HSK 4 Chinese Level Ladder
4 Levels of 'I'm Sorry'
对不起
Duìbùqǐ
1:05 min video · 4 sentences · 4 key words
Transcript with pinyin and English
Hide the English to test yourself.
- 对不起。Duìbùqǐ.I'm sorry.
- 对不起，我来晚了。Duìbùqǐ, wǒ lái wǎn le.I'm sorry, I'm late.
- 真不好意思，让你久等了。Zhēn bùhǎoyìsi, ràng nǐ jiǔ děng le.I'm really sorry to have kept you waiting.
- 不好意思啊，我错了。Bùhǎoyìsi a, wǒ cuò le.Sorry about that, my bad.
About this lesson
The same apology climbs from a plain beginner phrase to the casual way friends really say it, as one woman feels more and more guilty after being late.
How to practise
- Watch each rung's card: the level, when to use it, and the phrase with its pinyin and English.
- Repeat every rung out loud in the 跟读 · Your turn pause, from HSK 1 up to the native way.
- Then climb it in one go, and comment which rung you're on.
Key words 生词
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 对不起 | duìbùqǐ | I'm sorry | HSK 1 |
| 不好意思 | bùhǎoyìsi | sorry, embarrassed | HSK 2 |
| 久等 | jiǔděng | keep waiting a long time | |
| 错 | cuò | wrong, mistake | HSK 1 |
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