Meaning of 遗憾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- regret
- to regret
- to be sorry that
How to use 遗憾
遗憾 is often used as an adjective after 很 or 太, and as a noun meaning a regret, as in 留下遗憾 (liúxià yíhàn, to leave a regret). It is also a polite, formal way to express that you are sorry about bad news. Example: 很遗憾，你没能来。 (Hěn yíhàn, nǐ méi néng lái.) It's a pity you couldn't come.
遗 (yí) means something left behind, as in 遗产 (yíchǎn) legacy, and 憾 (hàn) has the heart radical 忄 on the left. Together they describe a feeling left behind in the heart: regret over something that did not happen.
Common mistake: Learners use 遗憾 to apologize for their own fault, but it only expresses regret or pity. To say sorry for something you did, use 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) or 抱歉 (bàoqiàn). Also watch the tone: 憾 is fourth tone hàn, not hǎn like 喊 (to shout).
遗憾 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.
遗 yí · to lose · 12 strokes
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憾 hàn · regret · 16 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 遗憾.
| 遗产 | yíchǎn | heritage; legacy |
| 遗传 | yíchuán | heredity; to inherit (a trait) |
| 遗嘱 | yízhǔ | testament; will |
| 遗忘 | yíwàng | to forget; to cease to think about (sb or sth) anymore |
| 遗体 | yítǐ | remains (of a dead person) |
| 遗弃 | yíqì | to leave; to abandon |
| 遗物 | yíwù | personal effects (of the deceased); artifacts; relics; (biological) remains |
| 遗愿 | yíyuàn | final wishes of the departed |
| 后遗症 | hòuyízhèng | (medicine) sequelae; residual effects |
| 遗址 | yízhǐ | ruins; historic relics |
| 遗留 | yíliú | to leave behind; to hand down |
| 遗言 | yíyán | words of the deceased; last words of the dying |
Questions about 遗憾
What does 遗憾 mean?
遗憾 (yíhàn) means "regret; to regret" and is used as a adjective and noun.
How do you write 遗憾?
遗憾 is made of 2 characters: 遗 (12 strokes), 憾 (16 strokes). That is 28 strokes in total.
Is 遗憾 an HSK word?
Yes. 遗憾 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 遗憾 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 遗憾 is written 遺憾.
Can 遗憾 be used as a verb with an object?
Not usually in the way English uses 'regret'. Chinese prefers patterns like 对……感到遗憾 (duì... gǎndào yíhàn, to feel regret about...) or 很遗憾 + a clause, rather than 遗憾 + a noun object.
What is the difference between 遗憾 and 后悔 (hòuhuǐ)?
后悔 means you regret your own past action and wish you had done it differently. 遗憾 is a broader feeling of pity or disappointment, often about things outside your control, like missing a chance or receiving bad news.