打扰 (dǎrǎo) — to disturb; to bother; to interrupt

打扰 (dǎrǎo)

打扰 means to disturb or interrupt someone, and is frequently used in polite phrases when asking for help or attention.

Meanings

1. [verb] To disturb, to bother, to interrupt, to intrude upon.

Example Sentences

对不起，打扰一下，请问附近有没有地铁站？ Duìbuqǐ, dǎrǎo yīxià, qǐngwèn fùjìn yǒu méiyǒu dìtiě zhàn? Sorry to bother you — could you tell me if there is a metro station nearby?

他在开重要会议，请大家不要随意打扰他。 Tā zài kāi zhòngyào huìyì, qǐng dàjiā bù yào suíyì dǎrǎo tā. He is in an important meeting; please do not disturb him casually.

深夜接到电话让她感到很不安，因为那个时间被打扰非常令人烦恼。 Shēnyè jiēdào diànhuà ràng tā gǎndào hěn bù'ān, yīnwèi nà gè shíjiān bèi dǎrǎo fēicháng lìng rén fánnǎo. Receiving a call late at night made her uneasy, as being disturbed at that hour was quite annoying.

抱歉打扰您的休息，但这件事情比较紧急，需要您马上处理。 Bàoqiàn dǎrǎo nín de xiūxi, dàn zhè jiàn shìqíng bǐjiào jǐnjí, xūyào nín mǎshàng chǔlǐ. I apologize for disturbing your rest, but this matter is fairly urgent and requires your immediate attention.

Collocations

Usage Notes

打扰一下 is one of the most practical polite phrases for getting someone's attention in public. The formal hotel sign 请勿打扰 (Do Not Disturb) uses this same word. Note that 打扰 has a slightly stronger sense of imposition than just calling someone's name — it implies you are pulling them away from something they were doing.

Memory Hook

打 means "to hit/strike" and 扰 means "to disturb" — you are striking a ripple into someone's calm, disturbing their peace.