DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

對不起

简对不起 · 繁對不起

Mandarin · pinyin duì bu qǐ

I'm sorry; excuse me; I beg your pardon
to let (sb) down; to disappoint

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

對: duì · correct, right; facing, opposed
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
起: qǐ · rise, stand up; go up; begin
对: duì · correct, right; facing, opposed

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–5–3 · dui4 bu5 qi3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

對不起 · find source passages ↗ · 对不起 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

deoi3 bat1 hei2

Cantonese word readings for 對不起. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

intj

sorry; excuse me

verb

to cause someone embarrassment; to screw someone over; to do something to a person that would demand an apology later on; to let down

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack