embarrassed; sorry; excuse me
不好意思
Common Usage & Traps
- 不好意思，我先走了。 — Sorry, I have to leave first.
- 真不好意思，让你久等了。 — I'm really sorry to keep you waiting.
- 不好意思，请问…… — Excuse me, may I ask...
- 不好意思，能帮我一下吗？ — Sorry, can you help me for a second?
- 他有点不好意思。 — He is a bit embarrassed.
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不好意思你不好意思，麻烦你……不好意思 cannot take a person directly after it. Add a comma and a full request.
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我不好意思一点我有点不好意思To say 'a little embarrassed,' 有点 goes before 不好意思, not 一点 after it.
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请问，不好意思不好意思，请问……不好意思 usually comes first when softening a question.
How do I know when 不好意思 means 'sorry' and when it means 'embarrassed'?
If it starts a sentence, it usually means sorry or excuse me.
不好意思 is a social softener first. At the front of a sentence, it usually means sorry or excuse me. When it describes a person's feeling, it means shy or embarrassed. The words around it, not the dictionary, pick the meaning. “不好意思，也可以。” (Excuse me, it is also okay.) ── [《你好和再见》](/read/hello-and-goodbye#s10)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Opening a request | 不好意思，请问洗手间在哪儿？ | 我不好意思，请问洗手间在哪儿？ |
| Describing feeling | 他有点不好意思。 | 他不好意思有点。 |
| Soft apology | 不好意思，我先走了。 | 我先走了，我不好意思。 |
Is 不好意思 strong enough to apologize for a real mistake, or do I need 对不起?
不好意思 is a light social apology; 对不起 is for real damage or serious mistakes.
不好意思 handles small social bumps: interrupting, being late, asking a favor, or squeezing past someone. 对不起 carries real weight: you broke something, hurt someone, or made a serious mistake. Using 不好意思 after serious damage can sound like you barely care. When in doubt, ask how much damage you caused.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Minor inconvenience | 不好意思，让一下。 | 对不起，让一下。 |
| Serious mistake | 对不起，我弄坏了你的电脑。 | 不好意思，我弄坏了你的电脑。 |
| Asking a favor | 不好意思，能帮我一下吗？ | 对不起，能帮我一下吗？ |
Can I say 不好意思你 to mean 'sorry you'?
No. 不好意思 does not take a person directly; add a comma and a full phrase.
不好意思 is not a verb that can hit a person directly. You say 不好意思, then pause, then explain the trouble. For 'I feel embarrassed around you,' use 我对你有点不好意思, but that is a feeling sentence. Do not bolt a person right after 不好意思.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Apologize to someone | 不好意思，麻烦你让一下。 | 不好意思你让一下。 |
| Keep someone waiting | 不好意思，让你久等了。 | 不好意思你久等了。 |
| Feeling embarrassed | 我对你有点不好意思。 | 我不好意思你。 |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Before you start learning Chinese, master the most important phrases: greetings. This short dialogue shows you how to say hello and goodbye, and how to respond politely.
- Scene #1
不好意思 ，也可以。
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