When to Use the Chinese Term 不好意思 Bù Hǎo Yì Si

The Mandarin Chinese phrase ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si)  is frequently used in Chinese culture as a way of saying excuse me, embarrassed, or â€Å"sorry.† The literal translation of ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬ Ã‚  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si) is â€Å"not good meaning.† Here are examples of instances in which it would be appropriate to use this phrase.   Receiving Gifts The Chinese tradition of gift-giving demands that the gift is first refused, and finally accepted with è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (xià ¨ xie) or ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si). Using the latter phrase conveys a sense of being abashed, like using the term you shouldnt have or theres no need in English. This dance of giving and receiving gifts is done for any type of gift, including picking up the tab in a restaurant. Apologizing ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si) is also used as a casual apology. The phrase could be used, for instance, if you bump into someone on a crowded subway or if you have kept customers waiting. In these scenarios, ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si) means something akin to excuse me or sorry.   Similarly, you can say ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si) when you need to interrupt someone for a question, such as asking for the bathroom, directions, or a similar favor. You can say ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬ , è ¯ ·Ã©â€" ®... (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬Ã‚  si, qÇ ng wà ¨n), which means Excuse me, but can I ask...   When apologizing for more serious inconveniences, you can use the phrase  Ã¥ ¯ ¹Ã¤ ¸ Ã¨ µ · (duà ¬ bà ¹ qÇ ) which means Im sorry. For really serious mistakes that call for an apology, you can use the phrase  Ã¥Å½Å¸Ã¨ °â€¦Ã¦Ë†â€˜ (yuà ¡nlià  ng wÇ’) which means forgive me.   Character Traits Because ä ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si) can also mean embarrassed, the Chinese phrase can be used to describe a persons characteristics. For example, if someone is shy and easily embarrassed, you could say ä »â€" (male) / Ã¥ ¥ ¹ (female)  Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (tÄ Ã‚  bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si). This means He / she is embarrassed. Likewise, if you are trying to encourage someone to be less bashful, you can say ä ¸ Ã¨ ¦ Ã¤ ¸ Ã¥ ¥ ½Ã¦â€ž Ã¦â‚¬  (bà ¹ yà  o bà ¹ hÇŽo yà ¬ si), which translates to dont be shy.