歉 qiàn apology
apology; regret
How to remember 歉: 兼 combine + 欠 to lack = apology. The student tries to combine two short essays into one, and when his teacher finds the argument lacking he offers her a quick apology.
Component breakdown
歉 = 兼 combine + 欠 to lack
- 兼 combine
- 欠 to lack
The student tries to combine two short essays into one, and when his teacher finds the argument lacking he offers her a quick apology.
How it is used
- Nearly bound; carries the idea of apology/regret. Lives in 抱歉 (bàoqiàn) sorry and 道歉 (dàoqiàn) to apologize, plus 歉意 (qiànyì) regret.
- 抱歉 is a mild 'sorry / excuse me'; 道歉 is the act of formally apologizing.
- Rarely stands alone in modern speech.
Words with 歉
Example sentences
- 她要求他道歉。 Tā yāoqiú tā dàoqiàn.She demanded he apologize.
- 他约会迟到了，向女朋友道歉。 Tā yuēhuì chídào le, xiàng nǚ péngyou dàoqiàn.He apologized to his girlfriend because he was late for the date.