How to Say ‘Embarrassed; sorry’ in Traditional Chinese
好意思
hǎo yì sī
[how ee-suh]
💬 Usage Tip: In [不好意思], [好意思] doesn't literally mean "good meaning." It's a set phrase about feeling bold enough or not feeling embarrassed, so [不好意思] becomes a very common polite [sorry] / [excuse me].
Phrase Breakdown
好意思
hǎo yì sī
[how ee-suh]
to feel at ease about; to have the nerve to
Often used in negatives like 不好意思. By itself, it refers to feeling unembarrassed or bold enough to do something.
我不好意思一直叫司機回頭。
I feel embarrassed to keep asking the driver to turn back.
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