Repair a comment that came out wrong in Cantonese

對唔住 (deoi3 m4 zyu6) is an apology expression. Follow it with a short description of your own words, such as “I did not put that well just now.” This gives the listener something concrete to respond to. An apology floating between unrelated explanations can leave them unsure which remark you are addressing.

Keep the subject on what you said. Compare “I did not put that well” with “You took it the wrong way.” The second sentence assigns the problem to the listener before you have heard their explanation. For this exercise, practise acknowledging your part first, even when you still need to clarify the meaning.

我唔係呢個意思 means “That is not what I mean.” It can introduce a clarification, but it does not supply the missing meaning by itself. Follow it with what you actually intended to say: for example, that you were talking about the timing of a plan rather than the person organising it.

The clip “Sorry, but I do not regret it” makes a useful contrast. Its opening resembles an apology, while the rest explicitly rejects regret. Do not borrow it as a routine repair line. Likewise, naming a personal flaw is different from acknowledging a particular comment and changing how you express it.

The person may understand your explanation and still dislike the remark. Build that possibility into your practice instead of ending every role-play with instant forgiveness. You can listen to a short response, acknowledge it and decide whether anything practical needs to change.

This written exchange leaves the listener room to say the comment was uncomfortable. The last line accepts that feedback without asking them to reassure the speaker. It is one possible continuation, not a formula guaranteed to resolve a disagreement.

The “sly digs” and “So I am the one causing trouble?” clips belong to conflict, but neither supplies the repair sequence above. One accuses another person; the other challenges a judgement about the speaker. Recognising those functions helps you avoid choosing a line simply because its English hook contains a familiar argument.

Practise the repair with one concrete situation: you criticised a friend’s plan too harshly. Name the wording, explain the practical concern, and stop long enough for a response. If your explanation becomes a second criticism, shorten it and return to the specific change you want to communicate.