HSK 1 · Article · 230 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-excuse-me-in-chinese

不好意思，我要下车

How to say excuse me in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中文zhōngwén里，“请问qǐngwèn”“不好意思bùhǎoyìsi”“对不起duìbuqǐ”都dōu很hěn有用yǒuyòng。什么shénme时候shíhou说shuō哪个nǎge呢ne？

你nǐ想xiǎng问wèn人rén问题wèntí，说shuō“请问qǐngwèn”：“请问qǐngwèn，医院yīyuàn在zài哪儿nǎr？”

车chē上shàng人rén很hěn多duō，你nǐ要yào下车xiàchē，说shuō“不好意思bùhǎoyìsi”。

你nǐ做zuò了le不bú对duì的de事shì，说shuō“对不起duìbuqǐ”。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，我wǒ坐zuò地铁dìtiě。车chē上shàng人rén非常fēicháng多duō。到dào了le，我wǒ要yào下车xiàchē，前边qiánbian都dōu是shì人rén。

我wǒ说shuō：“请问qǐngwèn！请问qǐngwèn！”

前边qiánbian的de人rén都dōu看kàn我wǒ。一个yígè先生xiānsheng问wèn：“你nǐ想xiǎng问wèn什么shénme？”

我wǒ说shuō：“请问qǐngwèn……我wǒ能néng下车xiàchē吗ma？”

车chē上shàng的de人rén都dōu笑xiào了le。那个nàge先生xiānsheng说shuō：“不是búshì‘请问qǐngwèn’，是shì‘不好意思bùhǎoyìsi’。”

我wǒ说shuō：“不好意思bùhǎoyìsi，不好意思bùhǎoyìsi！”大家dàjiā都dōu让开ràngkāi了le。

下车xiàchē的de时候shíhou，我wǒ踩cǎi了le一个yígè女士nǚshì的de脚jiǎo。这次zhècì我wǒ知道zhīdào说shuō什么shénme了le！“对不起duìbuqǐ！”

她tā说shuō：“没关系méiguānxi。”

下xià了le车chē，我wǒ看kàn了le看kàn手机shǒujī。不bú对duì，这zhè不是búshì我wǒ要yào去qù的de地方dìfang！

我wǒ回到huídào车chē上shàng。那个nàge先生xiānsheng看见kànjiàn我wǒ，笑xiào了le：“请问qǐngwèn，你nǐ要yào下车xiàchē吗ma？”

Key words

In Chinese, 请问, 不好意思 and 对不起 are all very useful. So when do you say which?

When you want to ask someone a question, say 请问: 'Excuse me, where is the hospital?'

When the train is packed and you need to get off, say 不好意思.

When you've done something wrong, say 对不起.

One day I took the subway. The car was packed. At my stop I needed to get off, but there were people all in front of me.

I said, '请问! 请问!'

Everyone in front of me looked at me. A man asked, 'What do you want to ask?'

I said, 'Excuse me... may I get off?'

Everyone in the car laughed. The man said, 'Not 请问 — 不好意思.'

I said, '不好意思, 不好意思!' And everyone moved out of the way.

As I got off, I stepped on a woman's foot. This time I knew what to say! '对不起!'

She said, 'That's all right.'

Off the train, I checked my phone. Wait, this wasn't where I was going!

I got back on. The man saw me and smiled: '请问, do you want to get off?'