抱歉

Learning Chinese: How to Say "Sorry" in Chinese

Chinese Characters: 对不起
Pinyin: duì bu qǐ
Pronunciation: dwei4 bu2 qi3
English Translation: Sorry

Usage:

"对不起 (duì bu qǐ)" is the most common way to say "sorry" in Chinese. It is used to apologize for a mistake,失礼 (shīli) or oversight.

Example:

Chinese: 对不起，我迟到了。
Pinyin: Duì bu qǐ, wǒ chìdào le.
English: Sorry, I'm late.

Variations:

There are a few variations of "对不起 (duì bu qǐ)" that you may hear:

抱歉 (bào qiàn): A more formal way to say "sorry", often used in written communication.
不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi): A less formal way to say "sorry", often used in casual conversation.
Tips for Learning:

Practice saying "对不起 (duì bu qǐ)" out loud to improve your pronunciation.
Listen to native Chinese speakers saying "sorry" to get a sense of the natural rhythm and intonation.
Use "对不起 (duì bu qǐ)" in your daily conversations to practice using it in context.
Additional Notes:

"对不起 (duì bu qǐ)" is typically used when apologizing for a mistake that you have made.
To apologize for something that someone else has done, you can say "请代我向他/她道歉 (qǐng dài wǒ xiàng tā/tā dàoqiàn)", which means "please apologize to him/her for me."
In some regions of China, people may also use "抱歉 (bào qiàn)" or "不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi)" to say sorry.