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Why Saying Thank You in China is NOT Easy!

谢谢 What???

China is a country which has highly specific cultural etiquette beliefs. Xiexie is one of the first Chinese words you should learn.

Xiexie means “Thank you,” but it’s not the only way to express gratitude. The right

way to say “Thank You” in Chinese depends on the Chinese dialect spoken.

There are several Chinese dialects used by speakers from various regions of the mainland China and around the world. There are several ways to thank Chinese, and if you correctly use them, you will be able to express your thanks

with style and nuance.

When expressing gratitude in Western cultures, people say thank you or more informally “thanks.” When appreciating someone, politely declining or

accepting something, or when politely acknowledging what somebody has said to you we

use thanks or thank you very much. Likewise, saying thank you in Chinese is quite essential just like saying hello in everyday life and as part of your

Chinese survival toolkit, it is a must-know.

The most common way of saying thank you is “Xie Xie Ni(nin).” Thank you can also be

expressed in Chinese in other ways including “duo xie” to mean many thanks, “Xie Xie ni

bang wo” to say thanks for your help, or FeiChang gan xie. Thank you in Cantonese is

usually written as 唔该 in simplified Chinese though the traditional Chinese it is 謝謝 .

Compared to Westerners, the Chinese people do not prefer accepting praise, and if they do, it is not positively. They believe in modesty. Hence, when you

receive compliments from someone, you better use the other ways of saying

thank you but xiexie.

The most utilized word representing thank you in Chinese is Xiexie. It is a double syllable word and

can be a little bit difficult to pronounce. If you want to hack the pronunciation the think of some

sound between /sh/ and, that’s the sound of X. Remember that on the second syllable; there is a

neutral tone. Try saying xie xie and your thank you in Chinese is just as good as it should.

It is important to note that unlike other cultures, the Chinese don’t use xiexie that often because they are cultured

that way.

When talking to someone of a higher hierarchy than you, use xie xie(nin)

( 谢谢您 ).

Fei Chang-gan xie Ni is what you use to express your gratitude. “Thank you very much’ when you feel like someone has been so kind to you that you owe them

one. Remember that the sentence is quite formal that you should only use it when

you are incredibly and truly grateful.

Feichang Ganxie ni de bangzhu- 非常感的帮助”Thank you very much for your help- this is what you tell someone who just saved your day. This expresses much more profound gratitude than the first two. This is what you say to someone

who was there for you when nothing made sense.

NaliNali 哪里哪里You are too kind!

This is what most of the Chinese people use when complimented and it shows humility. People of China thrive

in modesty and humility and when paid respects they avoid being too

direct or overly confident.

This is used to mean that you are too kind, and it is as you are deflecting the

compliment. Other people use the term “bu bu bu” which means “no, no,

no” as a way to politely deflect complement.

Three ways to say you are welcome: • Bukeqi ( 不客气 )- means you are most welcomed

and it’s the most commonly used expression.• Bu Yong xie ( 不用谢） - means don’t mention it

mainly alternated with bukeqi. • Xiao Shi Yi Zhuang （小事一桩） means “it’s

nothing” which tends to fall more on the informal tone and can be used with family and friends but certainly not with your employer.

The Chinese seldom use xie xie, especially with their close relationships. The most two

common dialects spoken in China are Mandarin and Cantonese. The standard way of saying thank you in Cantonese is “Doh Je” which is

mainly used in Southern China and spoken with people in Hong Kong, Macau, and other areas

outside Mainland China.

Clearly, there are many ways of showing gratitude in Chinese. To thank you is no longer just about being polite

but your ability to fit confidently in society.

China is rich in culture and just like the Chinese food; their language also gives

them their unique identity. It’s imperative that you master the valid

expressions so you will be able to know the type of scenarios necessitating a

certain “thank you” in Chinese.

You’ve added one to your Chinese survival skills, and you can now quickly

show your gratitude and immerse yourself into the rich Chinese culture. There is so much to learn as you keep

enjoying your stay in China but the basics will keep you going.

BonusClick on the link below to read the full blog post.

http://blog.laowaicareer.com/xiexie-chinese-manners-explained

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