Polite Chinese Words

After this free audio lesson you’ll be able to say "thank you" in Chinese, "excuse me," "sorry," and use other polite Chinese words and phrases with confidence. You’ll also know how to express your appreciation when someone is being helpful to you.

The Rocket Chinese team wants you to feel comfortable around native speakers right from the start, and a few courteous expressions can go a long way when you’re a beginner. We’ll show you the difference between formal and informal expressions, so you can be sure you’re using the right tone for the situation.

Listen carefully to the audio and practice saying the Mandarin Chinese phrases aloud – you’ll have these mastered in no time. Just as in your native language, speaking to Chinese people in a polite manner will win you friends and gain you respect, so it’s worth making the effort!

Resources for further reading:

Pronouncing polite Chinese words

Tradtional Chinese building

Spend some time with this lesson and listen to the link below to practice basic phrases like

“fēicháng gǎnxiè” (非常感谢)

“búkèqì” (不客气)

“duìbuqǐ” (对不起) and

“méi guānxi” (没关系).

Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record

Rocket Record lets you perfect your Chinese pronunciation. Just listen to the native speaker audio and then use the microphone icon to record yourself. Once you’re done, you’ll get a score out of 100 on your pronunciation and can listen to your own audio playback. (Use a headset mic for best results.) Problems? Click here!

请让一下

qǐng ràng yíxià

Excuse me please (when someone is in your way) (formal)

借光

jièguāng

Excuse me (when someone is in your way)

请问……

qǐng wèn……

Excuse me (when asking questions)

对不起

duìbuqǐ

Sorry

没关系

méi guānxi

Don't worry about it

谢谢你的帮助

xièxie nǐde bāngzhù

Thank you for your help (formal)

谢谢你帮我

xièxie nǐ bāng wǒ

Thanks for helping me

非常感谢

fēicháng gǎnxiè

Thanks so much

多谢

duōxiè

Many thanks

不客气

búkèqì

You're welcome

那太好了

nà tàihǎo le

That will be great

你真好

nǐ zhēnhǎo

You are very kind

If you want more lessons on Chinese salutations then I recommend that you check out the following:

下次见！ Xiàcì jiàn!

Lin Ping: Rocket Chinese

Make It Stick With Rocket Reinforcement

Reinforce your learning from this lesson with the Rocket Reinforcement activities!