How to Say Thank You in Chinese (Besides 谢谢)

Living in China, there are some words we pick up pretty quickly, such as "thank you". We all know 谢谢 xièxiè means "thank you", but how else can you say "thank you" in Chinese?

Here are eight other ways to express your gratitude for different situations:

1. 多谢 Duōxiè
2. 万分感谢 Wànfēn gǎnxiè
3. 辛苦了 Xīnkǔle
4. 让你费心了 Ràng nǐ fèixīnle
5. 麻烦你了 má fan nǐ le
6. 哪里，哪里 Nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ
7. 没有 Méiyǒu
8. 不，不，不 bù, bù, bù

1. 多谢

Duōxiè
Thank you very much.

This is also a basic form of thanks, though a bit more expressive than simply 谢谢.

You: Let me get the door for you.
Ayi:  多谢。

2. 万分感谢

Wànfēn gǎnxiè
Many thanks

"万分" means "very much, extremely", so you will hear this used when someone is very grateful.

Boss:  I'm recommending you for a promotion. You deserve it!
You:   万分感谢！

3. 辛苦了

Xīnkǔle
I appreciate your hard work.

This is the way to thank someone for all of their effort, especially if they are going above and beyond the call of duty.

You: I've worked overtime four days this week!
Boss: 辛苦了。

4. 让你费心了

Ràng nǐ fèixīnle
You shouldn't have!

Literally translated “I made you spend your heart”, this means of thanks is often employed when someone has gone out of their way or put themselves out for you.

Friend: I got you these diamond-encrusted chopsticks.
You: 让你费心了！

5. 麻烦你了

má fan nǐ le
Sorry for the trouble

This way of saying "thank you" in Chinese literally translates to "I troubled you" or " I inconvenienced you". It is a great way to acknowledge someone's help when you inconvenience them, and can be used even when the person didn't necessarily out of their way to help you.

You: Could you help me pick up a package?
Friend:Sure！
You: 麻烦你了

Note: Since “麻烦” means "trouble, troublesome or to trouble someone" in Chinese, 麻烦 + person + verb is also a common way to ask others for a favor. So, in the example we saw above, you could say "麻烦你帮我取一下快递吧" so ask for the favor.

6. 哪里, 哪里

Nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ
Oh, it's nothing

This is the way to politely say "thank you" to a compliment. The literal meaning is “Where? Where?” as if you cannot see your own merit. Among the younger generation, it is falling out of fashion to be so self-deprecating, so if you say this to someone a bit older, they will respect your modesty (and your Chinese skills) greatly!

Literally anybody: Your Chinese is so good!
You: 哪里，哪里。

7. 没有

Méiyǒu
Oh, stop

Like "哪里, 哪里" above, 没有 is a self-deprecating way to say "thank you" in Chinese. You might already know that 没有 literally means "to not have" or "there isn't any", so this phrase is a humble way to respond to somebody's compliment.

Friend: You passed your exam, you're so smart!
You: 没有, it wasn't that hard.

8. 不，不，不

bù, bù, bù
No, no, no

Believe it or not but this is yet another way of saying "thank you" in Chinese while deflecting a praise. Responding with “不，不，不” when receiving a compliment would be like saying "no, I'm not" or "no way", showing humility, a very admirable virtue in Chinese culture.

Friend: This dish is delicious, you're such a good cook!
You: 不，不，不, it's actually quite easy to prepare.

Interestingly, “不，不，不” can also be used to say "you're welcome" in Chinese.

Looking for more useful Chinese? Click below to learn more!

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About the Author

Eden has been learning Chinese since 2008. She fell in love with the language, food, and culture and never looked back! Eden lived in China for six years, including in Harbin, Beijing, and Dali.