Kilo Lingo

(dào qiàn) - to apologise in Mandarin

dàoqiàn

Traditional: 道歉

Line drawing of 道歉
Coloured illustration of 道歉
#915 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

to apologise

Word origin

The word 道歉 combines 道 'to say, the way' with 歉 'apology, deficiency', literally 'to speak an apology'. 道 has the 辶 (movement) radical and 首 (head); 歉 has the 欠 (lack, to owe) element. Together they mean to apologise.

Origin
compound
Root
道 (dào, to say: 辶 movement + 首 head) + 歉 (qiàn, apology: 欠 to owe)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 道

Stroke order for 歉

Examples

I should apologise to you.

He apologised sincerely.

You do not need to apologise.

He apologised to the teacher.

You should apologise to her.

道歉 (dào qiàn) means to apologise.

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This word is part of lesson 19.