抱歉

Chinese

Chinese phrasebook

This entry is part of the phrasebook project, which presents criteria for inclusion based on utility, simplicity and commonness.

		to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug or embrace to hold; to carry (in one's arms); to hug or embrace; surround; cherish	apologize; deficient; to regret
simp. and trad. (抱歉)		抱	歉

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): bàoqiàn

(Zhuyin): ㄅㄠˋ ㄑㄧㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): pou⁵ hip³
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): phō-khiám / phǒ-khiám / phāu-khiám / phǎu-khiám / phō-khiàm / phō-khiam / phō-khiām

(Teochew, Peng'im): bao⁶ kiam²
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶bau-chi₅

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: bàoqiàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄅㄠˋ ㄑㄧㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: bàociàn
  - Wade–Giles: pao⁴-chʻien⁴
  - Yale: bàu-chyàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bawchiann
  - Palladius: баоцянь (baocjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: pou⁵ hip³
  - Yale: póuh hip
  - Cantonese Pinyin: pou⁵ hip⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: pou⁵ hib³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰou̯¹³ hiːp̚³/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, variant in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phō-khiám
  - Tâi-lô: phō-khiám
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phoixqiarm
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁵³/
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /pʰo²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phǒ-khiám
  - Tâi-lô: phǒ-khiám
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰo²² kʰiam⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phāu-khiám
  - Tâi-lô: phāu-khiám
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phauxqiarm
  - Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /pʰau²²⁻²¹ kʰiam⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phǎu-khiám
  - Tâi-lô: phǎu-khiám
  - Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰau²² kʰiam⁵⁵⁴/
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phō-khiàm
  - Tâi-lô: phō-khiàm
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phoixqiaxm
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam¹¹/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam²¹/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phō-khiam
  - Tâi-lô: phō-khiam
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phoixqiafm
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phō-khiām
  - Tâi-lô: phō-khiām
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phoixqiam
  - Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pʰo³³⁻¹¹ kʰiam³³/
  - Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɤ³³⁻²¹ kʰiam³³/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: bao⁶ kiam²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: pău khiám
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pau³⁵⁻¹¹ kʰiam⁵²/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶bau-chi₅
  - MiniDict: bau^去 chi^去
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³bau-qi₂
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /bɔ²² t͡ɕʰi⁴⁴/

Verb

抱歉

to be sorry; to feel apologetic
很抱歉，您要辦的事不符合規定，我們不能辦理。 [MSC, trad.]
很抱歉，您要办的事不符合规定，我们不能办理。 [MSC, simp.]
Hěn bàoqiàn, nín yào bàn de shì bù fúhé guīdìng, wǒmen bù néng bànlǐ. [Pinyin]
I'm sorry, we cannot process your request as it does not meet the requirements.

很抱歉，沒有辦法了。 [MSC, trad.]
很抱歉，没有办法了。 [MSC, simp.]
Hěn bàoqiàn, méiyǒu bànfǎ le. [Pinyin]
I'm sorry it can't be helped.

抱歉這麼晚才回復。 [MSC, trad.]
抱歉这么晚才回复。 [MSC, simp.]
Bàoqiàn zhème wǎn cái huífù. [Pinyin]
Sorry for replying so late.

Usage notes

This term is used for situations where one wants to express regret about something without necessarily casting blaming upon oneself or seeking forgiveness from the aggrieved party. Use 道歉 (dàoqiàn) for situations where the one would like to seek forgiveness.

Synonyms

(formal) 負疚／负疚 (fùjiù)
過不去／过不去 (guòbùqù)

Interjection

抱歉

sorry

Synonyms

對不起／对不起 (duìbùqǐ)