Thank You & Please in Chinese 礼貌用语
lǐmào yòngyǔ
Thank you / please in Chinese are 谢谢 / 请 (xiè xie / qǐng).
Also searched for as: thank you, please, sorry, excuse me, polite words.
How do you stay polite? 15 essential polite phrases words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese politeness lives less in 'please' and 'thank you' and more in small set phrases that soften a request or acknowledge someone's effort. 请问 (qǐng wèn) opens a question to a stranger, 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) covers everything from a minor apology to 'excuse me', and 辛苦了 (xīn kǔ le) thanks someone for their hard work. These are the phrases that make you sound considerate rather than just correct.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 请问 | qǐng wèn | excuse me, may I ask |
| 不好意思 | bù hǎo yì si | sorry; excuse me |
| 麻烦你 | má fan nǐ | could you please; sorry to trouble you |
| 打扰了 | dǎ rǎo le | sorry to bother you |
| 没事 | méi shì | it's nothing; no problem |
| 辛苦了 | xīn kǔ le | thanks for your hard work |
| 慢走 | màn zǒu | take care (to a leaving guest) |
| 请进 | qǐng jìn | please come in |
| 请坐 | qǐng zuò | please sit down |
| 恭喜 | gōng xǐ | congratulations |
| 加油 | jiā yóu | come on!; you can do it |
| 小心 | xiǎo xīn | be careful |
| 别客气 | bié kè qi | don't mention it |
| 祝你好运 | zhù nǐ hǎo yùn | good luck |
| 一路平安 | yī lù píng ān | have a safe trip |
Usage tips
- 慢走 (màn zǒu), literally 'walk slowly', is what a host or shopkeeper says to someone leaving; the guest doesn't say it back, but replies with 再见 (zài jiàn) or 谢谢 (xiè xie).
- 辛苦了 (xīn kǔ le) is said to someone who has worked for you or the group, such as a colleague after a long project or a courier at your door; a manager might say 大家辛苦了 (dà jiā xīn kǔ le) at the end of a busy day.
- 加油 (jiā yóu), literally 'add oil', is the all-purpose cheer before an exam, interview or match, and you'll hear crowds shout it at sports events.
Common mistakes
- Using 对不起 (duì bu qǐ) for every small apology sounds heavy; for bumping into someone or being a few minutes late, 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) is lighter and more natural.
- Saying 请问 (qǐng wèn) to mean 'excuse me, can I get past?' confuses people, because it signals a question is coming. Say 不好意思 (bù hǎo yì si) or 借过 (jiè guò) instead.
- Saying 恭喜 (gōng xǐ) to wish someone luck before an exam: 恭喜 is for good news that has already happened. Beforehand, say 加油 (jiā yóu) or 祝你好运 (zhù nǐ hǎo yùn).
Mini dialogue
- A打扰了，请问我可以进来吗？Dǎ rǎo le, qǐng wèn wǒ kě yǐ jìn lái ma?Sorry to bother you, may I come in?
- B请进，请坐！Qǐng jìn, qǐng zuò!Come in, have a seat!
- A不好意思，我来晚了。Bù hǎo yì si, wǒ lái wǎn le.Sorry I'm late.
- B没事，路上辛苦了！Méi shì, lù shang xīn kǔ le!It's nothing, you must be tired from the journey!
Example sentences
- 请问，地铁站在哪儿？Excuse me, where's the metro station?
- 不好意思，我来晚了。Sorry, I'm late.
- 麻烦你帮我拿一下。Could you pass that to me, please?
- 打扰了，我先走了。Sorry to bother you, I'll be going now.
- 没事，别担心。It's nothing, don't worry.
- 今天大家辛苦了！Thanks for your hard work today, everyone!
- 谢谢你来，慢走！Thanks for coming, take care!
- 门开着，请进。The door's open, please come in.
- 请坐，喝杯茶吧。Please sit down and have some tea.
- 恭喜你找到新工作！Congratulations on your new job!
- 明天考试，加油！Exam tomorrow, you can do it!
- 小心，地上很滑。Be careful, the floor is slippery.
- 别客气，这是小事。Don't mention it, it's nothing.
- 祝你好运，面试顺利！Good luck, I hope the interview goes well!
- 明天回国吗？一路平安！Going home tomorrow? Have a safe trip!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Polite phrases speaking island has 8 everyday questions about polite phrases to prepare your own answers to.