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7 Polite Ways to Say Thank You in Chinese for Any Situation

If you’re learning Chinese, you might discover the many ways native Mandarin speakers can express gratitude beyond bowing or the basic 谢谢 (xiè xiè) — “Thank you.”

We’ll show you seven useful words and phrases to say “thank you” in Chinese, depending on your audience and the situation.

We hope it’s helpful enough to earn your heartfelt thanks!

Contents

1. 谢谢 (xiè xiè) — Thank you 

When in doubt, use 谢谢. This is the default, basic way of saying “thank you” in passing, when you’re accepting gifts or every other casual encounter in between.

A variation of this barebones phrase includes 多谢 (duō xiè) — “Thanks a lot” which is used in SMS messages and notes as opposed to writing or typing 谢谢.

It’s appropriate for casual spoken conversations as well, like when you’re handed something at work.

好啦,请各位继续努力谢谢你们,拜拜!谢谢!

All right, everyone, please continue to do your best. Thank you and bye bye! Thank you!

 

2. 感谢  (gǎn xiè) — Many thanks

感谢 or 非常感谢你 (fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ) — “Thank you very much” can be used for extreme situations where you owe someone serious gratitude.

This variation is appropriate for many semi-formal interactions.

For example, if a classmate helps you out with a big part of a school project or a coworker covers you at work unexpectedly, then 感谢 or 非常感谢你 are appropriate phrases to use.

3. 哪里哪里 (nǎ li nǎ li) — You’re flattering me

This is a rather cute expression similar to saying “Oh, stop!” flirtatiously in English. 哪里哪里 can be used for different non-romantic kinds of situations as well.

This phrase roughly translates to “you flatter me” or “you’re too kind” and is used when receiving a compliment

Whether you’ve received a flirtatious compliment from someone you’re crushing on or you’re being praised by your boss for your hard work recently, 哪里哪里 is an apt response.

4. 麻烦你了 (má fan nǐ le) — Sorry for the trouble

麻烦你了 literally translates to “inconvenience to you.” This phrase sounds very self-deprecating in English, so “sorry for the trouble” is a more practical translation.

It’s a great phrase to use when someone else has gone out of their way to help or work for you. Note that it isn’t quite a formal apology.

Even if someone has done a favor for you that you didn’t ask for or if the work they’ve done for you wasn’t terribly inconvenient for them, 麻烦你了 is an appropriate way of saying “thank you” with a bit more gusto.

This phrase is common in office or business culture.

5. 不不 (bù bù) — No, no

Deflecting compliments is common in Mandarin Chinese, no matter your gender or the compliment that was given. It isn’t a self-deprecating practice, either.

Actively behaving humbly is important in many Chinese-speaking cultures and makes one look very likable. If a young Westerner receives a compliment, they typically respond with “aw, thanks.” Not in Chinese culture!

Simply waving your hands and saying “no way” is a good way to deflect a compliment and come off as humble, modest and admirable. We both know you deserved that compliment, but deflecting it just makes you look better.

6. 你太好啦 (nǐ tài hǎo la) — You’re the best

你太好啦 is a great expression to use between family, friends or people you know really well in a work or school environment.

This phrase properly expresses thankfulness while lifting up someone you care about at the same time. Of course, you can expect a feverish response somewhere along the lines of 不不.

Even if your Mandarin-speaking friend deflects the gesture entirely, rest assured that you expressed your thankfulness in a way that made them feel pretty great about themselves.

你太好啦 probably shouldn’t be used in a formal situation with someone you don’t know super well or your boss. Keep it between you and your buds.

7. 谢谢大家…  (xiè xiè dà jiā…) — Thank you all…

When addressing a group at a formal banquet for a toast, a business meeting, a wedding or some other large group setting that’s formal in nature, 谢谢大家… should be used as the first part of the phrase.

The second part of this phrase should be specific. You could add:

For example:

It’s important to make the differentiation between thanking one person and a large group. It’s also important to state what you’re thanking the large group for in a formal situation. Not too complicated, right?

 

Isn’t Chinese such a diverse and fascinating language? With this newfound knowledge of how to properly say thank you in Chinese, you’re taking one more step towards mastering this language and making meaningful connections with Chinese people.

Reinforce your learning by hearing these expressions in use by native Chinese speakers. You can do this on a program like FluentU, which has hundreds of videos paired with learning tools.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

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