How to Say ‘Excuse me / May I ask something?’ in Traditional Chinese
不好意思 / 請問一下
bù hǎo yì sī qǐng wèn yī xià
[boo how ee suh ching wen ee shya]
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: [不好意思] is the everyday softer opener in Taiwan when you want attention politely; [請問一下] sounds a bit more like "may I ask." At a bar, [不好意思] usually feels warmer and less stiff.
Phrase Breakdown
不好意思
bù hǎo yì sī
[boo how ee suh]
excuse me; sorry to bother you
A polite opener used to get someone's attention gently, especially with strangers or in social settings like a bar.
不好意思，你今天的穿搭真的很好看。
Excuse me, your outfit looks really great today.
請問
qǐng wèn
[ching wen]
may I ask...
A polite phrase used before asking a question. Softer and more respectful than asking directly.
請問，你今天的穿搭是自己搭配的嗎？
May I ask, did you style your outfit yourself today?
一下
yī xià
[ee shya]
a bit; for a moment
A softening word that makes a request or question sound more casual and less direct.
我想問一下一下，你常常這樣穿嗎？
I wanted to ask for a moment, do you often dress like this?
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