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歉意 (qiàn yì) — apology, regret (a noun referring to a feeling of regret or apology, typically used in formal contexts)

Definition

歉意 is a formal noun for an expressed feeling of apology or regret, usually paired with 表/表达 ('express') or 深表 ('deeply'). 后悔 is the everyday verb 'to regret'; 遗憾 is a softer, more neutral 'regret' about missed opportunities.

noun
apologyregret (a noun referring to a feeling of regret or apology, typically used in formal contexts)

Examples

  • 歉意。
    Wǒ duì wǒ chí dào de xíng wéi gǎn dào shēn shēn de qiàn yì.
    I feel deep regret for my lateness.
  • ，歉意。
    Duì yú nǐ de sǔn shī, wǒ shēn biǎo qiàn yì.
    I deeply apologize for your loss.
  • 歉意。
    Tā xiě xìn biǎo dá le zuì shēn qiè de qiàn yì.
    He wrote a letter expressing his deepest apologies.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

歉qiànsorry
意yìfeeling

意 (feeling) of 歉 (regret), naming a sense of apology.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiànperson with mouth open
Sound part声符shēngfú
兼
兼jiān歉qiàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

歉 uses 兼 for its sound; 兼 is drawn as a hand holding two crop plants. It also uses 欠, a person with mouth open, to show feeling hunger after eating.

Open 歉 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & FeelingsGreetings & Politeness

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