How to say “you're welcome” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
不 is normally bù (fourth tone), but before the fourth tone 客 it changes to bú (second tone). 气 is neutral here. Literally 'don't be so polite'.
In a sentence
“Xièxie!” “Bú kèqi.”
“Thank you!” “You're welcome.”
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "you're welcome" in Chinese?+
"you're welcome" in Mandarin Chinese is 不客气, pronounced bú kèqi. 不 is normally bù (fourth tone), but before the fourth tone 客 it changes to bú (second tone). 气 is neutral here. Literally 'don't be so polite'.
What does 不客气 mean literally?+
不客气 breaks down as 不 (bú) = not, 客 (kè) = guest, 气 (qi) = (politeness; here neutral). Together it means "you're welcome".
How do I get the tones right in bú kèqi?+
不 is normally bù (fourth tone), but before the fourth tone 客 it changes to bú (second tone). 气 is neutral here. Literally 'don't be so polite'.
More phrases like this
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What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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See all the phrases on the how to say things in Chinese index, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.