Home › Chinese › Glossary › im sorry
Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "im sorry" in Chinese?
很抱歉
hěn bào qiàn
In Chinese, "im sorry" is 很抱歉 (hěn bào qiàn).
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free Chinese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
To get hěn bào qiàn right, aim for "hěn" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "bào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "qiàn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Writing and usage
很抱歉 is written using hanzi. It's a phrase, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
im sorry
Test your Chinese knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember 很抱歉
The characters 很抱歉 feel like im sorry in miniature; let that image ride along with the sound "hěn bào qiàn".
Related words
- congratulations 恭喜你
- how much does this cost 这要花多少钱
- where is the nearest hospital 最近的医院在哪里
- can you help me 你能帮帮我吗？
- i am lost 我迷失了
- what time is it 现在几点了
- i would like a table for two 我想要一张两人桌
- the bill please 请开账单
- where is the bathroom 浴室在哪里？
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 很抱歉
How do you pronounce 很抱歉?
To get hěn bào qiàn right, aim for "hěn" dipped low then curled back up (third tone), then "bào" snapped down sharply (fourth tone), then "qiàn" snapped down sharply (fourth tone).
Is 很抱歉 formal or casual?
很抱歉 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 很抱歉 used in Chinese?
很抱歉 is used the same way as the equivalent English phrase. For example: (im sorry).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Im sorry" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town