抱歉 bàoqiàn — sorry, apologetic
bàoqiàn (fourth tone, falling)bao4qian4
sorry, apologetic
HSK 4· HSK 1–4 (classic)adjective
Meanings
sorry, apologetic
To carry regret — 抱 to hold in the arms, 歉 the apology. It names the feeling, not the act: 很抱歉 opens the sentence that lets someone down, a shade more formal than 对不起 and a shade less than a full 道歉.
adjective
Example sentences
- 很抱歉，我今天不能参加你们的比赛了。很抱歉，我今天不能參加你們的比賽了。Hěn (third tone, dipping) bàoqiàn, (fourth tone, falling) wǒ (third tone, dipping) jīntiān (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) néng (second tone, rising) cānjiā (first tone, high and level) nǐmen (third tone, dipping) de (neutral tone) bǐsài (third tone, dipping) le. (neutral tone)···
I am very sorry — I can’t take part in your match today after all.
- 让您久等了，太抱歉了。讓您久等了，太抱歉了。Ràng (fourth tone, falling) nín (second tone, rising) jiǔ (third tone, dipping) děng (third tone, dipping) le, (neutral tone) tài (fourth tone, falling) bàoqiàn (fourth tone, falling) le. (neutral tone)···
I am terribly sorry to have kept you waiting so long.
Common mistakes
Not quite我向你抱歉。
Correct我向你道歉。
抱歉 is the feeling and 道歉 the act, so only 道歉 goes with 向. You feel 抱歉 about something; you offer a 道歉 to someone.