Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 對唔住 / 对唔住 | deoi³ m⁴ jyu⁶ | |
| 對不起 / 对不起 | deoi³ bat¹ hei² | formal, literary |
| 唔好意思 | m⁴ hou² ji³ si¹ |
The phrases used for apology range from mild social inconveniences to serious expressions of regret. 唔好意思 is used for minor inconveniences, such as bumping into someone, interrupting a person or politely declining an offer. It also functions as "Excuse me" when you want to get someone's attention or pass through a crowd. For more serious apologies where you feel you have failed someone or caused significant harm, use 對唔住 / 对唔住.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 唔好意思 literally translates to "not having a good feeling/meaning," which implies that the speaker feels awkward or embarrassed about the situation.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ in the severity of the apology. 唔好意思 is used for mild situations, while 對唔住 / 对唔住 is used for serious apologies expressing that you have let someone down.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
對不起 / 对不起 is a formal and literary way to express apology.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, people often say 對唔住 / 对唔住.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make an apology sound softer and more polite in spoken Cantonese, you can add the sentence-final particle 呀 to 唔好意思.
How do you pronounce it?
deoi³ m⁴ jyu⁶
When do people say it?
When you are asking for forgiveness for inconveniencing someone, you may also employ the phrase 麻煩你, which means "to trouble you".
Did you know?
- While 對唔住 is used for apologies, the word 對 actually refers to 'facing' or 'treating' another person, suggesting that an apology is about restoring the balance between two people.
- In some contexts, 唔好意思 is used not to apologize, but to express modesty or shyness when receiving a compliment.
- The concept of 'face' means that saying 對唔住 too frequently for small mistakes can actually make the other person uncomfortable by emphasizing the social rupture.
Examples in context
- 唔好意思呀，幫你唔到。I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.This example shows how to use 唔好意思 to express regret for not being able to help.Tatoeba #5730000 by nickyeow, translation #1874343 by CK
- 唔好意思呀，我冇散紙。I'm sorry, but I don't have change.This example uses 唔好意思 to apologize for not having change.Tatoeba #5797494 by nickyeow, translation #5267314 by Objectivesea
- 唔好意思，我而家好忙呀。I'm sorry, I'm busy right now.This example demonstrates using 唔好意思 to apologize for being busy.Tatoeba #616144 by nickyeow, translation #51478 by CK
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sorry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
