How to say "sorry" in Chinese

When To Use It

"sorry" maps to 对不起 (duìbuqǐ), a polite polite phrase for everyday situations.

Use this phrase in the exact kind of real-life context named above, then listen for how native speakers shorten or soften it in reply.

Practice it first exactly as written, then swap in your own people, places, or objects so it becomes part of your active speaking repertoire.

Tone And Delivery

The register is polite, so it is a strong default for strangers, staff, teachers, or any situation where a little extra softness helps.

Because this is marked beginner, you should aim to recognize it instantly and reuse it with your own names, nouns, locations, or numbers.

A good practice target is the example sentence 对不起，我迟到了。 (duìbuqǐ, wǒ chídào le.). Once that feels natural, shorten your pause and try it at conversation speed.

Practice Ideas

This phrase becomes more useful when you learn it as part of a mini-sequence. After saying it, a natural next step could be 不好意思 (bù hǎo yìsi).

A second nearby phrase to review is 请 (qǐng), which helps you stay in the same topic instead of translating from scratch again.

• Read the example “Sorry, I am late.” aloud, then replace one detail with your own information.
• Pair it with “Excuse me” next so your conversation does not stop after a single line.
• Match the phrase to your tone of voice: soft for polite requests, flatter and quicker for routine daily use.
• Compare the listed variants and notice whether they change politeness, region, or the exact shade of meaning.