“You’re welcome” in Chinese: how to say it and how to write it
You’re welcome
“You’re welcome” in Chinese is 不客气, bú kèqi, roughly “boo kuh-chee”. Word for word it means “don’t be so polite”: 不 is “not”, 客气 is “to act like a guest, to stand on ceremony”. It is the everyday answer to 谢谢, “thank you” — the Chinese “no problem, don’t mention it”.
How to pronounce 不客气
- 不bùnot
- 客气kèqipolite; to stand on ceremony
kè is fourth tone: the voice drops, short and firm. The k is breathy, like the k in “kit”, and the e is not the e of “bed” — it is closer to the “uh” in “duh”. qi is a light syllable with no tone of its own. The pinyin q is not a k or “kw”: it is close to the “ch” in “cheese”, said with the tip of the tongue resting behind the lower teeth and a puff of air.
The trick is the first syllable. On its own, 不 is bù, fourth tone. But before another fourth tone it rises and becomes second tone: bú. So goes “up — down — light”. 不 does the same in 不用 (bú yòng), 不是 (bú shì), 不对 (bú duì). Before the other tones nothing changes: 不好 is bù hǎo, 不吃 is bù chī. More in “Chinese tones”.
How to write 不客气
Three characters. 不 “not” has four strokes. 客 “guest” has nine; on top sits 宀 “roof”, which makes it easy to remember: a guest is someone under your roof. 气 is “air, breath”, and in words about behavior “manner”; four strokes. Together 客气 is “to behave like a guest”: politely, at a distance. The whole phrase has its own page, 不客气, and the stroke order and practice sheets are in the writing worksheets.
Other ways to say you’re welcome
- 不用谢búyòngxièno need to thank me
- 不谢búxièyou’re welcome (short)
- 没事méishìno problem, it’s nothingbetween friends
- 别客气biékèqidon’t be shy, help yourself
不用谢 is “there’s no need to thank me”: it means the same as 不客气 and is just as neutral. 没事 is for friends: “no big deal, it’s nothing”. 别客气 is usually said not as an answer but beforehand: a host offering food to a guest — “go ahead, don’t be shy”.
- 谢谢你的帮助。xièxienǐdebāngzhùthanks for your help
- 不客气！búkèqiyou’re welcome
How to say thank you yourself is on the page “Thank you in Chinese”.
没关系 answers “sorry”, not “thank you”
In English “no problem” works both ways: after “thanks” and after “sorry”. Chinese keeps the two apart. To thanks you answer 不客气. To an apology you answer : literally “no connection”, as in “it didn’t affect anything”. Someone says 对不起 — you say 没关系. Answering 不客气 to an apology sounds like “you’re welcome” to “I’m sorry”. Only one word fits both: 没事, which really is the Chinese “no problem”. How to apologize is on the page “Sorry in Chinese”.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “you’re welcome” in Chinese?
“You’re welcome” in Chinese is 不客气, in pinyin bú kèqi.
How do you pronounce 不客气?
不客气 is read bú kèqi. 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 “you’re welcome” in Chinese characters?
不客气 is 3 characters. What each one means and how the phrase is put together is explained on this page.
What does 不客气 mean?
不客气 (bú kèqi) means “you’re welcome”.
Answer “thank you” out loud
谢谢 and 不客气 are a pair from the first lesson: you hear them in a dialogue, repeat them and see right away whether you hit the tones. Free during the beta.
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