谅解

• Pinyin: liàng jiě
• Hanzi breakdown: 谅 = 讠 + 京 (to forgive — trustworthy speech at a prominent place); 解 = 角 + 刀 + 牛 (to resolve/understand — separating a horn from an ox with a knife, implying careful analysis)

Meaning

To understand and forgive; to show understanding; to pardon. To empathise with someone's situation and excuse a shortcoming or mistake.

A key social and diplomatic term. 谅解备忘录 (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) is a formal document used in international relations and business negotiations. In everyday life, 请多谅解 (we appreciate your understanding) is a common polite expression of apology. Distinct from 原谅 in that 谅解 implies genuine comprehension of the other party's circumstances rather than mere forgiveness.

Examples

1. 她理解父母当年的难处，从心底里谅解了他们曾经的缺席。 She understood how hard things were for her parents back then and, from the bottom of her heart, forgave their past absence.
2. 双方经过多轮协商，最终签署了谅解备忘录，就合作框架达成了共识。 After multiple rounds of negotiations, the two sides finally signed a memorandum of understanding, reaching consensus on the cooperation framework.
3. 服务中断给您带来了不便，我们深感抱歉，希望您能予以谅解。 We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the service interruption and hope for your understanding.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, business, apology, interpersonal relations

Tone: conciliatory

Do Say

• 在得知实际情况后，客户表示能够谅解此次延误，并同意延长交货期限。(Upon learning the actual situation, the client indicated that they could understand the delay and agreed to extend the delivery deadline.)
• 她主动解释了误会的来龙去脉，对方最终表示谅解，两人握手言和。(She proactively explained the full story behind the misunderstanding, and the other party ultimately expressed understanding — the two shook hands and reconciled.)

Don't Say

• 将'谅解'用于要求他人无条件接受错误 — 谅解应建立在解释和沟通的基础上，不可将其用作规避责任的借口

Origin & History

谅 (to trust/forgive — speech radical with 京, implying trusted speech) + 解 (to understand/resolve)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal