Chinese word

理亏

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǐ kuī

在这个问题上你理亏，先道歉吧。zài zhè ge wèn tí shàng nǐ lǐ kuī xiān dào qiàn ba

You are in the wrong on this issue, so apologize first.

我知道自己理亏，会改正。wǒ zhī dào zì jǐ lǐ kuī huì gǎi zhèng

I know I am at fault and will correct my mistake.

A person or position is on the weaker ground in a disagreement and cannot fairly shift the blame.

不对bú duì: Not being right or proper in a statement or action.
错cuò: Having an error or mistake that makes something incorrect.

指在争论或处事中立场不合理、有过错，应当承认或道歉的情况。zhǐ zài zhēng lùn huò chǔ shì zhōng lì chǎng bù hé lǐ yǒu guò cuò yīng dāng chéng rèn huò dào qiàn de qíng kuàng

理 (lǐ, "reason") + 亏 (kuī, "fall short") depicts a shortfall in reason that develops into the sense of having fault in a dispute.

In everyday Chinese, this word often sounds like a judgment in an argument, so naming the specific mistake first makes the exchange less confrontational.