar.

我告诉她，“不好意思”的程度比“对不起”低，

wǒ | gào su | tā | “bù hǎo yì si” | de | chéng dù | bǐ | “duì bu qǐ” | dī

I told her that “bù hǎo yì si” is less intense than “duì bu qǐ”,

是一种轻微的“对不起”。

shì | yī | zhǒng | qīng wēi | de | “duì bu qǐ”

it’s a mild form of “duì bu qǐ”.

让我们来看例句吧。

ràng | wǒ men | lái | kàn | lì jù | ba

Let’s take a look at some examples.

在别人说话时，想插几句话，可以说：

zài | bié rén | shuō huà | shí | xiǎng | chā | jǐ | jù | huà | kě yǐ | shuō

When someone is talking and you want to chip in, you can say:

“不好意思，我打断一下。”

“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | dǎ duàn | yī xià”

“Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment?”

如果用“对不起”，也是可以的。

rú guǒ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | yě | shì | kě yǐ | de

Using “duì bu qǐ” here is also acceptable.

如果别人挡住你的路了，可以说：

rú guǒ | bié rén | dǎng zhù | nǐ | de | lù | le | kě yǐ | shuō

If someone is blocking your way, you can say:

“不好意思，借过一下。”

“bù hǎo yì si | jiè guò | yī xià”

“Excuse me, could I get by.”

“不好意思，麻烦让一下。”

“bù hǎo yì si | má fan | ràng | yī xià”

“Excuse me, can I get pass please?”

这里用“对不起”就不合适了。

zhè lǐ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | jiù | bù | hé shì | le

Using “duì bu qǐ” here would be inappropriate.

如果想找个路人问路，可以说：

rú guǒ | xiǎng | zhǎo | gè | lù rén | wèn | lù | kě yǐ | shuō

If you want to ask a stranger for directions, you can say:

“不好意思，请问地铁站怎么走？”

“bù hǎo yì si | qǐng wèn | dì tiě | zhàn | zěn me | zǒu”

“Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the subway station?”

这里也不适合换成“对不起”。

zhè lǐ | yě | bù | shì hé | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ”

Replacing it with “duì bu qǐ” here is also unsuitable.

如果要拒绝别人的邀请，可以说：

rú guǒ | yào | jù jué | bié rén | de | yāo qǐng | kě yǐ | shuō

If you need to decline someone’s invitation, you can say:

“不好意思，我今晚来不了了。”

“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | jīn wǎn | lái | bu | liǎo | le”

“I’m sorry, I can’t make it tonight.”

这里也可以换成“对不起”。

zhè lǐ | yě | kě yǐ | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ”

Replacing it with “duì bu qǐ” here is also okay.

如果别人拿错了你的书，可以说：

rú guǒ | bié rén | ná | cuò | le | nǐ | de | shū | kě yǐ | shuō

If someone has taken your book by mistake, you can say:

“不好意思，你好像拿错我的书了。”

“bù hǎo yì si | nǐ | hǎo xiàng | ná | cuò | wǒ | de | shū | le”

“Excuse me, I think you’ve taken my book by mistake.”

这里用“对不起”不太合适。

zhè lǐ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | bù | tài | hé shì | le

Using “duì bu qǐ” here is not very appropriate.

如果迟到了几分钟，可以说：

rú guǒ | chí dào | le | jǐ | fēn | zhōng | kě yǐ | shuō

If you’re a few minutes late, you can say:

“不好意思，我来晚了，路上堵车。”

“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | lái | wǎn | le | lù | shàng | dǔ chē”

“I’m sorry I’m late, there was a traffic jam on the way.”

这里换成“对不起”也是可以的。

zhè lǐ | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ” | yě | shì | kě yǐ | de

你发现了吗，

nǐ | fā xiàn | le | ma

“不好意思”用于礼貌打扰、求助、询问的时候，

“bù hǎo yì si” | yòng yú | lǐ mào | dǎ rǎo | qiú zhù | xún wèn | de | shí hou

更贴近于excuse me，

gèng | tiē jìn | yú | excuse me

用在表示一点点歉意的时候，

yòng | zài | biǎo shì | yī | diǎn diǎn | qiàn yì | de | shí hou

更贴近于sorry。

gèng | tiē jìn | yú | sorry

反过来，如果你要对自己的错误道歉，

fǎn | guò lái | rú guǒ | nǐ | yào | duì | zì jǐ | de | cuò wù | dào qiàn

是不能用“不好意思”的。

shì | bù | néng | yòng | “bù hǎo yì si” | de

比如“对不起，我错了。”

bǐ rú | “duì bu qǐ | wǒ | cuò | le”

如果说成“不好意思，我错了。”

rú guǒ | shuō | chéng | “bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | cuò | le”

那就感觉你并不是真诚道歉，

nà | jiù | gǎn jué | nǐ | bìng | bú | shì | zhēn chéng | dào qiàn

可能还有一些藐视对方。

kě néng | hái | yǒu | yī | xiē | miǎo shì | duì fāng

你学会了吗？

nǐ | xué | huì | le | ma