How to Say ‘Excuse me’ in Traditional Chinese
不好意思
bù hǎo yì sī
[boo how ee suh]
💬 Usage Tip: [不好意思] often means more than literal "embarrassed" or "sorry" — it's a very common soft opener for getting someone's attention, like [不好意思，請問一下]. In Taiwan it's one of the safest polite ways to start talking to a stranger.
Phrase Breakdown
不好意思
bù hǎo yì sī
[boo how ee suh]
excuse me; sorry
A polite phrase used to get attention, apologize lightly, or soften what you say.
不好意思，我可以請你喝一杯嗎？
Excuse me, may I buy you a drink?
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