How to Say ‘Sorry / Excuse me’ in Traditional Chinese
不好意思
bù hǎo yì sī
[boo how ee suh]
🇹🇼 In Taiwan: [不好意思] does a lot of social work in Taiwan: it can mean sorry, excuse me, or a gentle way to get someone's attention. It's especially useful with strangers because it sounds polite without being overly formal.
Phrase Breakdown
不好意思
bù hǎo yì sī
[boo how ee suh]
excuse me; sorry to bother you
A very common polite phrase to start a conversation, especially when approaching someone you do not know well.
不好意思，我想說你今天的穿搭真的很好看。
Excuse me, I wanted to say your outfit looks really great today.
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