KudoZ home » Chinese to English » Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

不好意思

English translation: I feel overwhelmed

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Chinese term or phrase:	不好意思
English translation:	I feel overwhelmed
Entered by:	Bin Tiede

Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

14:01 Dec 13, 2007

Chinese to English translations [Non-PRO]
Idioms / Maxims / Sayings

Chinese term or phrase: 不好意思

A: 这是我们准备的一点礼物，请您收下。
B: 这太不好意思了。

教材上直接将不好意思译成Thank you。感觉没有表达出不好意思包含的谦虚的意思。

Bin Tiede KudoZ activity Questions: 523 (none open) (29 closed without grading) Answers: 341 Germany
Local time: 12:22

I feel overwhelmed

Explanation:
Pei Sei | Sinosplice: Life in China- [ Translate this page ]I usually find 不好意思pretty easy to translate, as it can often correspond to “sorry” ... Pei sei is apparently a Taiwanese coinage also meaning 不好意思. ...
www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2005/07/12/pei-sei - 42k - Cached - Similar pages

Selected response from:

pkchan
United States
Local time: 06:22

Grading comment

thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +4

I feel overwhelmed

pkchan

4 +3

needn't / shouldn't have bothered

Wenjer Leuschel

4 +1

Oh, you shouldn't have. This is too much.

Mao Kong

Thank you! You're so kind!

bestonlyfan

You are so considerate/I appreciate it!

Frank Wang

to be flattered

franksf

Discussion entries: 2

Answers

17 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

needn't / shouldn't have bothered

Explanation:
http://www.dict.cc/deutsch-englisch/Es w�re nicht n�tig gewesen.h...

大概就这个意思吧？

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 32 mins (2007-12-13 14:34:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

以上的建议是针对你提出的语境。“不好意思”的用法有许多可能的情况，不同的情况下，翻译出来的外文当然也就不一样了。

比方说，请别人让路时，我们会说：“不好意思（，请借过）。”
翻译：Excuse me, may I？

另外，比方说，我的俄文老师年轻貌美，每次我和她出去，总听到有人当面称赞她漂亮，她就会用纯正的中国话说：“不好意思。”要不就说：“请不要这么说，我会不好意思。”这该怎么翻译呢？

Wenjer Leuschel
Taiwan
Local time: 18:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 16

42 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +4

I feel overwhelmed

pkchan
United States
Local time: 06:22
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 24

Grading comment

thanks.

1 hr confidence:

to be flattered

Explanation:
这太不好意思了。
Wow, I am flattered by this [compliment].

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-12-13 15:11:31 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Or "I am moved" or "I am touched."

这太不好意思了。 -- "I am really moved by this."

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-12-13 15:19:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

之所以“不好意思”是因为心里很感动的缘故。

franksf
Native speaker of:

English,

Chinese

1 hr confidence:

You are so considerate/I appreciate it!

Explanation:
这是典型的中国式收礼方式——边收礼边说“不要”/“别，使不得”，就像那则广告“今年过节不收礼……”

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2007-12-13 15:39:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

别怕长，可以两句一起用：You are so considerate. I appreciate it!

Frank Wang
China
Local time: 18:22
Native speaker of:

Chinese

2 hrs confidence:

Thank you! You're so kind!

Explanation:
当别人送礼物时，说“不好意思”，其实只是中国人的一种礼貌用语。老外接受礼物时，都会很高兴地接受，并说些表示谢意的话，很少手上拿礼物，嘴上说“不好意思”的，所以要翻译成英文，最好按西方人的习惯，译成表示谢意的话，而非直译“不好意思”-----------FYI

bestonlyfan
Local time: 06:22
Native speaker of:

Chinese

12 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Oh, you shouldn't have. This is too much.

Explanation:
I'm speechless.
(This is really too much. You shouldn't have!)

Mao Kong
United States
Local time: 18:22
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

Overview

Latest translation questions

Ask a translation question

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

不好意思

English translation: I feel overwhelmed

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

Answers

Sign in to your ProZ.com account...

Or create a new account

ProZ.com ideas

KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

不好意思

English translation: I feel overwhelmed

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

Answers

Sign in to your ProZ.com account...

Or create a new account

ProZ.com ideas

KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.