MC Emma: Sentence question 2

[gena0411]

Hello,

 

I am reading now Mandarin Companion graded reader "Emma".

 

Could you please help with the following sentence?

 

我觉得很对不起你

 

I am not sure which one of the two meanings is correct:

1) I feel very sorry for you

2) I feel I need to apologize to you

 

Thanks

     Genady

[edelweis]

1 hour ago, gena0411 said:

对不起

is often used to express "I'm sorry", but basically it's a verb+potential complement phrase.

I think it means something like "being unable to do right (by someone)", especially when it has a subject and object like in your example.

So it's not at all like expressing your sympathy by saying "I'm sorry" about something that has nothing to do with you.

It really means that you, personally, have wronged someone (and you regret it).

 

[Publius]

Yes, the antonym of 对不起 is 对得起.

E.g. 你不好好学习，对得起你父母吗？ -- If you don't study hard, how can you look your parents in the eye and not feel ashamed?

The "I'm sorry" meaning of 对不起 comes from "I cannot face you, because I've done you wrong." Totally different from "I'm sorry to hear that / I'm sorry for your loss / I'm sorry my words have been misinterpreted..."

[gena0411]

Thanks Edelweiss, Publius.

Do I understand correctly then, that translation (2) is more close to the Chinese meaning?

 

In the context, the speaker indeed did something wrong.

 

Thanks

     Genady

[edelweis]

yes, 2 is better

[gena0411]

Thanks!