对不住

對不住

duìbuzhù

phrase #25,839

Meanings

1 to let someone down
2 to be unfair to someone
3 I'm sorry (formal)

Characters

to hold up, to justify

Examples

我真的对不住你，让你等了这么久。

Wǒzhēn de duìbuzhù nǐ, ràng nǐ děng le zhème jiǔ.

I'm truly sorry for making you wait so long.

他感到自己对不住父母的期望。

Tā gǎndào zìjǐ duìbuzhù fùmǔ de qīwàng.

He felt he had let down his parents' expectations.

Tips

usage

对不住 is more formal and weightier than 对不起. It implies a deeper failure or moral debt — not just a minor inconvenience but truly letting someone down.

Stroke Order

对 duì

不 bù

住 zhù