I hate to be a pain, but…
Informal Polite
What it really means
An apologetic opener before asking a favour or chasing something. "A pain" means an annoying person. The speaker does need the thing — the phrase just cushions the request.
Chinese explanation
请人帮忙或催办前的抱歉式开场。a pain 指讨人嫌的人。说话人是真有需求，这句话只是给请求加个软垫。
Example conversation
A: I hate to be a pain, but could you sign my form today?
B: Not a pain at all — hand it over.
A：真不好意思麻烦你，能今天帮我签一下表吗？
B：不麻烦——拿来吧。
All Politeness Decoder
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake