How to say “cheers” in Chinese
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Two flat first tones - keep both high and level. Literally 'dry the cup', i.e. bottoms up. Taken literally it can mean emptying the glass, so pace yourself.
In a sentence
为我们的友谊，干杯！
Wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì, gānbēi!
To our friendship, cheers!
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "cheers" in Chinese?+
"cheers" in Mandarin Chinese is 干杯, pronounced gānbēi. Two flat first tones - keep both high and level. Literally 'dry the cup', i.e. bottoms up. Taken literally it can mean emptying the glass, so pace yourself.
What does 干杯 mean literally?+
干杯 breaks down as 干 (gān) = dry, 杯 (bēi) = cup / glass. Together it means "cheers".
How do I get the tones right in gānbēi?+
Two flat first tones - keep both high and level. Literally 'dry the cup', i.e. bottoms up. Taken literally it can mean emptying the glass, so pace yourself.
More phrases like this
Master the tones behind it
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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