In this episode, we’ve learned how to say sorry in Taiwanese. Try to remember the melody (“tones”) of these phrases as well because Taiwanese is a tonal language! You can review by listening to our podcast episode, or checking out our workbook audio. TAIWANESE ENGLISH Pháinn-sè! 1) Sorry! 2) Excuse me! (literally: bad-appearance) Tsin pháinn-sè. I’m so sorry. Sit-lé! Sorry! (literally: lost-manners) Tsin sit-lé. I’m so sorry. Bô iàu-kín! It’s okay. / It doesn’t matter. bô no, not having iàu-kín important, urgent Bē--lah, bô iàu-kín! No, don’t worry, it’s okay! SORRY NOT SORRY - HOW TO USE “PHÁINN-SÈ” “Pháinn-sè” (literally “bad-appearance”) is used when you feel bad, ashamed or embarrassed about what you’ve done. You can use it to apologize to someone, like “I’m sorry” in English; to say you feel embarrassed or too shy to do something (e.g. “Guá ē pháinn-sè”, I feel embarrassed); to interrupt and get the attention of someone, just like “excuse me”. Note that unlike “I’m sorry” in English, “pháinn-sè” can NOT be used to express sympathy when someone tells you a bad news. “PHÁINN-SÈ” AND “SIT-LÉ” When used as an apologetic expression, “pháinn-sè” and “sit-lé” are often used interchangeably. In this episode, we did mention some subtle differences that may exist: “Pháinn-sè” is more like you feel bad or guilty about something you did, and it probably has a more personal touch when you say it. “Sit-lé” may sound slightly more formal, respectful or serious, and it’s like stating what you did was rude or wrong, or acknowledging that you’ve made a mistake in a professional sense. TÒNE 3, ÙGH... PUNCHED ME IN THE GUT... The Third Tone, or Tone 3, is a mid falling tone. It means it starts in the middle part of your voice range and drops down to the lower part, usually to the point where your voice gets a little creaky. It sounds like sighing, “ugh”, or “uh”, if someone punches you in the gut and you get the wind knocked out of you. Tone 3 is actually the lowest and darkest tone in Taiwanese. Here are some phrases we’ve learned that ends with a Tone 3: “Pháinn-sè” (sorry) “Bián kheh-khì” (you’re welcome), khì We encourage you to relisten to this episode and pay special attention to the final syllables, “sè”and “khì”. You can also check out our workbook for some exercises on Tone 3. If you want to know what tones the other syllables have changed to, we’ve marked them for you in our downloadable workbook. You'll also find additional vocabulary with characters, pronunciation notes, grammar explanations, culture tips, and fun exercises to help your practice. Go check it out! Music Credit: TeknoAXE Taiwanese "sorry" gesture