← All notes

How to Say Thank You and Sorry in Chinese

Use four polite phrases for thanking, replying, apologising, and reassuring someone.

Quick answer

谢谢 means thank you, 不客气 means you’re welcome, 对不起 means sorry, and 没关系 means it’s okay.

xièxie
谢谢
thank you
bú kèqi
不客气
you’re welcome
duìbuqǐ
对不起
sorry
méi guānxi
没关系
it’s okay

Hear the phrase, then repeat it aloud.

When to use it

Use these as short response pairs: 谢谢不客气 and 对不起没关系.

Common mistake

Do not use 对不起 for every small interruption. Context and tone matter; sometimes a lighter expression is more natural.

Practise aloud

Read each conversation from top to bottom.

xièxie. 谢谢。 Thank you.
bú kèqi. 不客气。 You’re welcome.
duìbuqǐ. 对不起。 Sorry.
méi guānxi. 没关系。 It’s okay.

You’ve got this!

Practise these as mini conversations, not isolated vocabulary. That trains you to respond without translating every word first.