You're Welcome in Chinese: 不客气 and 7 Friendly Alternatives
沉浸 TeamAugust 6, 20264 min readThe standard way to say you're welcome in Chinese is 不客气 (bú kèqi). Someone says 谢谢 (xièxie, "thank you"), and you answer 不客气. That exchange covers you in nearly every situation.
But just like English has "no problem", "don't mention it", and "my pleasure", Chinese has a bunch of friendly alternatives. This post covers the ones you'll hear every day, as part of our essential Chinese phrases guide.
What does 不客气 literally mean?
不客气 breaks down into 不 (bù, "not") plus 客气 (kèqi, "polite" or "courteous"). So the literal meaning is "don't be so polite", as in "no need for formalities between us".
Quick tone note: 不 is normally bù (fourth tone), but it changes to bú before another fourth-tone syllable. Since 客 (kè) is fourth tone, the phrase is spoken bú kèqi. This sandhi rule applies everywhere, so you'll see it again in phrases like 不用 (búyòng).
7 friendly ways to say you're welcome in Mandarin
- 不用谢 (búyòng xiè): no need to thank me. Just as common as 不客气 and equally safe.
- 没事 (méishì): it's nothing. Casual and breezy, great between friends.
- 没关系 (méi guānxi): it doesn't matter, no worries. This one doubles as the reply to "sorry", so you'll use it a lot.
- 别客气 (bié kèqi): don't be polite. Same idea as 不客气, with 别 ("don't") making it feel a touch warmer and more personal.
- 不用不用 (búyòng búyòng): no need, no need. Doubling a word softens it in Chinese, so this sounds friendly and a little modest, often said while waving a hand.
- 小意思 (xiǎo yìsi): it's a small thing. Use it when you did someone a favor or gave a small gift and want to play it down.
- 应该的 (yīnggāi de): it's what I should do. A humble reply that means "just doing my part". Common from staff, hosts, and helpful coworkers.
Which one should you use?
Keep it simple:
- Default, works everywhere: 不客气 or 不用谢.
- With friends: 没事 or 不用不用.
- Playing down a favor or gift: 小意思.
- Being humble about your help: 应该的.
You may also hear people deflect a compliment with 哪里哪里 (nǎli nǎli, "where, where?" as in "oh, I'm not that good"). That's a response to praise rather than to thanks, but it comes from the same instinct: modesty first.
Why "politeness" is the key word
Once you know that 客气 means "polite", a lot of phrases click into place. 不客气 and 别客气 both tell the other person to drop the formality, because you're close enough not to need it. That's why these replies feel warm rather than dismissive.
You'll even hear 你太客气了 (nǐ tài kèqi le, "you're too polite") when someone brings a gift or thanks too much. It's a compliment and a "you shouldn't have" rolled into one.
Frequently asked questions
What does bu keqi mean?
Bú kèqi (不客气) means "you're welcome". Literally it says "don't be polite", as in "no need for formalities". It's the standard reply to 谢谢 (xièxie).
How do you respond to xie xie?
The safest reply is 不客气 (bú kèqi) or 不用谢 (búyòng xiè). With friends, a casual 没事 (méishì, "it's nothing") works too. See our full guide to thank you in Chinese for the other side of the exchange.
Is it bù kèqi or bú kèqi?
It's written with 不 (bù) but pronounced bú kèqi. When 不 comes before another fourth-tone syllable like 客 (kè), it shifts to a rising second tone. That's a regular tone-sandhi rule, not an exception.
What's the difference between 没事 and 没关系?
They overlap a lot. 没事 (méishì) means "it's nothing" and leans casual. 没关系 (méi guānxi) means "it doesn't matter" and is also the standard reply when someone apologizes to you.
Want to nail the tones in 不客气? Sign up for a free Chenjin account and try the Tone Coach: record yourself, see your pitch curve next to a native speaker's, and fix your tones one syllable at a time.
