Paiseh 歹勢

pháiⁿ-sè · from Taiwanese Hokkien

What does paiseh mean?

Paiseh (歹勢) is a Hokkien word meaning embarrassed, sorry or excuse me, used in Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

It covers mild apologies, awkwardness and politely asking someone to move. Mandarin speakers in Taiwan use it constantly as a loan from Hokkien, and Singlish uses paiseh too. It is softer than a formal apology.

Examples

歹勢 pháiⁿ-sè (sorry, excuse me); 歹勢啦 pháiⁿ-sè lah (sorry, my bad); Singlish So paiseh! (so embarrassing!)

Kungfucius says: The word Taiwan says most after 謝謝, usually while squeezing past someone on the MRT.