不好意思打扰你。

When to use

Use this when you need to interrupt someone, ask for their time, or bother them with a request. It's a gentler way to apologize for the interruption, often used before making a request.

How it works

This phrase combines a mild apology with the act of bothering someone. '不好意思' (bù hǎo yì si) is a polite expression meaning 'excuse me' or 'sorry' (mildly), '打扰' (dǎrǎo) means 'to bother,' and '你' (nǐ) is 'you.'

Tone Sandhi & Neutral Tone

In '不好意思' (bù hǎo yì si), '不' (bù) remains its original fourth tone before '好' (hǎo), which is a third tone. The tone sandhi of '不' to second tone (bú) only occurs when it precedes another fourth tone. '思' (si) is pronounced with a neutral tone, making it light and unstressed.

Productive Chunk: 打扰 + [Person]

The verb '打扰' (dǎrǎo) means 'to bother' or 'to disturb.' It's commonly followed by the person being bothered, such as '你' (nǐ - you) or '他' (tā - him/her).

• 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si): Excuse me, sorry (mild apology)
• 打扰 (dǎrǎo): To bother, to disturb (verb)
• 你 (nǐ): You (object of the verb)

Notes

A softer apology for interrupting.