English speakers use “sorry” for almost everything: making a mistake, arriving late, interrupting someone, or even asking a stranger a question.
Mandarin works a little differently.
There are several ways to apologize, and the best choice depends on what happened. Some expressions are light and casual, while others clearly admit responsibility.
Here are seven useful ways to say sorry in Chinese and when to use them.
1. 不好意思 (Bù hǎoyìsi) — For Small Inconveniences
不好意思 is one of the most useful expressions to learn for everyday Mandarin.
It works well when the situation is minor: you need to get past someone, interrupt briefly, arrive a little late, or ask for help. It is often closer to “excuse me,” “sorry about that,” or “I feel a bit bad asking” than to a serious apology.
Examples:
不好意思，我迟到了。
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ chídào le.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
不好意思，借过一下。
Bù hǎoyìsi, jièguò yíxià.
“Excuse me, let me pass.”
不好意思，请问地铁站在哪儿？
Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐngwèn dìtiězhàn zài nǎr?
“Excuse me, where is the subway station?”
For travelers, this is a particularly useful phrase because it fits many low-stakes situations.
2. 对不起 (Duìbuqǐ) — When You Actually Did Something Wrong
Use 对不起 when you want to give a genuine apology.
Compared with 不好意思, it usually carries more weight. It is appropriate when you hurt someone’s feelings, make a significant mistake, break something, or cause real inconvenience.
Examples:
对不起，我忘了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ wàng le.
“I’m sorry, I forgot.”
对不起，我弄坏了你的杯子。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ nònghuài le nǐ de bēizi.
“I’m sorry, I broke your cup.”
真的对不起。
Zhēnde duìbuqǐ.
“I’m really sorry.”
A useful shortcut is:
small inconvenience → 不好意思
real mistake → 对不起
That distinction will cover many everyday situations.
3. 抱歉 (Bàoqiàn) — A More Polished “Sorry”
抱歉 also means “sorry” or “I apologize.”
You may hear it in conversation, but it is especially useful in more polished, professional, public, or written communication. For example, businesses may use it when apologizing for inconvenience or delays.
Examples:
很抱歉让你久等了。
Hěn bàoqiàn ràng nǐ jiǔ děng le.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
抱歉，我今天不能参加。
Bàoqiàn, wǒ jīntiān bù néng cānjiā.
“Sorry, I can’t attend today.”
给您带来不便，我们深感抱歉。
Gěi nín dàilái búbiàn, wǒmen shēngǎn bàoqiàn.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.”
If you are writing an email or dealing with a customer, 抱歉 is worth knowing.
4. 我错了 (Wǒ cuò le) — “I Was Wrong”
Sometimes saying “sorry” is not enough. You may want to clearly admit that you were wrong.
That is where 我错了 is useful.
It literally means:
我 — I
错 — wrong / mistaken
了 — indicates a changed or completed situation
So the natural English translation is “I was wrong” or “I made a mistake.”
Example:
对不起，我错了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ cuò le.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
This combination sounds much more accountable than simply apologizing without acknowledging the mistake.
5. 是我的错 (Shì wǒ de cuò) — “It Was My Fault”
Another way to accept responsibility is 是我的错, meaning “It was my fault.”
This phrase is useful when you want to make it clear that you are not blaming someone else.
Examples:
是我的错，我应该早点告诉你。
Shì wǒ de cuò, wǒ yīnggāi zǎodiǎn gàosu nǐ.
“It was my fault. I should have told you earlier.”
这件事是我的错。
Zhè jiàn shì shì wǒ de cuò.
“This was my fault.”
You can also combine it with 对不起:
对不起，是我的错。
Duìbuqǐ, shì wǒ de cuò.
“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”
6. 请原谅我 (Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ) — “Please Forgive Me”
For a more serious apology, you may come across 请原谅我.
It means “Please forgive me.”
Because this is much stronger than a casual “sorry,” you would not normally use it for something tiny like bumping into someone on the subway.
Example:
请原谅我，我真的不是故意的。
Qǐng yuánliàng wǒ, wǒ zhēnde bú shì gùyì de.
“Please forgive me. I really didn’t do it on purpose.”
This is a useful phrase to recognize, even if beginners will need 不好意思 and 对不起 much more often.
7. 给你添麻烦了 (Gěi nǐ tiān máfan le) — “Sorry for the Trouble”
Chinese apologies do not always need a direct equivalent of the word “sorry.”
给你添麻烦了 means something like “I’ve caused you trouble” or “Sorry for the trouble.”
It is useful when someone has had to do extra work or deal with inconvenience because of you.
Example:
这次给你添麻烦了。
Zhè cì gěi nǐ tiān máfan le.
“Sorry for the trouble this time.”
You may also hear 麻烦你了 (máfan nǐ le) when someone has gone to some trouble to help you.
Learning expressions like these makes your Mandarin sound less like a word-for-word translation from English.
How Should You Respond to an Apology?
It also helps to know what to say when someone apologizes to you.
Two common responses are:
没关系 (Méi guānxi)
“No problem.” / “It’s okay.”
没事 (Méi shì)
“It’s fine.” / “Don’t worry about it.”
For example:
A: 对不起，我来晚了。
Duìbuqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.
“Sorry, I’m late.”
B: 没事。
Méi shì.
“No worries.”
Which One Should Beginners Learn First?
You do not need to memorize every expression at once.
Start with these three:
不好意思 — minor inconvenience, interruption, or “excuse me”
对不起 — a genuine apology for a mistake
抱歉 — a polished apology, especially useful in more formal contexts
Then add phrases such as 我错了 and 是我的错 when you want to take responsibility more clearly.
The important lesson is that English “sorry” does not always map neatly onto one Mandarin expression.
Think about the situation first. Are you simply inconveniencing someone, apologizing for a real mistake, or accepting responsibility for something more serious?
Once you start choosing your apology based on the situation rather than translating “sorry” automatically, your Mandarin will sound much more natural.
