Learn how to say sorry in Chinese (duì bu qǐ / 对不起) with pronunciation, politeness levels, and when to use each apology.
Pinyin: duì bu qǐ
Tones: 4th + neutral + 3rd
When to use: The standard sorry for mistakes. 不好意思 is lighter for minor things.
对不起，我来晚了。
duì bu qǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.
Sorry I'm late.
不好意思。
bù hǎo yì si.
Excuse me / Sorry (lighter).
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