How to Say Thank You in Chinese and Reply to 谢谢

Say thank you in Mandarin with 谢谢, 谢谢您, and 太谢谢你了, then reply naturally with 不客气, 不用谢, or 没事. Includes tones, pinyin, and a short dialogue.

Start with 谢谢

谢谢 (xièxie) is the everyday “thank you.” The first syllable has a falling fourth tone, and the second is usually short and light, a neutral tone. Saying both syllables with a strong falling tone can sound clipped.

Add a person to make it warmer: 谢谢你 (xièxie nǐ) — “thank you” to one person. With a shop clerk, an older person, or anyone you want to treat formally, 谢谢您 (xièxie nín) uses the polite “you.” For a bigger favor, 非常感谢 (fēicháng gǎnxiè) — “thank you very much” — sounds sincere and a little formal. 太谢谢你了！ (Tài xièxie nǐ le!) is the friendly, enthusiastic version.

You can also attach 谢谢 to the end of a request, as in 请把说明写下来，谢谢。 (Qǐng bǎ shuōmíng xiě xiàlái, xièxie.) — “Please write down the instructions, thanks.” It works like “please” and “thanks” at once.

How to reply when someone thanks you

The standard reply is 不客气 (bú kèqi) — “You're welcome.” Just as common is 不用谢 (búyòng xiè) — “No need to thank me.” Among friends you will often hear 没事 (méishì) — “No problem” or “It's nothing.”

Close friends and family thank each other less often than English speakers do, so heavy thanking in those relationships can feel a little formal. As a learner, though, you will not offend anyone by saying 谢谢 to staff, strangers, or new acquaintances.

A short exchange

A: 不好意思，这是你的手机吗？
Bù hǎoyìsi, zhè shì nǐ de shǒujī ma?
“Excuse me, is this your phone?”

B: 啊，是我的！太谢谢你了！
À, shì wǒ de! Tài xièxie nǐ le!
“Oh, it's mine! Thank you so much!”

A: 不客气。
Bú kèqi.
“You're welcome.”

B: 真的非常感谢。
Zhēn de fēicháng gǎnxiè.
“Really, thank you very much.”

A: 没事，不用谢。
Méishì, búyòng xiè.
“It's nothing, no need to thank me.”

Common mistakes

Two heavy syllables. Xiè-xiè with both syllables stressed sounds mechanical. Let the second 谢 fall away lightly.

Missing the tone change on 不. 不 is normally bù, but before another fourth tone it becomes bú. That is why 不客气 sounds like bú kèqi and 不用谢 like búyòng xiè.

Answering 谢谢 with 谢谢. Return thanks with 不客气 or 不用谢, not another 谢谢. You may also hear 别客气 (bié kèqi), which a host often says to mean “don't stand on ceremony” when offering food.

Speaking practice

Say three levels of thanks: 谢谢, 谢谢你, 太谢谢你了. Then switch roles and answer each one with 不客气, 不用谢, or 没事. Keep the second 谢 short every time. Finally, add 谢谢 to the end of a request you might really make in a shop.

When thanks is not enough because you missed the words, see how to say “I don't understand” in Chinese.

Try speaking practice with feedback at Saystep. You can also practice this article's dialogue on your own, without an app.