How to say “be sorry” in Chinese
be sorry, apologize
“Be sorry” in Chinese is 抱歉, bào qiàn: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
抱歉 is read bào qiàn: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 扌 “hand”; on the right, 包 bāo hints at the sound.
On the right, 欠 qiàn “owe” — it sounds the same.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “抱歉”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 抱歉. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 真抱歉，我来晚了。zhēnbàoqiàn,wǒláiwǎnleI'm really sorry I'm late.
- 真抱歉我不得不拒绝你的邀请zhēnbàoqiàn,wǒbùdébújùjuénǐdeyāoqǐngI'm really sorry, but I have to decline your invitation.
More words from the lesson “Sorry to bother you”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “be sorry” in Chinese?
“Be sorry” in Chinese is 抱歉, pinyin bàoqiàn.
What does 抱歉 mean?
抱歉 (bàoqiàn) means “be sorry, apologize”.
How do you write 抱歉?
抱歉 is 2 characters: 抱 (bào) — hug, hold in arms; 歉 (qiàn) — regret, apology. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 抱歉?
抱歉 is read bàoqiàn. Tones: bào — fourth tone, qiàn — fourth tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“be sorry” in the lesson “Sorry to bother you”
This word is from the topic “Politeness and conversation” of HSK 4. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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