谢谢: the everyday thank you
- Characters: 谢谢 ★ in Simplified, 謝謝 in Traditional (used in Taiwan and Hong Kong).
- Pinyin: xièxie. The first syllable is fourth tone (falling); the second is usually said with a light, neutral tone. Some dictionaries write xièxiè.
- Pronunciation: roughly "shyeh-shyeh". The pinyin x is not an English x: it is a soft "sh" made with the tongue flat behind the lower teeth. See what is pinyin.
- Formality: neutral. Say it to a waiter, a colleague, or a stranger.
Other ways to say thank you
| Chinese | Pinyin | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 谢谢你 (謝謝你) | xièxie nǐ | Thank you (to one person): a little warmer and more direct |
| 谢谢您 (謝謝您) | xièxie nín | Polite: to an older person, a teacher, a customer |
| 谢谢大家 (謝謝大家) | xièxie dàjiā | Thanks, everyone |
| 非常感谢 (非常感謝) | fēicháng gǎnxiè | Thank you very much: formal, in speeches and emails |
| 太谢谢你了 (太謝謝你了) | tài xièxie nǐ le | Thank you so much: warm and spoken |
| 多谢 (多謝) | duōxiè | Many thanks: a bit casual, common in southern China and Hong Kong |
| 谢啦 (謝啦) | xiè la | Thanks!: casual, between friends |
| 辛苦了 | xīnkǔ le | Thanks for your hard work: to someone who did work for you |
| 麻烦你了 (麻煩你了) | máfan nǐ le | Sorry for the trouble, thanks: after asking a favor |
To say what you are thankful for, put it after 谢谢: 谢谢你的帮助 (xièxie nǐ de bāngzhù, thank you for your help), or use 谢谢你 + a verb: 谢谢你来 (thank you for coming).
How to reply to thank you
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 不客气 (不客氣) | bú kèqi | You’re welcome (literally "don’t be polite") | Standard |
| 不用谢 (不用謝) | búyòng xiè | No need to thank me | Friendly |
| 没事 (沒事) ★ | méi shì | It’s nothing, no problem | Casual, very common in mainland China |
| 没关系 (沒關係) | méi guānxi | It doesn’t matter | Also the usual reply to "sorry" |
| 应该的 (應該的) | yīnggāi de | It’s what I should do | Humble, after a real favor |
| 小事 | xiǎo shì | A small thing | Casual |
In Taiwan, 不会 (不會, bú huì) is a common casual reply to thanks. Note that 不 changes to rising tone before a fourth tone: 不客气 is bú kèqi, not bù kèqi. See Chinese tones.
When Chinese speakers skip thank you
Between close friends and family, saying 谢谢 for small things can sound distant, as if you were treating them like strangers. Parents do not expect thanks for dinner, and a close friend may answer your 谢谢 with 跟我客气什么 (gēn wǒ kèqi shénme, why are you being so polite with me?).
That does not make thanks rude. As a learner, you will never offend anyone by saying 谢谢; just don’t be surprised when close friends wave it away.
Compliments are the other surprise: the traditional reply to praise is to play it down with 哪里哪里 (nǎli nǎli, not at all) or 还好 (hái hǎo, it’s okay), though younger people increasingly just say 谢谢.
Example sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 谢谢你的礼物！ | Xièxie nǐ de lǐwù! | Thank you for the gift! |
| 谢谢，我不喝茶。 | Xièxie, wǒ bù hē chá. | Thanks, I don’t drink tea. |
| 非常感谢您的帮助。 | Fēicháng gǎnxiè nín de bāngzhù. | Thank you very much for your help. |
| 太谢谢你了，你真好！ | Tài xièxie nǐ le, nǐ zhēn hǎo! | Thanks so much, you’re so kind! |
| 谢谢大家今天来。 | Xièxie dàjiā jīntiān lái. | Thank you all for coming today. |
| —谢谢！ —不客气。 | —Xièxie! —Bú kèqi. | —Thanks! —You’re welcome. |
Common mistakes
- Two strong fourth tones. "XIÈ XIÈ" with both syllables hit hard sounds abrupt. Stress the first and let the second fall away.
- Pronouncing x as "z" or "ks". Xièxie starts with a soft "sh" sound.
- Using 谢谢 to accept food you don’t want. 谢谢 alone can mean yes. To decline politely, say 不用了，谢谢 (búyòng le, xièxie, no need, thanks).
- Saying bù kèqi. 不 before a fourth tone becomes bú.
- Using 没关系 for thanks. It is fine, but it is mainly the answer to an apology. For thanks, 不客气 or 没事 is more natural. More on apologies: sorry in Chinese.