Response to I am sorry

[Shelley]

What would you say to someone who speaks Chinese and said in English to you (because they bumped into you in the supermarket) "Oh sorry, sorry"

 

The only response I know is when someone thanks you and you can say 不谢.

 

I wanted to something like its okay, or no problem in Chinese (ever hopeful I will get a conversation even just a few words)

 

 

I couldn't think of anything on the spot and still couldn't really come up with anything when I got home. I didn't want anything too formal, something young people in china might say amongst themselves.

 

I am also aware that as a general rule saying sorry in this situation is not common in china and i think it is something they have learnt while here in the UK, so not sure if there is a response.

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks for changing it.

Edited November 20, 2014 at 11:03 AM by Shelley

[AdamD]

没关系 is good, and 没事 or 没事儿 seem to be pretty common.

[Shelley]

I knew 没关系, just didn't think to apply it. Don't know why? I suppose if they had said it in Chinese 对不起 I would have responded with it.

 

Strange how your brain works or not

 

But i like 没事 better, not heard that before, seems less formal and quicker to say.

[AdamD]

Yeah, 没事 is definitely quicker and less formal. I've never seen it taught but I hear it all the time, especially in Beijing.

[Shelley]

yup its going in the quick access file in my brain

[Mr John]

I'll second the 没事 response. I probably overused it while in China, but it's pretty versatile. I could be wrong but I think 没关系 is more of a don't worry about it; don't mention it; no problem kind of thing - especially if one person has needed help or is saying thank you.

[abcdefg]

But i like 没事 better, not heard that before, seems less formal and quicker to say.

 

Another vote for 没事。 Also can say 没问题。

[Kenny同志]

Another alternative: 不要緊.

[Chris Two Times]

I use 没事 all the time in such a situation so another vote for it here. I picked up on that as I have apologized to others for bumping into them and that's what they've said to me.

 

I do like the response 不要緊. I will keep my ears open for it.

 

Warm regards,

Chris Two Times

[陳德聰]

Another alternative would be the popular Taiwanese "沒差"

[ablindwatchmaker]

没事。

 

Everyone I met in Beijing said this.

[Demonic_Duck]

Re: Responding to “I'm sorry”:

 

I don't think “没问题” is entirely appropriate, that's more like “no problem” (equivalent to “不用谢” etc.)

 

All the other options suggested in this thread are fine - 没事_儿、没关系、不要紧、没差 (I've never heard “没差” used on the mainland, though).

 

Re: “I'm sorry”:

 

It's not particularly common (but also not unheard of) for people to say “对不起” in situations like this - the literal translation is “I have wronged you so badly that I can't make it up to you”, so really it should only be used for more serious things. With that said, I think it's becoming used more and more freely these days, and people don't tend to take it in the literal sense.

 

“不好意思” is more common. A lot of the time people simply say nothing, which could be seen as a little rude, but I guess that's just how it is.

 

Finally, there's the English “sorry”, which is the only appropriate apology word to use for minor situations between friends. A more serious situation might call for a “对不起你了”.

[Shelley]

These are all great ideas, thanks for your input.

[Balthazar]

What would you say to someone who speaks Chinese and said in English to you (because they bumped into you in the supermarket) "Oh sorry, sorry"

 

I actually bumped into another customer's shopping cart at a supermarket earlier this year, when I was celebrating Spring Festival in China. I said "对不起", and the Chinese girl (probably somewhere between 17 and 25 years old, I'm pretty bad at distinguishing ages) responded with a "没关系". This was in Changchun.

[Shelley]

"Finally, there's the English “sorry”, which is the only appropriate apology word to use for minor situations between friends"

 

@ Demonic_Duck are you saying here that people are using the English word "sorry" in china?

 

Another English word creeping into the Chinese language?

[Demonic_Duck]

Yes indeed. It's mostly young people, and generally in situations between friends which are very minor. It's often used a bit humorously, too.

 

Basically, friends saying “对不起” or “不好意思” to each other for minor things (bumping into each other, stepping on toes, giving away a point to the other team in a game etc.) would be extremely weird and overly formal. Most people say nothing, but I can't let go of my English habits, so I just say “sorry”. I think it's more-or-less universally understood by people under 35 or so.

[Johnny20270]

没关系 is good, and 没事 or 没事儿 seem to be pretty common.

 

just asked my friend sitting beside me (a late 20's Beijinger) and she says 没事 is the most common in her mind and 没关系 a very close 2nd. This is for a situation where someone knocks into you accidentally and not a major issue. She also says  不谢 not appropriate in this situation. If it was a bit more seriously, like you got a half a cup of coffee knock on you from an old lady, and she was apologetic about it, you  might say ahh  and a pause and 没事没事, which is a bit like in English "ahh look, never mind"

 

 

Another English word creeping into the Chinese language?

 

as with  "ahh um bye" and "email" Always sounds strange to me to heard a English word popped into a long conversation.

 

the greetings are a bit stagnant for me. Chinese are not into hand shakes, or certainly not into hugs. Don't think I have seen anyone hug each other in China (apart from young bf/gf and that's usually involves the girl having a sour face and standing like a dead fish staring the other way while he tries to man handled her up for whatever he has done lol)

[Shelley]

I never thought 不谢 was appropriate, it seems like the general consensus is to use 没事. I like it so I will, for the moment, use that.

[tysond]

@ Demonic_Duck are you saying here that people are using the English word "sorry" in china?

 

 

 

Heard sorry just 30 minutes ago in a lift at a mall.  Don't think it was for my benefit.   

 

Quite a few English words make it into young people's speech, I've heard it at coffee shops when students talk amongst themselves.

At my office it's common for people to throw in a few English words to spice up their sentences.

 

Once it was considered pretty sophisticated to throw in some French words when speaking English, gave you a bit of... je ne sais pas...  although now it's not so fashionable... C'est la vie.

[Shelley]

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but i am a little disappointed, don't really know why, just a sense I suppose of the things to come that I don't really understand or like.