# How to say “I'm sorry” in Chinese

> The mildest way to say “I'm sorry” in Chinese is 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si), “my bad, excuse me”. The strongest is 跪搓衣板 (guì cuō yī bǎn), “beg forgiveness (lit. kneel on the washboard)”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

Source: https://lanlanchinese.com/how-to-say/sorry-in-chinese (updated 2026-10-18)

1. **不好意思** (bù hǎo yì si) (strength 1/5): my bad, excuse me. You bumped into someone.
   Heard in a real video: 不好意思让你久等了。 "Then he said, 'Sorry to keep you waiting.'" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPaM9AWfaf4&t=185s)
   Heard in a real video: 不好意思，不好意思。 "Sorry, sorry." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mbriFdOo8I&t=44s)
2. **对不起** (duì bu qǐ) (strength 2/5): sorry. The real apology.
   Heard in a real video: 对不起，我有话要讲。 "Sorry, I have something to say." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb1VBYqqnBY&t=120s)
   Heard in a real video: 你拿去修车吧，对不起。 "Take it and fix your car. I'm sorry." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfRDK6Jm9dc&t=9s)
3. **抱歉** (bào qiàn) (strength 3/5): I apologize. Formal. Emails and bosses.
   Heard in a real video: 对于上一轮，非常抱歉。 "I'm very sorry about the last round." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb1VBYqqnBY&t=122s)
4. **我错了** (wǒ cuò le) (strength 4/5): I was wrong. The three words every partner wants.
   Heard in a real video: 哎呀，我错了，你别生气了。 "I was wrong, don't be mad." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrdR2nWLwaw&t=42s)
   Heard in a real video: 那我错了。 "Fine, I was wrong." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJwCQrudRY0&t=50s)
5. **跪搓衣板** (guì cuō yī bǎn) (strength 5/5): beg forgiveness (lit. kneel on the washboard). You forgot the anniversary.

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