Meaning of 道歉
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to apologize
How to use 道歉
道歉 is a verb-object word, so the person you apologize to goes before it with 向 (xiàng) or 跟 (gēn). Example: 我向你道歉。(Wǒ xiàng nǐ dàoqiàn.) I apologize to you.
道 (dào) means to say or speak, as in old phrases like 能说会道, and 歉 (qiàn) means regret or a sense of falling short. To 道歉 is to put your regret into words.
Common mistake: Learners often say 道歉你 for "apologize to you," but 道歉 cannot take a direct object, so say 向你道歉 or 跟你道歉. Also watch the tone on 歉: it is fourth tone qiàn, not second tone qián like 钱 (qián, money).
道歉 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
道 dào · road · 12 strokes
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歉 qiàn · deficient · 14 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 道歉.
| 知道 | zhīdào | to know; to become aware of; also pr. [zhi1dao5] |
| 味道 | wèidào | flavor; taste; (fig.) feeling (of ...); sense (of ...); hint (of ...) |
| 道理 | dàolǐ | reason; argument |
| 道路 | dàolù | road; path |
| 难道 | nándào | don't tell me ...; could it be that...? |
| 报道 | bàodào | to report (news); report |
| 街道 | jiēdào | street; subdistrict |
| 道德 | dàodé | virtue; morality |
| 频道 | píndào | frequency; (television) channel |
| 抱歉 | bàoqiàn | to be sorry; to feel apologetic |
| 一道 | yīdào | together |
| 轨道 | guǐdào | track (for trains etc); orbit (of a satellite) |
Questions about 道歉
What does 道歉 mean?
道歉 (dàoqiàn) means "to apologize".
How do you write 道歉?
道歉 is made of 2 characters: 道 (12 strokes), 歉 (14 strokes). That is 26 strokes in total.
Is 道歉 an HSK word?
Yes. 道歉 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 道歉 and 对不起?
对不起 (duìbuqǐ) is the actual phrase you say to someone, like "I'm sorry." 道歉 describes the act of apologizing, as in 他道歉了 (Tā dàoqiàn le), "He apologized."
Can 道歉 be split apart in a sentence?
Yes. Because it is verb plus object, you can insert words between the parts, as in 道个歉 (dào ge qiàn), "say sorry," or 道过歉 (dào guo qiàn), "have apologized."