不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) — (phrase) sorry, excuse me (used to apologize for a minor fault or to politely interrupt); (phrase) to feel embarrassed or shy
Definition
A casual, all-purpose 'sorry / excuse me' for small faults or polite interruptions — softer and less formal than 对不起. It also means 'to feel embarrassed', as in 我不好意思问他.
phrase
sorryexcuse me (used to apologize for a minor fault or to politely interrupt)to feel embarrassed or shy
Examples
- 不好意思，？bù hǎo yì si, Qǐng wèn xiàn zài jǐ diǎn?Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?
- 不好意思。Tā yǒu diǎn bù hǎo yì si.He feels a little embarrassed.
- 不好意思。Wǒ bù hǎo yì si wèn tā míng zì.I'm too embarrassed to ask his name.
Appears in
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