HSK Level 6

抱歉

bào qiàn

apologise

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Example Sentences

对不起,我迟到了。

duìbùqǐ, wǒ chídàole.

Sorry, I'm late.

很抱歉,我弄错了。

hěn bàoqiàn, wǒ nòngcuòle.

I'm so sorry, I made a mistake.

抱歉,我不能参加你的聚会了。

bàoqiàn, wǒ bùnéng cānjiā nǐ de jùhuìle.

Sorry, I can't make it to your party.

Synonyms

对不住 (duì bu qǐ)

I'm sorry

不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si)

I'm sorry

Antonyms

高兴 (gāo xìng)

happy

满意 (mǎn yì)

satisfied

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) is composed of two characters: 抱 (bào) and 歉 (qiàn). 抱 originally meant "to hold in the arms" or "to embrace", but in modern Chinese it is often used to express feelings or emotions. 歉, on the other hand, means "lacking" or "deficient". When combined, 抱歉 literally means "to hold a deficiency" or "to feel a lack of something". In the context of language use, 抱歉 is used to express regret, apology, or a sense of inadequacy. It is a common phrase used in both formal and informal settings to convey a sense of remorse or to acknowledge a mistake.