How to Say “I'm sorry” in Mandarin

对不起
duìbuqǐ

I'm sorry

Character by character

  • 对duìright
  • 不buno
  • 起qǐto rise

Common questions

How do you say "I'm sorry" in Mandarin?
"I'm sorry" in Mandarin is 对不起, pronounced duìbuqǐ (fourth tone, neutral tone, third tone).
What does 对不起 mean literally?
对不起 breaks down as 对 (right) + 不 (no) + 起 (to rise).
What tones does 对不起 use?
对不起 is pronounced duìbuqǐ: fourth tone, neutral tone, third tone.