可惜

• Pinyin: kě xī
• Hanzi breakdown: 可 = 口 + 丁, indicating worth; 惜 = 忄(heart) + 昔 (past), meaning to cherish or regret

Meaning

Unfortunately; what a pity; it's a shame. Expressing regret about something.

Used to express regret or disappointment about a situation, missed opportunity, or unfortunate circumstance. Can function as an adjective, adverb, or exclamation. Common in both spoken and written Chinese when lamenting unfortunate outcomes.

Examples

1. 可惜我没能赶上最后一班火车。 Unfortunately, I couldn't catch the last train.
2. 这么好的机会你居然放弃了，太可惜了。 You actually gave up such a good opportunity — what a shame.
3. 她唱得很好，可惜没能进入决赛。 She sang very well; unfortunately, she didn't make it to the finals.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, expressing regret

Tone: regretful

Do Say

• 真可惜，你错过了那场精彩的演出。(What a pity; you missed that wonderful performance.)
• 可惜天气不好，我们只能取消野餐。(Unfortunately the weather is bad; we have to cancel the picnic.)

Don't Say

• 我可惜了这个。(可惜 isn't used as a verb this way — say 我觉得很可惜 or use 浪费)

Origin & History

可 (kě, worth/able) + 惜 (xī, cherish/pity). Together they mean 'worth pitying' or 'regrettable.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal