过guò意yì不bù去qù

Literal: the mind cannot get past it
Figurative: To feel bad, with a twinge of conscience, about the trouble you are putting someone to or about a kindness you don't know how to repay.

Where does 过意不去 come from?

It doesn't come from any particular story; it is a phrase of everyday speech. It is built like 过不去, "cannot get past," with 意, "feeling, what is on one's mind," slotted in: your mind can't get past it; something sticks in your conscience and you cannot put it behind you. That is why it is used when someone has gone to trouble on our behalf, or when we feel we have taken advantage of their kindness. It is very common in polite formulas such as 真让我过意不去, and it works both as a thank-you and as an apology.

How is 过意不去 used? Two examples

你nǐ大dà老lǎo远yuǎn跑pǎo来lái帮bāng我wǒ搬bān家jiā，我wǒ真zhēn过guò意yì不bù去qù。
You came all this way to help me move; I really feel bad about it.
同tóng事shì替tì我wǒ加jiā了le两liǎng天tiān班bān，我wǒ心xīn里lǐ一yī直zhí过guò意yì不bù去qù。
A coworker put in two days of overtime covering for me, and I still feel bad about it.

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