What Does 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) Mean in Chinese?
Reviewed context lessonCommon
Excuse me / Sorry / I feel embarrassed
Quick answer: What does 不好意思 mean?
不好意思 — A polite opener, a small apology, or a way to describe feeling awkward. The situation tells you which meaning is intended.
✓Excuse me, may I ask…?
✓Sorry for the inconvenience.
✓I feel a bit embarrassed.
What Chinese people actually mean
Before a question, 不好意思 often softens the interruption. As a reply, it may be a real apology. It does not always mean the speaker has done something seriously wrong.
Tone and formality
Softens an apology, interruption or request; tone depends on the situation.
Polite and widely usable in everyday and workplace interactions.
Chinese characters
Open each character to see its own meanings and vocabulary links.
不bùno; not so好hǎogood意yì(bound form) idea; thought; meaning; sense · (bound form) intention; feeling; inclination; state of mind思siMeaning in this word: context-dependent
Real conversations
1 · Politely getting attention
A: 不好意思，请问地铁站怎么走？
bù hǎo yì si, qǐngwèn dìtiězhàn zěnme zǒu?
A: Excuse me, how do I get to the subway station?
B: 一直往前走。
yìzhí wǎng qián zǒu.
B: Keep going straight.
2 · Turning down a request
A: 你现在能帮我搬一下吗？
nǐ xiànzài néng bāng wǒ bān yíxià ma?
A: Can you help me move this now?
B: 不好意思，我现在走不开。
bù hǎo yì si, wǒ xiànzài zǒu bu kāi.
B: Sorry, I can’t step away right now.
How to pronounce 不好意思
不好意思
Tap to hear Mandarin.
When to use it
✓Before asking a stranger a question, it softens the interruption. The natural English is often “Excuse me,” rather than “I’m embarrassed.”
✓If someone says 不好意思，请问… (bù hǎo yì si, qǐngwèn…), answer their question. You do not need to treat the opener as a serious apology.
✓After a small inconvenience, a reply such as 没关系 (méi guānxi), “It’s okay,” can reassure the person.
✓If you caused real harm, a direct apology with responsibility and a remedy is more appropriate than relying only on this polite phrase. 对不起 is a more direct “I’m sorry.”
✓我有点不好意思 (wǒ yǒudiǎn bù hǎo yì si) describes feeling shy, awkward, or embarrassed. The sentence supplies that meaning.
Sources and editorial note
Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.Context lesson: Original Chinese Meaning context lesson; examples written for this site.