There are many ways to say “sorry” in Mandarin Chinese, but one of the most common and versatile phrases is 对不起 (duì bu qǐ). It means "sorry" in the sense that you have wronged someone and want to apologize. 对 (duì) in this case means "to face," but in other situations means many other things, such as "correct" or "to." 不 (bù) is a negative particle that can be translated as "no" or "not." 起 (qǐ) literally means "to rise,” but is often used in an extended meaning "to be able to." If you put these together, you get something like "unable to face," which is the feeling you have when you have wronged someone. This phrase in Chinese can function as a standalone way of saying "sorry," but it can also be used as a verb, so you can say: 我对不起你 (wǒ duìbuqǐ nǐ) = I have wronged you. Let's look at a few more examples. As you will see, offering an apology is often just a way of being polite, just like saying "sorry" is in English. 对不起, 我该走了｡ (duì bu qǐ, wǒ gāi zǒu le) = Sorry, I have to go now. 如果我说对不起, 你是否就会原谅我? (rú guǒ wǒ shuō duì bu qǐ, nǐ shì fǒu jiù huì yuán liàng wǒ) = If I say I’m sorry, will you be able to forgive me? It should be mentioned that there are other ways of interpreting or breaking down this phrase. You could also think of it as 对 meaning "to treat" or "correct," which would give the sense that you have not treated someone the right way or that you have done them wrong. For practical purposes, it matters little which phrase you use. Pick whichever explanation you find easiest to memorize. # Our teachers # More than 10 years teaching experience Master Degree Certificate for teaching chinese as a foreign language   # About us # Founded in 2007 Chinese test and training center 200+ Chinese teachers 5000+ students  # Contact us# Name:fiona Phone number:021-52287809,13918358891 E-mail:info@mandarinmorning.com www.mandarinmorning.com If you are interested to join Mandarin Morning school or want more details about our services, scan the following QR code. ☟   Mandarin Morning Chinese test center attached to Confucius institute headquarters Authorized Test Center and Training Center for International Chinese Language Teacher Certificater 10 years+ ，200 teachers ，more 10000 students，200+companies  |
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