[ Linguistic Bits 15 ] Sorry / Excuse Me 不好意思 | Learn Chinese with Yoyo Mo

今天我们讲讲非常常用的“不好意思”。jīn tiān | wǒ men | jiǎng jiang | fēi cháng | cháng yòng | de | “bù hǎo yì si”Today we’re going to talk about the very commonly used phrase “bù hǎo yì si”.以前我的英国朋友问我：yǐ qián | wǒ | de | yīng guó | péng you | wèn | wǒOnce my British friend asked me:“不好意思”和“对不起”有什么区别？“bù hǎo yì si” | hé | “duì bu qǐ” | yǒu | shén me | qū biéWhat’s the difference between “bù hǎo yì si” and “duì bu qǐ”?她这么一问，我才发现这两个词确实很类似。tā | zhè me | yī wèn | wǒ | cái | fā xiàn | zhè | liǎng | gè | cí | què shí | hěn | lèi sìHer question made me realize that these two phrases are indeed very similar.我告诉她，“不好意思”的程度比“对不起”低，wǒ | gào su | tā | “bù hǎo yì si” | de | chéng dù | bǐ | “duì bu qǐ” | dīI told her that “bù hǎo yì si” is less intense than “duì bu qǐ”,是一种轻微的“对不起”。shì | yī | zhǒng | qīng wēi | de | “duì bu qǐ”it’s a mild form of “duì bu qǐ”.让我们来看例句吧。ràng | wǒ men | lái | kàn | lì jù | baLet’s take a look at some examples.在别人说话时，想插几句话，可以说：zài | bié rén | shuō huà | shí | xiǎng | chā | jǐ | jù | huà | kě yǐ | shuōWhen someone is talking and you want to chip in, you can say:“不好意思，我打断一下。”“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | dǎ duàn | yī xià”“Excuse me, may I interrupt for a moment?”如果用“对不起”，也是可以的。rú guǒ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | yě | shì | kě yǐ | deUsing “duì bu qǐ” here is also acceptable.如果别人挡住你的路了，可以说：rú guǒ | bié rén | dǎng zhù | nǐ | de | lù | le | kě yǐ | shuōIf someone is blocking your way, you can say:“不好意思，借过一下。”“bù hǎo yì si | jiè guò | yī xià”“Excuse me, could I get by.”“不好意思，麻烦让一下。”“bù hǎo yì si | má fan | ràng | yī xià”“Excuse me, can I get pass please?”这里用“对不起”就不合适了。zhè lǐ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | jiù | bù | hé shì | leUsing “duì bu qǐ” here would be inappropriate.如果想找个路人问路，可以说：rú guǒ | xiǎng | zhǎo | gè | lù rén | wèn | lù | kě yǐ | shuōIf you want to ask a stranger for directions, you can say:“不好意思，请问地铁站怎么走？”“bù hǎo yì si | qǐng wèn | dì tiě | zhàn | zěn me | zǒu”“Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the subway station?”这里也不适合换成“对不起”。zhè lǐ | yě | bù | shì hé | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ”Replacing it with “duì bu qǐ” here is also unsuitable.如果要拒绝别人的邀请，可以说：rú guǒ | yào | jù jué | bié rén | de | yāo qǐng | kě yǐ | shuōIf you need to decline someone’s invitation, you can say:“不好意思，我今晚来不了了。”“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | jīn wǎn | lái | bu | liǎo | le”“I’m sorry, I can’t make it tonight.”这里也可以换成“对不起”。zhè lǐ | yě | kě yǐ | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ”Replacing it with “duì bu qǐ” here is also okay.如果别人拿错了你的书，可以说：rú guǒ | bié rén | ná | cuò | le | nǐ | de | shū | kě yǐ | shuōIf someone has taken your book by mistake, you can say:“不好意思，你好像拿错我的书了。”“bù hǎo yì si | nǐ | hǎo xiàng | ná | cuò | wǒ | de | shū | le”“Excuse me, I think you’ve taken my book by mistake.”这里用“对不起”不太合适。zhè lǐ | yòng | “duì bu qǐ” | bù | tài | hé shì | leUsing “duì bu qǐ” here is not very appropriate.如果迟到了几分钟，可以说：rú guǒ | chí dào | le | jǐ | fēn | zhōng | kě yǐ | shuōIf you’re a few minutes late, you can say:“不好意思，我来晚了，路上堵车。”“bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | lái | wǎn | le | lù | shàng | dǔ chē”“I’m sorry I’m late, there was a traffic jam on the way.”这里换成“对不起”也是可以的。zhè lǐ | huàn | chéng | “duì bu qǐ” | yě | shì | kě yǐ | de你发现了吗，nǐ | fā xiàn | le | ma“不好意思”用于礼貌打扰、求助、询问的时候，“bù hǎo yì si” | yòng yú | lǐ mào | dǎ rǎo | qiú zhù | xún wèn | de | shí hou更贴近于excuse me，gèng | tiē jìn | yú | excuse me用在表示一点点歉意的时候，yòng | zài | biǎo shì | yī | diǎn diǎn | qiàn yì | de | shí hou更贴近于sorry。gèng | tiē jìn | yú | sorry反过来，如果你要对自己的错误道歉，fǎn | guò lái | rú guǒ | nǐ | yào | duì | zì jǐ | de | cuò wù | dào qiàn是不能用“不好意思”的。shì | bù | néng | yòng | “bù hǎo yì si” | de比如“对不起，我错了。”bǐ rú | “duì bu qǐ | wǒ | cuò | le”如果说成“不好意思，我错了。”rú guǒ | shuō | chéng | “bù hǎo yì si | wǒ | cuò | le”那就感觉你并不是真诚道歉，nà | jiù | gǎn jué | nǐ | bìng | bú | shì | zhēn chéng | dào qiàn可能还有一些藐视对方。kě néng | hái | yǒu | yī | xiē | miǎo shì | duì fāng你学会了吗？nǐ | xué | huì | le | ma