“Thank you” in Chinese: how to say it and how to write it
Thank you
"Thank you" in Chinese is 谢谢, xièxie, roughly "shyeh-shyeh". It's one word made of the same character twice: 谢 means "to thank", and doubling it makes the word softer and friendlier.
How to pronounce 谢谢
- 谢谢xièxiethank you, thanksroughly "shyeh-shyeh"
The first syllable has the fourth tone: the voice drops short and sharp, like a firm "No!". The second is light, with no tone of its own: say it quickly and more quietly. So it isn't two equal "shyeh"s, but a stressed "SHYEH" and a little tail. More on the word on its page: 谢谢.
Thank you very much, and other ways to say thanks
- 谢谢你xièxienǐthank you (to one person)
- 谢谢您xièxienínthank you (polite)to older people, teachers, customers
- 多谢duōxièthanks a lotshort, casual
- 非常感谢fēichánggǎnxièthank you very muchmore formal
谢谢 works anywhere: in a shop, in a taxi, in a text. 谢谢您 uses the polite "you", 您, for older people, a teacher or a customer. "Thanks a lot" is 多谢, "many thanks", or 非常感谢: sounds more serious and shows up in emails and speeches. The word 感谢 has the same 谢, with 感, "to feel", in front of it.
What you're thanking someone for goes right after 谢谢:
- 谢谢你的帮助。xièxienǐdebāngzhùthanks for your help
- 谢谢你的礼物。xièxienǐdelǐwùthanks for the present
- 谢谢大家的支持。xièxiedàjiādezhīchíthank you all for your support
There is no "for" in Chinese here: it's literally "thank you, your help".
Among people who are close, in a family or between old friends, 谢谢 is heard much less than "thanks" is in English. Thanking someone all the time keeps them at a distance, as if you were strangers. With people you don't know and at work, thank away.
How to reply to "thank you" in Chinese
- 不客气búkèqiyou're welcome
- 不用谢búyòngxièno need to thank me
- 没事méishìno problem, no worriesbetween friends
不客气 literally means "don't be so polite", and it's the standard answer, the Chinese "you're welcome". 不用谢 is "no need to thank me". 没事 is what you say to friends: "no worries, it's nothing". How to say "please" when you ask for something is on the page "Please in Chinese".
Why it isn't "zie-zie" or "ksee-ksee"
The pinyin x is neither the z-sound of "xylophone" nor the ks of "taxi". It's a soft hissing sound between s and sh: the tip of your tongue rests behind your lower teeth and the air flows over the middle of the tongue. That's why "shyeh-shyeh" or "syeh-syeh" are fair approximations, while "zie-zie" and "ksee-ksee" are just misreadings. Older books and some signs use the Wade–Giles spelling, hsieh-hsieh: a different way of writing the very same sound. How the other letters are read is in the pinyin chart.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “thank you” in Chinese?
“Thank you” in Chinese is 谢谢, in pinyin xièxie.
How do you pronounce 谢谢?
谢谢 is read xièxie. The marks over the vowels are the tones: each syllable has its own melody, so listen to the recording on this page and repeat it.
How do you write “thank you” in Chinese characters?
谢谢 is 2 characters. What each one means and how the phrase is put together is explained on this page.
What does 谢谢 mean?
谢谢 (xièxie) means “thank you”.
Say 谢谢 out loud
谢谢 is a word from the very first lesson: you hear it in a dialogue, repeat it and see right away whether you hit the tone. Free during the beta.
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