08 June 2010

[HK 7} : Faux pas

I realized, only after my mom corrected me, that when I thought I was saying :

不 好 意 思
(pronounced "mm hou yi si" in Canto or "bu hao yi se" in Mandarin)
 
which is a polite way to say "excuse me" or "sorry," I was actually saying :
 
沒有意義
(pronounced "mouh yi si" or "mei you yi se")
 
... which means "meaningless" or more directly, "has no meaning."
 
Whoops... maybe another reason why people give me funny looks.

2 comments:

  1. haha :) i always learned bu hao yisi as "how embarrassing," which i guess is a formal way of saying "i'm sorry"

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  2. Ah, well it does as a direct translation. I think it's supposed to be a more heart-felt way of expressing an apology or discomfort in disturbing someone, by deflecting the blame upon yourself. (Very Chinese...)

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