Whether you’re a student seeking the opportunity to live and work in China, an international company employee who has been transferred to the branch office in China, a specialist who deals with clients or partners in China, or simply a Chinese language enthusiast who’s eager to expand your vocabulary, knowing some essential business phrases in Chinese will benefit you professionally, socially, and financially.

In this article, we’ll present you with fifty common Chinese business phrases and patterns (with examples, key vocabulary, and notes) to use in different business circumstances in China. Be it a job interview, a business meeting, or a chat with coworkers and clients, you’ll be prepared to handle it in smooth business Chinese. 

Now, let’s get down to business!

Table of Contents

1. Nail a Job Interview
2. Interact with Coworkers
3. Sound Smart in a Meeting
4. Handle Business Phone Calls and Emails
5. Go on a Business Trip
6. Learn More on ChineseClass101.com

1. Nail a Job Interview

Going to a job interview well-prepared is your first step toward career success. 

Keep in mind that Chinese culture values humbleness and respect toward seniors (those who are older than you or who have more experience). In a job interview, it’s important to show good manners in front of your interviewers and to impress them with solid facts and stats, instead of big, empty words. 

Here are some useful Chinese business phrases that will help you find a job in China:

A- Talking About Yourself 

The following Chinese phrases for business interviews will help you introduce yourself to your interviewer and tell them about your experience. 

1. 您好，我是 ___。/ 我叫 ___。

Pinyin: Nínhǎo, Wǒ shì ___. / Wǒ jiào ___.
Translation: “Hello, I am ___.” / “My name is ___.”

Note: 
您 (nín) is a polite form for “you.” It’s recommended to use 您 (nín) to address your interviewer.

2. 这是我的简历。

Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ de jiǎnlì.
Translation: “This is my resume.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 简历 (jiǎnlì) – “resume”

3. 我有过___的经验。

Pinyin: Wǒ yǒuguò ___ de jīngyàn.
Translation: “I have had the experience of ___.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 经验 (jīngyàn) – “experience” 

Example:
我有过电话推销的经验。(Wǒ yǒuguò diànhuà tuīxiāo de jīngyàn.)
“I’ve had the experience of telemarketing.”

4. 我会___。

Pinyin: Wǒ huì ___.
Translation: “I can ___.”

Example:
我会说汉语和德语。(Wǒ huì shuō Hànyǔ hé Déyǔ.)
“I can speak Chinese and German.”

5. 我擅长___。

Pinyin: Wǒ shàncháng ___.
Translation: “I’m good at ___.”

Example:
我擅长制作表格。(Wǒ shàncháng zhìzuò biǎogé.)
“I’m good at making spreadsheets.”

6. 我曾经获得___。

Pinyin: Wǒ céngjīng huòdé ___.
Translation: “I have been awarded ___.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 曾经 (céngjīng) – “once”
• 获得 (huòdé) – “to earn” / “to acquire”

Example:
我曾经获得年度优秀员工的称号。(Wǒ céngjīng huòdé niándù yōuxiù yuángōng de chēnghào.)
“I have been awarded the title of ‘Employee of the Year’.”

B- Polite Phrases

Here are some useful phrases you can use to thank your interviewer, ask questions, and let your interviewer know that you want to keep in touch. 

7. 谢谢您给我面试的机会。

Pinyin: Xièxiè nín gěi wǒ miànshì de jīhuì.
Translation: “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come in for an interview.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 机会 (jīhuì) – “opportunity”

Note:
This phrase can be used at the beginning or the end of the interview.

8. 对不起，能再说一遍吗？

Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, néng zài shuō yí biàn ma?
Translation: “I’m sorry, could you say it again?”

9. 冒昧地问一下___。

Pinyin: Màomèi de wèn yíxià ___. br>
Translation: “Excuse me for asking ___.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 冒昧 (màomèi) – “presumptuous” 

Example:
冒昧地问一下，这个职位的薪水范畴是多少？(Màomèi de wèn yíxià, zhège zhíwèi de xīnshuǐ fànchóu shì duōshao?)
“Excuse me for asking, but what’s the salary range for this position?”

10. 期待您的答复。

Pinyin: Qīdài nín de dáfù.
Translation: “Look forward to your reply.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 答复 (dáfù) – “reply” / “response” 

Note: 
This phrase could also be used as an ending phrase in other circumstances, such as in an email.

2. Interact with Coworkers

Even though your Chinese workers are likely to speak English, it’s still a good idea to make an effort to speak Chinese in the office. It will help you build relationships inside the company and learn both professional skills and the Chinese language quickly. Following are some practical business phrases in Chinese for communicating with your coworkers.

A- Asking for Help

11. 能帮我一下吗？

Pinyin: Néng bāng wǒ yíxià ma?
Translation: “Could you give me a hand?”

12. 这个怎么用？

Pinyin: Zhège zěnme yòng?
Translation: “How do I use this?”

13. 您有空教我一下吗？

Pinyin: Nín yǒukòng jiāo wǒ yíxià ma?
Translation: “Do you have time to show me briefly?”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 有空 (yǒukòng) – “to have time”

Note: 
So far, we have three phrases ending with 一下 (yíxià), which literally means “a bit.” It’s attached to verbs or verb phrases in colloquial language to soften the command or request.

B- Expressing Gratitude and Giving Compliments

14. 太谢谢你了。

Pinyin: Tài xièxie nǐ le.
Translation: “Thank you so much!”

15. 辛苦了。

Pinyin: Xīnkǔ le.
Translation: “Thank you for working hard.”

Note: 
This is a common but untranslatable phrase used to express gratitude for someone who is working for you. The literal translation is “It was hard work,” but it could also translate as “Thank you for working hard.”

16. 你太厉害了！

Pinyin: Nǐ tài lìhai le!
Translation: “You’re so good!”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 厉害 (lìhai) – “awesome”

17. 我要多向你学习。

Pinyin: Wǒ yào duō xiàng nǐ xuéxí.
Translation: “I need to learn a lot from you.”

C- Socializing After Work

18. 下班后有安排吗？

Pinyin: Xiàbān hòu yǒu ānpái ma?
Translation: “Do you have plans after work?”

Key Vocabulary:

• 安排 (ānpái) – “arrangement” 

19. 我请你___。

Pinyin: Wǒ qǐng nǐ ___.
Translation: “I’ll buy you ___.” / “My treat to have ___.”

Example: 
我请你喝奶茶。(Wǒ qǐng nǐ hē nǎichá.)
“I’ll buy you milk tea.”

20. 我可以搭你的顺风车吗？

Pinyin: Wǒ kěyǐ dā nǐ de shùnfēng chē ma?
Translation: “Can I hitch a ride with you?”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 顺风车 (shùnfēng chē) – [slang] This is a vehicle that offers a free ride (usually to people the driver knows).

3. Sound Smart in a Meeting

Meetings are an indispensable part of office life. While they’re often perceived as boring or stressful, they can also be your ticket to promotion. Through meetings, opinions and ideas are shared and discussed, which gives you opportunities to show your talent, hard work, and dedication. 

In conjunction with proper Chinese business meeting etiquette, the following phrases will help you sound smart in front of your supervisors and clients.

A- Expressing Opinions

Giving your opinion on something is a cornerstone of effective business communication. Here are some useful phrases to help you do so. 

21. 我觉得___。

Pinyin: Wǒ juéde ___.
Translation: “I feel/think ___.”

22. 我个人认为___。

Pinyin: Wǒ gèrén rènwéi ___.
Translation: “I personally think/consider ___.”

23. 我同意/不同意这个看法。

Pinyin: Wǒ tóngyì /bù tóngyì zhège kànfǎ.
Translation: “I agree/don’t agree with this view.”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 看法 (kànfǎ) – “view” / “opinion” 

Making Suggestions
Don’t be afraid to speak up during the business meeting with suggestions!

24. 我建议___。

Pinyin: Wǒ jiànyì ___.
Translation: “I suggest ___.”

25. 要不这样吧___。

Pinyin: Yàobu zhèyàng ba ___.
Translation: “How about this ___.”

Example:
要不这样吧，您先考虑几天。(Yàobu zhèyàng ba, nín xiān kǎolǜ jǐ tiān.)
“How about this, you think about it for a few days.”

B- Making Negotiations

Here are a couple of phrases you’re going to need for Chinese business negotiations.

26. 这个价格我们没办法接受。

Pinyin: Zhège jiàgé wǒmen méi bànfǎ jiēshòu.
Translation: “We can’t accept this price.”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 没办法 (méi bànfǎ) – “have no way” / “can’t”
• 接受 (jiēshòu) – “to accept”

27. 如果贵公司愿意___我们就___。

Pinyin: Rúguǒ guì gōngsī yuànyì___wǒmen jiù___.
Translation: “If your company is willing to___we will then___.”

Note:
贵公司 (guì gōngsī) literally means “honorable company,” and it’s an honorific term to refer to the company you’re speaking with.

Key Vocabulary: 

• 愿意 (yuànyì) – “willing to”
• 如果……就……(rúguǒ… jiù…) – “if…then…” 

C- Giving Presentations

Have you been asked to present in front of your supervisor, coworkers, or clients? The following phrases will help you give a smooth presentation in Chinese.

28. 请看这个图表。

Pinyin: Qǐngkàn zhège túbiǎo.
Translation: “Please look at this chart.”

29. 我来汇报一下上个月的公司业绩。

Pinyin: Wǒ lái huìbào yīxià shàng ge yuè de gōngsī yèji.
Translation: “Let me give a report on the company’s performance last month.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 汇报 (huìbào) – “to report”
• 业绩 (yèji) – “performance” 

30. 请各部门配合我们的工作。

Pinyin: Qǐng gè bùmén pèihé wǒmen de gōngzuò.
Translation: “Each department, please cooperate with us.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 部门 (bùmén) – “department”
• 配合 (pèihé) – “to cooperate” 

4. Handle Business Phone Calls and Emails

Impress your clients and colleagues by using the following phrases when making phone calls and writing emails. 

A- Phone Phrases

31. 你好，我是___ / 这里是___。

Pinyin: Nǐhǎo, wǒ shì ___  / zhèli shì ___.
Translation: “Hello, this/here is ___.”

Note:
Use your name or title after 我是 (wǒ shì), meaning “I am.” Use your office name after 这里是 (zhèli shì), meaning “here is.”

32. 您好，请问是___吗？

Pinyin: Nínhǎo, qǐngwèn shì ___ma?
Translation: “Hello, may I ask if this is ___?”

Key Vocabulary:

• 请问 (qǐngwèn) – “May I please ask…”

33.  ___在吗？

Pinyin: ___zài ma?
Translation: “Is ___ here?”

Example:
刘主管在吗？(Liú Zhǔguǎn zài ma?)
“Is Director Liu here?”

34. 我是。有什么可以帮你的吗？

Pinyin: Wǒ shì. Yǒu shénme kěyǐ bāng nǐ de ma?
Translation: “Speaking. How can I help you?”

35. 好的，没问题。

Pinyin: Hǎo de, méi wèntí.
Translation: “Okay, no problem.”

36. 我们___见。

Pinyin: Wǒmen___jiàn.
Translation: “See you ___.”

Example:
我们下周一见。(Wǒmen xià zhōuyī jiàn.)
“See you next Monday.”

B- Email Phrases

Here are a few business Chinese email phrases you can use when corresponding with colleagues or clients.

37. 尊敬的 ___

Pinyin: Zūnjìng de ___
Translation: “Honorable ___”

Note:
This polite prefix is used to address someone in formal situations.

38. 请注意查收。

Pinyin: Qǐng zhùyì cháchōu.
Translation: “Please check (your inbox for the above-mentioned subject).”

Note:
This is used to remind someone that an important document has been or will be sent soon, so they should be ready to check their inbox.

39. 如有疑问，请随时和我们联系。

Pinyin: Rú yǒu yíwèn, qǐng suíshí hé wǒmen liánxì.
Translation: “If you have any questions, please contact us any time.”

Key Vocabulary:
随时 (suíshí) – “at any time”
联系 (liánxì) – “to contact”

40. 祝好。

Pinyin: Zhù hǎo.
Translation: “Best regards.”

Note:
This is a simple and generic letter ending that is appropriate in both business and casual settings.

5. Go on a Business Trip

Business trips can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Things will go a lot smoother if you know a few essential Chinese business phrases for the trip, especially if you’re traveling to China with colleagues who don’t speak Chinese and rely on your language skills! 

A- Before the Trip

41. 我需要订___。

Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào dìng ___.
strong>Translation: “I need to book ___.”

Example:
我需要订三个大床房。(Wǒ xūyào dìng sān ge dàchuáng fáng.)
“I need to book three queen bedrooms.”

Note: 
In China, the most common hotel rooms are:

• 双床房 (shuāngchuáng fáng) – “double single beds”
• 大床房 (dàchuáng fáng) – “big bed,” i.e. “queen-size bed” 
• 套房 (tàofáng) – “suite”

42. 这是我们的行程单, 请过目。

Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒmen de xíng chéng dān, qǐng guòmù.
Translation: “This is our itinerary, please have a look.”

Note: 
过目 (guòmù) literally means “to pass one’s eyes,” and it’s a formal way to ask someone to check something. It’s often used with people of higher social status, such as supervisors and clients.

B- During the Trip

43. 你好，我是___公司的___，很高兴认识你。

Pinyin: Nǐhǎo, wǒ shì ___ gōngsī de ___. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ.
Translation: “Hello, I’m ___ from ___ company. Nice to meet you.”

44. 这是我的名片。

Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ de míngpiàn.
Translation: “This is my business card.”

Key Vocabulary: 

• 名片 (míngpiàn) – “business card”

45. 谢谢你们送我们回酒店。

Pinyin: Xièxie nǐmen sòng wǒmen huí jiǔdiàn.
Translation: “Thank you for driving us back to our hotel.”

46. 你好，我有预订，名字是___。

Pinyin: Nǐhǎo, wǒ yǒu yùdìng, míngzi shì ___.
Translation: “Hello, I have a reservation under the name ___.”

Key Vocabulary:

• 预订 (yùdìng) – “reservation”

47. 明天的会议几点开始？

Pinyin: Míngtiān de huìyì jǐdiǎn kāishǐ?
Translation: “When does tomorrow’s meeting start?”

Key Vocabulary:

• 会议 (huìyì) – “meeting” / “conference”
• 几点 (jǐdiǎn) – “(lit.) what o’clock” / “what time”

48. 附近有可以游览的地方吗？

Pinyin: Fùjìn yǒu kěyǐ yóulǎn de dìfang ma?
Translation: “Are there any places that we could tour around in this area?”

Key Vocabulary:

• 附近 (fùjìn) – “nearby”
• 游览 (yóulǎn) – “to tour” / “to go sightseeing”

C- At the End of the Trip

49. 感谢各位的热情招待。

Pinyin: Gǎnxiè gèwèi de rèqíng zhāodài.
Translation: “Thank you everyone for your hospitality.”

Key Vocabulary:
热情 (rèqíng) – “warm” / “cordial”
招待 (zhāodài) – “hospitality”

50. 我们合作得很愉快，期待下次再见。

Pinyin: Wǒmen hézuò de hěn yúkuài, qīdài xiàcì zàijiàn.
Translation: “It was pleasant working with you, hope to see you again.”

Key Vocabulary:
愉快 (yúkuài) – “pleasant”
期待 (qīdài) – “to look forward to”

6. Learn More on ChineseClass101.com

Did we cover all the business phrases you wanted to learn in this article? If you’d like to learn more, check out our Business Chinese for Beginners lesson series and learn more business phrases with audio, downloadable lesson notes, and question-answering from our certified teachers. 

Remember: On ChineseClass101.com, we have weekly updated learning resources in various forms, from flashcards, to vocabulary lists, to podcasts, and even to video lessons. You can choose whatever works for you! 

Need to boost your Chinese in a short amount of time for your next business meeting in China? No problem! Check out our Premium PLUS subscription to get customized learning paths and one-on-one instruction from your own personal teacher.

Happy learning! 

About the author: Influenced by her grandfather, Yinru has shown interest in languages and teaching since early childhood. After getting her degrees in English and Education, Yinru moved to the US and continued her career as a Mandarin teacher. 

Yinru enjoys travelling, photography, and introducing Chinese food to her non-Chinese friends.

YouTube: A paradise full of creative content to relax your brain. 

But did you know you can also learn Chinese on YouTube? Who wouldn’t want to learn a language the fun way, especially when you could educate yourself on the culture, too? 

You’re in luck! We’ve done the research for you and narrowed down the top ten Chinese YouTube channels for learners of the language. We’ve included channels on a variety of topics, so you can immerse yourself in the language and culture while watching something that really interests you!

It’s time to switch up your study method and tune into some fun videos!

Binge on these Chinese YouTube channels, and you’ll find yourself making incredible progress without studying so hard. However, we recommend taking notes and pausing sometimes to give yourself some time to digest any new knowledge you come across. 

In this article, I’ve included Chinese YouTube channels for every learner level, from beginner to advanced. So feel free to click that “subscribe” button on your favorite channels to learn Mandarin Chinese through YouTube on a daily basis!

Table of Contents

1. 杰里德JARED
2. Kevin in Shanghai
3. LIT 我的海漂时代
4. MYBY孟言布语
5. Grace Mandarin Chinese
6. OMG XIAOBA
7. Mamahuhu
8. Learn Chinese with Litao
9. 口语老炮儿马思瑞Chris
10. ChineseClass101
11. Conclusion

1. 杰里德JARED

Why not take a break from studying and laugh at a funny YouTube video?

Category: Language and Culture
Level: Beginner/Casual
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxy082834no

Jared is a Canadian who lives in Shanghai. He presents Chinese culture in the most hilarious way, and in such a manner that only native Chinese people would really understand. He also speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently, with almost no accent. Throughout his videos, you can clearly see the process of how a foreigner adapts to the Chinese culture, and you’ll sometimes see his own struggles in studying Chinese.

If you’re also a foreigner staying in China, you’ll definitely find his channel relatable. In this example video, he makes a funny comparison of him just arriving in China vs. him years later. 

Be careful: You may fall in love with his unique sense of humor.

2. Kevin in Shanghai

Category: Native Chinese Speaking & Culture Learning
Level: Intermediate-Advanced
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1Iz-Zz0pyQ

Kevin is a native Chinese speaker, who’s also a friend of Jared; some fans like to joke about them being a couple, which is very entertaining. If you love them both, be sure to check out their collaboration videos. Kevin’s YouTube channel is the perfect place for advanced Chinese learners to practice both listening and reading, as well as broaden their horizons with useful vocabulary and popular slang. 

In this example video, he does a dramatic but hilarious comparison between Western habits and Chinese habits in both Chinese and English.

3. LIT 我的海漂时代

Embrace Chinese culture

Category: International Chinese people’s life abroad
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dSDYCFWZh4&feature=emb_logo

我的海漂时代 (wǒ de hǎi piào shídài) literally means “my time staying abroad.” The Chinese YouTube videos on this channel depict the lives of Chinese people overseas, and are targeted toward international Chinese students and Chinese-American audiences. If you’re also Chinese and were raised overseas, and if you want to get to know your own language a little better, you won’t stop saying “Wow, that’s me!” while watching. 

In this example video, you’ll see what it’s like for American-born Chinese people to challenge themselves by calling their parents in only Chinese for the first time. This video sheds light on those who have a language barrier standing between them and their families.

4. MYBY孟言布语

Category: Culture
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0oE5idcWNE

You know you love it when something makes you laugh!

This YouTube channel was created by two foreigners, Dayday and Blair, who have been staying in China for a long time. Their videos are filmed in a mixture of Chinese and English, and they discuss many interesting and random cultural problems. This means that you can efficiently learn a variety of vocabulary words and phrases by listening to their conversations.

In this example video, we can see that they perfectly understand the struggles of studying Chinese, as professional non-native Chinese speakers themselves. They also provide helpful tips on how to learn Chinese and overcome common difficulties. 

5. Grace Mandarin Chinese

Category: Language
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5cr18UGK2Y

If you want to watch content all about how to speak Chinese, YouTuber Grace is a native Chinese speaker whose videos are dedicated to teaching basic Chinese for beginners. She covers everything from pronunciation and grammar to vocabulary and short phrases. She teaches each concept with such patience and articulates everything in a way that’s perfect for beginners. Her content is easy to follow, and is sometimes illustrated with interesting cuts from films. 

If you’re a brand-new Chinese learner, Grace Mandarin Chinese may be a good fit for you.

6. OMG XIAOBA

Is your mouth watering by just looking at these delicious foods?

Category: Chinese food
Level: Beginner
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1guqGrQDBng

Xiaoba is a foreigner who lives in China and is passionate about cooking, especially Chinese food. This Chinese YouTube cooking channel is vlog-style, and each video features him cooking all kinds of Chinese food. Well, who doesn’t love food? If you’re a foodie and love cooking (just like me!), be sure to check out his videos to learn basic Chinese for daily conversations while acquiring some Chinese recipes to try out!

7. Mamahuhu

Category: Western cultures vs. Chinese culture
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=p7tIln7Hz-c&feature=emb_logo

Mamahuhu in Chinese is 马马虎虎, meaning “sloppy,” and it’s a very common idiom that Chinese people use. Here, Mamahuhu is a hilarious YouTube channel that features short comedy series created by a multinational group of people who live in China. 

They create high-quality and professionally filmed videos that reflect a mixture of Western and Chinese culture. If you’re a foreigner who is planning to stay in China, definitely check out Mamahuhu on YouTube beforehand and check back again after you’ve moved. How many things are just so relatable? 

8. Learn Chinese with Litao

Category: Language
Level: Beginner
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Chp_Y3GP5c

Learn Chinese with Litao is a channel specifically designed for beginners. The native Chinese speaker Litao articulates everything in Chinese perfectly, and explains the basics in detail. 

His videos are designed to provide a quick and efficient learning system for beginners, so if you’re just starting out and are desperate to improve your Chinese rapidly, check out his YouTube channel—you won’t be disappointed! Most importantly, his courses are based on HSK, the Chinese Proficiency Test used in China.

9. 口语老炮儿马思瑞Chris

Category: Culture
Level: Beginner-Intermediate
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUv321Aw9ro

Chris has been staying in China for more than seven years and is fluent in five languages. As a professional language learner himself, he speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently. 

He often provides helpful studying tips and talks about English concepts in Chinese. This makes the content very relevant and a great resource for native English speakers who want to practice both their listening and reading abilities in Chinese.

Other than that, he is also passionate about exploring interesting social topics on his YouTube channels. For example, he once went to a top Chinese university and talked with students there to investigate how good their English is.

10. ChineseClass101

Category: Language and Culture
Level: All levels
Example Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv2Z-MVb2Gc

Make ChineseClass101 your best friend and you won’t regret it! 

From beginner to advanced, casual to professional, the ChineseClass101 YouTube channel provides a variety of resources for learners at every stage in their journey. You’ll never get tired of our materials, which are filled with fun storytelling and visuals. Not only does our channel teach you about the art of the Chinese language itself, but also guides you on how to live your life more productively in a Chinese culture. For example, we cover topics such as how to find a job in China or where to find free Chinese gifts. 

We constantly update our content, which is taught by the most professional native teachers who thoroughly explain each point of a Chinese lesson. What are you waiting for? Check out our free YouTube content and don’t forget to hit that “subscribe” button!

11. Conclusion

It’s always fun to learn through vivid Chinese YouTube videos that trigger your brain to memorize things better. Guess what? Not only does ChineseClass101 have a fun YouTube channel, but we also have enjoyable online classes! There, we offer free content almost every week, and you’ll be able to learn the most up-to-date facts about the Chinese language and culture. 

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We come across so many people throughout the course of our human journey, where so many hellos and goodbyes take place. These phrases may seem basic, but they play a significant role in starting and ending things properly. The good news is that, as a language-learner, you’ve probably mastered how to say hello in Chinese by now (if not, check out our article and start learning today)!

But knowing how to say goodbye in Chinese is just as important. Choosing the best Chinese word for goodbye in a given situation will make your communication smoother, make you sound more like a native speaker, and improve the quality of your relationships. In Chinese culture, we have a variety of ways to say goodbye depending on how formal/casual the situation is, and a number of other factors.

If you’re interested in learning how to say goodbye in Chinese and want to enrich your conversations or relationships, keep on reading! Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye
2. More Specific Ways to Say Goodbye
3. Untranslatable Goodbye Phrases in Chinese
4. Bonus: Sad Ways to Say Goodbye (Breakups, Graduations, and More)
5. Conclusion

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye

To start, we’re going to show you the most popular Chinese goodbye phrases and how to use them properly.

1 – 

再见 (zài jiàn) is a formal Chinese expression that’s equivalent to the English word “goodbye.” It’s often used during formal occasions and is more preferred by the older generations. In some contexts, it can indicate feelings of sadness. 

• In Chinese: 再见
• Pinyin: zài jiàn
• Literal meaning: See you again.
• In English: “Goodbye.”

One situation in which you would use this phrase is when you’re leaving school: 

In Chinese: 刘老师再见。
Pinyin: liú lǎo shī zài jiàn 
In English: “Goodbye, Teacher Liu.”

2 –

Interestingly, 拜拜 (bái bái) is a direct translation of the English word “bye-bye,” which explains why its  pronunciation in Chinese is nearly identical to “bye-bye.” However, it’s rather casual and won’t be found in any traditional Chinese dictionaries. This word is often used among people of the younger generations.

• In Chinese: 拜拜
• Pinyin: bái bái 
• In English: “Bye-bye.”

You might use this phrase after a day of hanging out with your friends:

In Chinese: 拜拜，改天再联系。
Pinyin: bái bái, gǎi tiān zài lián xì 
In English: “Bye-bye, I will talk to you another day.”

2. More Specific Ways to Say Goodbye

Goodbyes can vary depending on the scenario…remember to find out the best option for your particular situation!

1 – 

• In Chinese: [明天]见。
• Pinyin: [míng tiān] jiàn 
• In English: “See you [tomorrow].” 

You might use this phrase after the school day is over, while you’re getting ready to go home:

In Chinese: 那我先回家了，明天见。
Pinyin: nà wǒ xiān huí jiā le, míng tiān jiàn 
In English: “I’m going home now, see you tomorrow.”

2 –

• In Chinese: 失陪。
• Pinyin: shī péi 
• Literal meaning: “You will lose my company.”
• In English: “Excuse me.”

You would use this phrase if you had to answer an emergency phone call during a business meeting:

In Chinese: 我需要接个紧急电话，失陪了。
Pinyin: wǒ xū yào jiē gè jǐn jí diàn huà, shī péi le 
In English: “Excuse me, I need to answer an emergency call.”

3 –

• In Chinese: 我得先走一步了。
• Pinyin: wǒ děi xiān zǒu yī bù le
• Literal meaning: “I will have to take one step ahead.”
• In English: “I will have to take a leave now.”

You would use this phrase if you had to leave a party early because of an emergency:

In Chinese: 抱歉，我得先走一步了，家里有急事。
Pinyin: bào qiàn, wǒ děi xiān zǒu yī bù le, jiā lǐ yǒu jí shì 
In English: “Sorry, I will have to leave now, there is an emergency at home.”

Find the right words and don’t let other people think you are being rude during a formal occasion.

4 –

• In Chinese: 告辞。
• Pinyin: gào cí 
• In English: “I have to leave.”

You can use this Chinese goodbye anytime you need to leave somewhere in a hurry. 

In Chinese: 我还有事，就先告辞了。
Pinyin: wǒ hái yǒu shì, jiù xiān gào cí le 
In English: “I have something else to do, I have to leave now.”

Call your old friends once in a while to show them some warmth.

5 –

• In Chinese: 常联系。
• Pinyin: cháng lián xì 
• In English: “Let’s keep in touch.”

You might use this phrase if you just saw an old friend whom you hadn’t seen in a long time, talked a while, and need to leave now:

In Chinese: 以后常联系，我一直都在。
Pinyin: yǐ hòu cháng lián xì, wǒ yī zhí dōu zài 
In English: “Let’s keep in touch later, I will always be there.”

6 –

• In Chinese: 有空再聊。
• Pinyin: yǒu kōng zài liáo 
• Literal meaning: “Let’s talk again when I’m free.”

This is a handy phrase to use if your friend is talking nonstop, but you have to go do something:

In Chinese: 抱歉，我现在有点忙，咱们有空再聊。
Pinyin: bào qiàn, wǒ xiàn zài yǒu diǎn máng, zán men yǒu kòng zài liáo 
In English: “Sorry, I am a bit busy right now. Let’s talk again when I’m free.”

7 –

• In Chinese: 祝你以后一切顺利。
• Pinyin: zhù nǐ yǐ hòu yī qiē shùn lì 
• In English: “I wish you all the best in the future.”

Your friend got a great job offer abroad, and will leave soon:

In Chinese: 祝你以后在英国一切顺利。
Pinyin: zhù nǐ yǐ hòu zài yīng guó yī qiē shùn lì 
In English: “I wish you all the best in the future in England.”

8 – 

• In Chinese: 一会儿见。
• Pinyin: yī huìr jiàn 
• In English: “See you later.” 

Imagine you ran into a friend while doing errands, and you know you’ll see them later at a party that night. You might say: 

In Chinese: 一会儿派对见。
Pinyin: yī huìr pài duì jiàn 
In English: “I will see you later at the party.”

3. Untranslatable Goodbye Phrases in Chinese

Every language is really a form of art, and as such, each one has its own unique elements. Unsurprisingly, there are multiple ways to say goodbye in Chinese that are hard to translate. As unique as they are, learning them will definitely help you sound more like a native!

1 –

• In Chinese: 一路顺风。
• Pinyin: yī lù shùn fēng 
• Literal meaning: May you travel in the same direction with the wind.
• In English: “Have a safe trip on the way home.”

Some family members who traveled far to visit you will be leaving soon to go home, so you might say:

In Chinese: 路上注意安全，一路顺风啊。
Pinyin: lù shàng zhù yì ān quán, yī lù shùn fēng a
In English: “Watch out on the way back and have a safe trip.”

2 –

• In Chinese: 后会有期。
• Pinyin: hoù huì yǒu qī
• In English: “We will be able to see each other again someday.” 

You would use this phrase if your friend was moving abroad:

In Chinese: 有机会我去国外找你，后会有期哦。
Pinyin: yǒu jī huì wǒ qù guó wài zhǎo nǐ, hòu huì yǒu qī o
In English: “I will go visit you abroad if there is a chance. We will be able to see each other again someday.”

3 –

• In Chinese: 回头见。
• Pinyin: huí tóu jiàn
• Literal meaning: “See you again when I turn my head around.”
• In English: “I will see you again another day.” 

You would use this phrase if you just met a classmate during summer break, and you’ll be seeing each other in school soon:

In Chinese: 回头学校见。
Pinyin: huí tóu xué xiào jiàn 
In English: “I will see you again another day at school.”

4 –

• In Chinese: 保重。
• Pinyin: bǎo zhòng
• Literal meaning: “Keep your weight.”
• In English: “Take care.” 

A parent might say this to their child who’s leaving for college:

In Chinese: 你在大学照顾好自己，多保重。
Pinyin: nǐ zài dà xué zhào gù hǎo zì jǐ, duō bǎo zhòng 
In English: “You need to take care of yourself in college.”

5 –

• In Chinese: 辛苦了。
• Pinyin: xīn kǔ le
• In English: “Thank you for your hard work.” 

You might say this to your coworkers after a long day of work:

In Chinese: 谢谢大家今天的付出，你们辛苦了。
Pinyin: xiè xie dà jiā jīn tiān de fù chū, nǐ men xīn kǔ le
In English: “Thank you for everyone’s hard work today.”

4. Bonus: Sad Ways to Say Goodbye (Breakups, Graduations, and More)

We should never forget the beautiful memories with our friends even after graduation.

1 – 

• In Chinese: 祝你前途似锦，一切珍重。 
• Pinyin: zhù nǐ qián tú sì jǐn, yī qiè zhēn zhòng 
• In English: “I wish you a bright future and take care.” 

This is something you would say to your friends and other classmates after graduation: 

In Chinese: 祝你前途似锦，一切珍重，毕业后常联系。
Pinyin: zhù nǐ qián tú sì jǐn, yī qiè zhēn zhòng, bì yè hòu cháng lián xì 
In English: “I wish you a bright future and take care, let’s keep in touch after graduation.”

2 –

• In Chinese: 是时候画上一个圆满的句号了。
• Pinyin: shì shí hou huà shàng yī gè yuán mǎn de jù hào le 
• Literal meaning: “It is time to write a period for it.”
• In English: “It is time to say goodbye.”

You would say this to someone if you thought it was time to end your relationship:

In Chinese: 是时候给我们的感情画上一个圆满的句号了。
Pinyin: shì shí hou gěi wǒ men de gǎn qíng huà shàng yī gè yuán mǎn de jù hào le 
In English: “It is time to write a period for our relationship.”

3 –

• In Chinese: 希望我们有缘再见。
• Pinyin: xī wàng wǒ men yǒu yuán zài jiàn 
• In English: “We will meet each other again as destiny leads us.”

You would use this phrase when parting ways with someone you befriended on a road trip:

In Chinese: 世界这么大，希望我们有缘再见。
Pinyin: shì jiè zhè me dà, xī wàng wǒ men yǒu yuán zài jiàn 
In English: “Hopefully we will meet each other again as destiny leads us in this big world.”

5. Conclusion

How do you say goodbye in Chinese? 

You should have many possible answers now, but always remember to customize your answer based on your situation. You never know when it will be your last chance to say goodbye to someone, so cherish every opportunity you have and make sure to say your Chinese goodbyes in the most appropriate way. Try your best to express how much you cherish your loved ones any time you’re apart, and let these goodbyes reach their full potential!

Anyway, it’s not time to say goodbye to ChineseClass101 yet! Don’t forget that there is still so much more to learn about the Chinese language. ChineseClass101.com can make you a conversation master through our unique lessons for learners at every level—trust me, it will be the experience of a lifetime. Embark on this fun language-learning journey with us, and I’m sure you’ll never want to say goodbye!

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you say goodbye in your language! We look forward to hearing from you.

Quiz: Can you list all the pronouns you know? They don’t have to be Chinese pronouns; they can be in English or your native language. 

Now, what would be the first five pronouns on your list? 

Naturally, most of us first think of pronouns like “I,” “me,” “you,” “he,” and “they,” which are all personal pronouns. We sometimes forget that the list of pronouns goes on. 

There are possessive pronouns like “his” or “her,” demonstrative pronouns like “this” or “that,” interrogative pronouns like “what” or “where,” and so on.

Before we move on to this big, extensive, and complete list of all pronouns in Chinese, get a sneak peek at the essential list of the most useful pronouns on ChineseClass101.com to see how many you already know! 

Ready? Let’s learn Chinese pronouns!

Table of Contents

1. Chinese Personal Pronouns
2. Chinese Demonstrative Pronouns
3. Chinese Interrogative Pronouns
4. Conclusion

1. Chinese Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns are the most frequently used type of pronouns. Imagine how you would invite your friend to your party without using personal pronouns: “Adam wants to invite Nick to Adam’s party this weekend. Would Nick like to come?” That’s amusingly wordy.

Personal pronouns can be further broken down into smaller categories. 

1- Singular Personal Pronouns 

Let’s first sum up all the singular forms of Chinese personal pronouns. 

Keep in mind that all Chinese pronouns can be used as a subject or an object in a sentence. There’s no different forms for different parts of the sentence, like the difference between “he” and “him” in English. 

1. First Person Singular

In Chinese: 我
Pinyin: wǒ
In English: “I” or “me”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 我是玛丽。 Pinyin: Wǒ shì Mǎlì. In English: “I’m Mary.”  (我 as a subject) In Chinese: 你是在笑我吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ shì zài xiào wǒ ma? In English: “Are you laughing at me?” (你 as an object)

2. Second Person Singular

In Chinese: 你
Pinyin: nǐ
In English: “you”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 你是谁？ Pinyin: Nǐ shì shéi? In English: “Who are you?”  (你 as a subject) In Chinese: 我爱你。 Pinyin: Wǒ ài nǐ. In English: “I love you.” (你 as an object)

When speaking with people who are senior in age or social status, such as teachers, supervisors, customers, or even strangers, it’s more polite and respectful to use the other form of 你, which is:

In Chinese: 您
Pinyin: nín
In English: (honorific/formal) “you”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 谢谢您的建议。 Pinyin: Xièxie nín de jiànyì. In English: “Thank you for your advice.”

3. Third Person Singular

In Chinese: 他
Pinyin: tā
In English: “he” or “him”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 他在找你。 Pinyin: Tā zài zhǎo nǐ. In English: “He is looking for you.” In Chinese: 你认识他吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ rènshi tā ma? In English: “Do you know him?”

In Chinese: 她
Pinyin: tā
In English: “she” or “her”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 她不会来。 Pinyin: Tā búhuì lái. In English: “She won’t be here.” In Chinese: 我记得她，但是她不记得我。 Pinyin: Wǒ jìde tā , dànshì tā bú jìde wǒ. In English: “I remember her, but she doesn’t remember me.”

In Chinese: 它
Pinyin: tā
In English: “it” (animal or object) 

它 (tā) is often used to refer to an animal or an object that’s been mentioned, regardless of gender.

Example sentences: In Chinese: 这是大白。它是一个机器人。 Pinyin: Zhè shì Dàbái. Tā shì yí ge jīqìrén. In English: “This is Baymax. It is a robot.” In Chinese: 大家都很喜欢它。 Pinyin: Dàjiā dōu hěn xǐhuan tā. In English: “Everybody likes it very much.”

You may have noticed that Chinese has three different words for the third personal pronoun. 他 (tā) is for men, 她 (tā) is for women, and 它 (tā) is for non-humans. However, they’re all pronounced the same way, which could make listening a little tricky. Make sure you check the context in case of confusion. 

Also be careful with the 他 (tā) for “he” and the 她 (tā) for “her” in Chinese characters. The right side of these two characters is the same. What you need to pay attention to is the radicals on the left side. 他 has the radical 亻which is often used to indicate “person” or “man,” whereas 她 has the radical 女 (nǚ) which means “woman.”

If you’re interested in learning more about Chinese characters, check out this video lesson on ChineseClass101.com that shows you the common way to decipher Chinese characters.

As for the non-human “it,” 它 (tā) can’t be used as an impersonal pronoun to serve as a subject in a sentence. For example, in English, we can say “It’s raining,” or “It’s difficult.” In Chinese, the “it” doesn’t translate to 它. In fact, the “it” in these two sentences is often omitted in Chinese translation.

2- Plural Personal Pronouns 

Making plural personal pronouns in Chinese is simple and convenient. You only need to stick the word 们 (men) after each singular pronoun. 

1. First Person Plural

In Chinese: 我们
Pinyin: wǒmen
In English: “we” or “us”

Reminder: The pinyin for “we” (wǒmen) may look the same as “women” in English, but they’re not the same! Don’t forget that Pinyin is not English.

Example sentence: In Chinese: 你看见我们了吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ kànjiàn wǒmen le ma? In English: “Do you see us now?”

2. Second Person Plural

In Chinese: 你们
Pinyin: nǐmen 
In English: “you” (plural)

Example sentence: In Chinese: 你们去哪？ Pinyin: Nǐmen qù nǎ? In English: “Where are you going?”

The plural form of the honorific 您 (nín) is still 你们 (nǐmen), not 您们 (nínmen). You might have seen the word 您们, but it’s an incorrect word! Yep, even native speakers make mistakes when speaking Chinese. 

In order to be more polite when addressing a group of people, use phrases like 您二位 (nín èr wèi) and 您几位 (nín jǐ wèi), which are the more courteous ways to say “you two” and “you guys.”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 抱歉让您几位久等了。 Pinyin: Bàoqiàn ràng nín jǐ wèi jiǔ děng le. In English: “Sorry to have kept you guys waiting.”

3. Third Person Plural

In Chinese: 他们
Pinyin: tāmen
In English: “they” or “them”

This word is often used to refer to more than one male, or a mixed group of males and females.

Example sentence: In Chinese: 他们终于到了。 Pinyin: Tāmen zhōngyú dàole . In English: “They are finally here.”

In Chinese: 她们
Pinyin: tāmen
In English: “they” or “them” (female)

Example sentence: In Chinese: 我低估了她们。 Pinyin: Wǒ dīgū le tāmen. In English: “I underestimated them.”

In Chinese: 它们
Pinyin: tāmen
In English: “they” or “them”  (animals or objects)

Example sentence: In Chinese: 你给它们洗澡了吗？ Pinyin: Nǐ gěi tāmen xǐzǎo le ma? In English: “Did you give them a bath yet?”

3- Possessive Personal Pronouns

Making Chinese possessive pronouns from the personal pronouns is also quite easy. In this case, you need the possessive particle 的 (de) after all of the personal pronouns. 

“Personal pronoun + 的 (de)” can be used the same way as an adjective before a noun, or they can be used as a noun by themselves. 

Here’s an example of the possessive form of the second singular pronoun:

In Chinese: 你的
Pinyin: nǐde
In English: “your” or “yours”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 你的新衬衫很好看。 Pinyin: Nǐ de xīn chènshān hěn hǎokàn. In English: “Your new shirt looks great.” In Chinese: 这个新衬衫是你的。 Pinyin: Zhège xīn chènshān shì nǐ de. In English: “This new shirt is yours.”

An example of first plural possessive:

In Chinese: 我们的
Pinyin: wǒmen de
In English: “our” or “ours”

Example sentences: In Chinese: 她是我们的老师。 Pinyin: Tā shì wǒmen de lǎoshī. In English: “She is our teacher.” In Chinese: 这排位子都是我们的。 Pinyin: Zhè pái wèizi dōu shì wǒmen de. In English: “This row of seats is all ours.”

In some circumstances, the particle 的 can be omitted. A very common situation for 的 to be dropped is in colloquial speech, when possessive pronouns are used before close relationships, such as one’s family members, friends, home, or office. For example, it’s grammatically correct to say:

In Chinese: 我的妈妈回来了。 Pinyin: Wǒde māma huílai le. In English: “My mom is back.”

But it sounds a bit formal. In everyday conversations, people are more likely to say:

In Chinese: 我妈回来了。 Pinyin: Wǒ mā huílai le. In English: “My mom is back.”

In this sentence, not only is the word 妈妈 (māma), or “mom,” shortened and casualized to 妈 (mā), or “ma,” but the possessive pronoun 我的 (wǒde), meaning “my,” is also shortened to 我 (wǒ). 

Here’s another example of when 的 is dropped in a possessive pronoun in everyday language:

In Chinese: 他公司离这里不远。 Pinyin: Tā gōngsī lí zhèli bù yuǎn.  In English: “His company is not far from here.”

Instead of using 他的公司 for “his company,” 他公司 is more often used in casual situations. 

4- Reflexive Personal Pronouns

Somehow in conversations, we always end up talking about ourselves. The pronouns that end with “-self” or “-selves” in English are called reflexive personal pronouns. 

In Chinese, we can also use a suffix after personal pronouns to make them reflexive and intensified. In this case, we add the word 自己 (zìjǐ), meaning “self.”

For example:

In Chinese: 我自己
Pinyin: wǒ zìjǐ
In English: “myself”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 我自己看到的。 Pinyin: Wǒ zìjǐ kàn dào de. In English: “I saw it myself.”

In Chinese: 你们自己
Pinyin: nǐmen zìjǐ
In English: “yourselves”

Example sentence:  In Chinese: 照顾好你们自己。 Pinyin: Zhàogu hǎo nǐmen zìjǐ. In English: “Take care of yourselves.”

Here’s a Chinese pronoun chart that sums up all the Chinese personal pronouns in different forms:

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person (men)	3rd person (women)	3rd person (non-human)
singular	我  wǒ “I,” “we”	你  nǐ “you”	他  tā “he,” “him”	她  tā “she,” “her”	它  tā “it”
plural	我们  wǒmen “we,” “us”	你们  nǐmen “you”	他们  tāmen “they,” “them”	她们  tāmen “they,” “them”	它们  tāmen “they,” “them”
singular possessive	我的 wǒde  “my,” “mine”	你的 nǐde “your,” “yours”	他的 tāde “his”	她的 tāde “her,” “hers”	它的 tāde “its”
plural possessive	我们的 wǒmen de “our,” “ours”	你们的 nǐmen de “your,” “yours”	他们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”	她们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”	它们的 tāmen de “their,” “theirs”
singular reflexive	我自己 wǒ zìjǐ “myself”	你自己 nǐ zìjǐ “yourself”	他自己 tā zìjǐ “himself”	她自己 tā zìjǐ “herself”	它自己  tā zìjǐ “itself”
plural reflexive	我们自己 wǒmen zìjǐ “ourselves”	你们自己 nǐmen zìjǐ “yourselves”	他们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”	她们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”	它们自己 tāmen zìjǐ “themselves”

2. Chinese Demonstrative Pronouns

The next most commonly used type of pronoun in Chinese is the demonstrative pronoun. This includes words such as “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.” The usage of Chinese demonstrative pronouns is very similar to that in English. 

1- This & That 

In Chinese: 这
Pinyin: zhè
In English: “this”

Example sentence:  In Chinese: 这是你们的房间。 Pinyin: Zhè shì nǐmen de fángjiān. In English: “This is your room.”

In Chinese: 那
Pinyin: nà
In English: “that”

Example sentence:  In Chinese: 那是不可能的。 Pinyin: Nà shì bù kěnéng de. In English: “That is impossible.”

2- This & That + Measure Word + Noun

这 (zhè), meaning “this,” and 那 (nà), meaning “that,” can also be used before nouns to demonstrate the subject that one is talking about. However, in Chinese, 这 and 那 can’t be put directly before nouns. Instead, we need the help of 量词 (liàngcí), meaning “measure words,” or otherwise known as counters or classifiers. 

The most universal measure word is 个 (gè). It’s a safe word to go to for beginners. Here are some examples:

In Chinese: 这个女孩很漂亮。 Pinyin: Zhègè nǚhái hěn piàoliang. In English: “This girl is very pretty.” In Chinese: 这个网站很有用。 Pinyin: Zhègè wǎngzhàn hěn yǒuyòng. In English: “This website is very useful.” In Chinese: 我爸去过那个国家。 Pinyin: Wǒ bà qù guo nàgè guójiā. In English: “My dad has been to that country.” In Chinese: 请给我看一下那个钱包。 Pinyin: Qǐng gěi wǒ kàn yíxià nàgè qiánbāo. In English: “Please let me take a look at that wallet.”

这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) are sometimes pronounced as zhèi and nèi in colloquial speech. Both pronunciations are correct. It’s only a matter of personal preference. 

Also, in everyday language, 这个 (zhèige) and 那个 (nèige) are used as filler sounds, or so-called vocalized pauses, like “uh” and “um” in English. You’ll be surprised how often you hear Chinese people stutter with 这个 (zhèige) and 那个 (nèige) in conversations! 

Once you’re more confident with your Chinese, use 这 or 那 with specific measure words that go with specific nouns. For example:

In Chinese: 这辆车超酷。 Pinyin: Zhè liàng chē chāokù. In English: “This car is super-cool.”

The measure word in this sentence, 辆 (liàng), is used for vehicles, such as 车 (chē), meaning “car.”

In Chinese: 我看过那本书。 Pinyin: Wǒ kàn guo nà běn shū. In English: “I’ve read that book.”

The measure word here, 本 (běn) is used for books, or 书 (shū) in Chinese. 

3- These & Those

When demonstrating something with a quantity of more than one, we use 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) plus the word 些 (xiē).

In Chinese: 这些
Pinyin: zhèxiē
In English: “these”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 这些孩子玩得很开心。 Pinyin: Zhèxiē háizi wán de hěn kāixīn. In English: “These kids are having a great time.”

In Chinese: 那些
Pinyin: nàxiē
In English: “those”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 不用担心那些事。 Pinyin: Bú yòng dānxīn nàxiē shì. In English: “Don’t worry about those things.”

4- Here & There 

The Chinese words for “here” and “there” also use 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà), plus the suffix 里 (lǐ) or 儿 (ér). 

In Chinese: 这里 / 这儿
Pinyin: zhèlǐ / zhèr
In English: “here”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 我来过这里 / 这儿。 Pinyin: Wǒ lái guo zhèlǐ / zhèr. In English: “I’ve been here.”

In Chinese: 那里 / 那儿
Pinyin: nàlǐ / nàr 
In English: “there”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 那里 / 那儿有一个医院。 Pinyin: Nàli / Nàr yǒu yí ge yīyuàn. In English: “There is a hospital over there.”

In general, 这里 (zhèlǐ), meaning “here,” and 那里 (nàlǐ), meaning “there,” are used more often in the southern part of China. In the northern part of China, people tend to use a lot of 儿化音 (ér huà yīn), which in this case are 这儿 (zhèr) and 那儿 (nàr). 

5- This Way & That Way

To say “this way” or “that way,” we need to put the word 边 (biān) after 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà). 

In Chinese: 这边
Pinyin: zhèbiān
In English: “this way”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 这边请。 Pinyin: Zhèbiān qǐng. In English: “This way, please.”

In Chinese: 那边
Pinyin: nàbiān
In English: “that way”

Example sentence: In Chinese: 厕所在那边。 Pinyin: Cèsuǒ zài nàbiān. In English: “The restroom is over there.”

3. Chinese Interrogative Pronouns

Humans are curious creatures. We like to ask questions. The words that we use to ask questions are called interrogative pronouns. 

In English, they often appear at the beginning of a question, with a reconstructed word order from a declarative sentence (or any other sentence that makes a statement). 

In Chinese, the word order in a question remains the same as in a declarative sentence. Therefore, asking questions in Chinese is easy. 

First, think about how you would answer the question in a declarative sentence, then replace the word or phrase that answers the question with an interrogative pronoun. 

The table below summarizes the most commonly used Chinese interrogative pronouns. 
Example sentences are given with both a literal translation and a natural English translation, so you can get a better idea of where interrogative pronouns go and what the word order is like in Chinese questions.

In Chinese	Pinyin	In English	Example Sentence	Literal Translation	Natural English Translation
什么	shénme	“what”	你叫什么名字？ Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?	“You’re called what name?”	“What is your name?”
什么时候	shénme shíhòu	“when”	我们什么时候见面？ Wǒmen shénme shíhòu jiànmiàn?	“We when meet?”	“When shall we meet?”
哪里/哪儿	nǎlǐ / nǎr?	“where”	电梯在哪里/哪儿？ Diàntī zài nǎlǐ / nǎr?	“Elevator/escalator at where?”	“Where is the elevator/escalator?”
哪个/哪些	nǎge / nǎxiē	“which” (s) / “which” (p)	哪个是你的手机？ Nǎge shì nǐ de shǒujī? 你喜欢哪些运动？ Nǐ xǐhuān nǎxiē yùndòng?	“Which is your cell phone?” “You like which sports?”	“Which one is your phone?” “Which sports do you like?”
谁	shéi	“who”	她是谁？ Tā shì shéi?	“She is who?”	“Who is she?”
多少	duōshǎo	“how many” / “how much”	这个多少钱？ Zhège duōshǎo qián?	“This how much money?”	“How much money is this?”
为什么	wèishénme	“why”	他们为什么这么生气？ Tāmen wèishénme zhème shēngqì?	“They why so angry?”	“Why are they so mad?”
怎么	zěnme	“how”	请问，人民广场怎么走？ Qǐngwèn, rénmín guǎngchǎng zěnme zǒu?	“May I please ask, People’s Square how to walk?”	“Excuse me, how do I get to People’s Square?”

4. Conclusion

Now if you were asked to take the quiz at the beginning of this article again, how many Chinese pronouns would you be able to put down?

You should have at least forty-six words on your list! 
Learning new words in groups like we did in this Chinese pronouns list has proven to be a great language-learning method to increase vocabulary. ChineseClass101.com has hundreds of vocabulary lists for you to add to your word bank. Sign up for a free lifetime account today so you can enjoy more Chinese learning fun with us!

Holidays are one of the most essential embodiments of a region’s culture. Some traditional holidays have brewed throughout history, while some modern holidays are indicating the new emerging facets of culture. If you’re a Chinese language learner, you must have heard of some traditional Chinese holidays such as the Chinese New Year. However, today we’re going to introduce an off-the-beaten-path holiday called Singles’ Day.

What? You’ve only heard of Valentine’s Day? Well, now you’re going to open your eyes. China’s Singles’ Day became a fad in recent years, originally in an attempt to celebrate single people. Now, it has evolved into a big shopping holiday. 

Want to know more about it? No problem. We’ve got everything you need here about China’s Singles’ Day!

Table of Contents

1. How Did Singles’ Day Start?
2. How Did it Become a Shopping Festival?
3. Singles’ Day Vocabulary
4. Conclusion

1. How Did Singles’ Day Start?

Tired of being jealous of people who can celebrate Valentine’s Day? Now it’s single people’s turn!

Singles’ Day in Chinese is 光棍节 (guāng gùn jié), which literally means “single stick day.” It’s a single-awareness day among young Chinese people. This non-official national Singles’ Day originated from college students at Nanjing University in 1993 in an attempt to celebrate their pride in singledom as opposed to being part of a couple on Valentine’s Day. 

So when is Chinese Singles’ Day? Because the date 11/11 resembles four single sticks that indicate being solitary, November 11th was agreed to be the proper Singles’ Day. 

Interestingly, it has become trendy for many young people to confess their feelings for people they like on Singles’ Day! Guess why? Because if it ever works out, then they can finally end their journey of being single exactly on Singles’ Day and start a romantic date right after!

2. How Did it Become a Shopping Festival?

Singles’ Day has now been transformed from an “anti-Valentine’s Day” into the biggest online shopping day worldwide. This idea was triggered by Alibaba back in 2009 and people have embraced it ever since. The Chinese Singles’ Day Alibaba paved the way for also encourages single people’s inner pride by providing them with such perks.

A version of Alibaba’s Singles’ Day, also known as the Double Eleven Shopping Day, was created by offering prodigious discounts for twenty-four hours mainly through Alibaba-operated platforms such as Taobao, as well as some other big competitors that integrated Alibaba’s idea. It’s much like American’s Black Friday, but the Singles’ Day shopping festival is more E-commerce-focused and has a larger scale due to the huge Chinese population. 

Now you know why many people can’t wait for the exciting Double Eleven Shopping Day to clean their cart and buy all of their favorite products they’ve been waiting a long time for! If you ever want to get these good deals on China’s Singles’ Day, remember to have some good Wi-Fi service and try to get your desired items exactly at the time the sale starts. Otherwise, your website may crash due to the large demand and you’ll end up getting nothing!

3. Singles’ Day Vocabulary

1- Words about Relationships

Single dog – 单身狗 (dān shēn gǒu)

Meaning: Someone who is single and sad

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我今年还是一只单身狗。

Pinyin: Wǒ jīn nián hái shì yī zhī dān shēn gǒu.

In English: I am still a single dog this year.

A single noble – 单身贵族 (dān shēn guì zú)

Meaning: Someone who is single and proud

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我想一直做个单身贵族，无拘无束。

Pinyin: Wǒ xiǎng yī zhí zuò gè dān shēn guì zú, wú jū wú shù. 

In English: I just wanted to be a single noble all the time and keep myself free.

Single stick – 光棍 (guāng gùn)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我已经做了快二十年的光棍，真希望可以快点找到自己的另一半。

Pinyin: Wǒ yǐ jīng zuò le kuài èr shí nián de guāng gùn, zhēn xī wàng kě yǐ kuài diǎn zhǎo dào zì jǐ de lìng yī bàn. 

In English: I have been a single stick for almost twenty years; I really hope to find my other half as soon as possible.

Not single anymore – 脱单 (tuō dān)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 今年的我终于不用再过光棍节了，因为我已经脱单啦！

Pinyin: Jīn nián de wǒ zhōng yú bú yòng zài guò guāng gùn jié le, yīn wèi wǒ yǐ jīng tuō dān la! 

In English: Finally, I won’t have to go through Singles’ Day this year, because I am not single anymore!

Public display of affection (PDA) – 秀恩爱 (xiù ēn ài)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我朋友总是在公共场合秀恩爱。 

Pinyin: Wǒ péng yǒu zǒng shì zài gōng gòng chǎng hé xiù ēn ài.

In English: My friend always likes to show public displays of affection.

Eat dog food – 吃狗粮 (chī gǒu liáng)

Meaning: A single person who suffers from other people’s public displays of affection.

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 看来我今年情人节又要吃狗粮了。

Pinyin: Kàn lái wǒ jīn nián qíng rén jié yòu yào chī gǒu liáng le. 

In English: It seems like I will have to eat dog food again on this year’s Valentine’s Day.

2- Chinese Singles’ Day Shopping Vocabulary

Sign up – 注册 (zhù cè)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我刚刚注册了一个淘宝的账号。

Pinyin: Wǒ gāng gāng zhù cè le yī gè táo bǎo de zhàng hào. 

In English: I just signed up for an account on Taobao.

Coupon – 优惠券 (yōu huì quàn)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我终于领到了优惠券，可以用来买我购物车里的东西。

Pinyin: Wǒ zhōng yú lǐng dào le yōu huì quàn, kě yǐ yòng lái mǎi wǒ gòu wù chē lǐ de dōng xi. 

In English: I finally got coupons, which I can use to buy the products in my shopping cart.

Aren’t sales the best things ever?

Sale – 促销 (cù xiāo)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 每次我都会等到商场大促销再去购物。 

Pinyin: Měi cì wǒ dōu huì děng dào shāng chǎng dà cù xiāo zài qù gòu wù. 

In English: I always wait to shop until there is a big sale in the mall.

Online shopping – 网上购物 (wǎng shàng gòu wù)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 网上购物真方便。

Pinyin: Wǎng shàng gòu wù zhēn fāng biàn. 

In English: Online shopping is so convenient.

Double Eleven Shopping Day (11/11 Shopping Day) – 双十一购物节 (shuāng shí yī gòu wù jié)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我打算等到了双十一购物节再买购物车里的这些东西。

Pinyin: Wǒ dǎ suàn děng dào le shuāng shí yī gòu wù jiē zài mǎi gòu wù chē lǐ de zhè xiē dōng xi. 

In English: I am going to wait to clear my cart until Double Eleven Shopping Day.

The same style as internet celebrities’ – 网红同款 (wǎng hóng tóng kuǎn)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我们店有很多网红同款的宝贝。

Pinyin: Wǒ men diàn yǒu hěn duō wǎng hóng tóng kuǎn de bǎo bèi. 

In English: Lots of products in our store are in the same style as internet celebrities’.

Shipping fees included – 包邮 (bāo yóu)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 每个人都很享受买东西包邮这项服务。 

Pinyin: Měi gè rén dōu hěn xiǎng shòu mǎi dōng xi bāo yóu zhè xiàng fú wù. 

In English: Everyone enjoys free shipping when they buy something.

Remember to give your seller a thumbs-up if you are happy with your purchase.

Positive feedback – 好评 (hǎo píng)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 如果您对我们的服务满意的话，请给我们一个好评吧。

Pinyin: Rú guǒ nín duì wǒ men de fú wù mǎn yì de huà, qǐng gěi wǒ men yī gè hǎo píng ba. 

In English: If you are happy with our service, please give us positive feedback.

Negative feedback – 差评 (chà píng)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我刚从这家店买的东西，几天就坏了，于是我毫不犹豫地给了他们一个差评。 

Pinyin: Wǒ gāng cóng zhè jiā diàn mǎi de dōng xi, jǐ tiān jiù huài le, yú shì wǒ háo bù yóu yù de gěi le tā men yī gè chà píng. 

In English: I just bought a product from this store, and it broke within just a couple of days. Thus I gave them negative feedback without any hesitance.

Store – 店铺 (diàn pù)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 这家护肤品店铺的宝贝又便宜又好用。

Pinyin: Zhè jiā hù fū pǐn diàn pù de bǎo bèi yòu pián yí yòu hǎo yòng. 

In English: The skincare products from this store are inexpensive and of good quality.

Limited to one store only – 独家 (dú jiā)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 这件衣服是我们店独家设计的。 

Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yī fú shì wǒ men diàn dú jiā shè jì de. 

In English: The design of this piece of clothing is limited to our store only.

New arrival – 新品 (xīn pǐn)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 听说这家店会在今年双十一上很多新品呢。 

Pinyin: Tīng shuō zhè jiā diàn huì zài jīn nián shuāng shí yī shàng hěn duō xīn pǐn ne. 

In English: I heard that this store will have many new arrivals on 11/11 this year.

Products – 宝贝 (bǎo bèi)

Usage in a sentence:

In Chinese: 我们家的宝贝质量都很好。 

Pinyin: Wǒ men jiā de bǎo bèi zhì liàng dōu hěn hǎo. 

In English: All the products in our store have great quality.

4. Conclusion

Now that you have a good understanding of China’s Singles’ Day, whether you’re single or not, remember to take advantage of it to get a good deal on this special shopping day! Are there any products or items you’ve been wanting to buy? Now’s the time! 

We also have free Chinese lessons released every week so that you can have a free try! What are you waiting for? Study now on ChineseClass101.com with the most updated and culturally relevant lessons, and the most knowledgeable and energetic hosts, to have the experience of a lifetime!

Most people like hearing compliments, and they allow you to express your liking for someone and provide an opportunity for people to open up to each other. When they’re heard in a sincere manner, people feel appreciated. With that being said, when you have the opportunity to compliment someone, do it. It’s the key to their heart!

There are many kinds of compliments in Chinese, and they need to be used in different situations. In addition, there’s a wide spectrum of tones and ways to say them. Don’t worry, though; they’re not difficult at all. As long as you follow our guide, you can become a master of giving Chinese compliments!

Table of Contents

1. Complimenting Someone’s Look
2. Complimenting Someone’s Work
3. Complimenting Someone’s Skills
4. Other Compliments
5. How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere
6. What to Expect After Giving Compliments
7. Conclusion

1. Complimenting Someone’s Look

1-

Example situation: Suppose your friend is dressing up today for a party, and you think they look very nice.
In Chinese: 你今天穿得怎么这么好看。
Pinyin: Nǐ jīn tiān chuān de zěn me zhè me hǎo kàn.
In English: “Your outfit looks great today.”

2-

Example situation: Suppose your friend did her makeup perfectly today.
In Chinese: 你今天的妆容好精致啊。
Pinyin: Nǐ jīn tiān de zhuāng róng hǎo jīng zhì a.
In English: “Your makeup looks great today.”

3-

Example situation: Suppose a guy is admiring the girl he likes and thinks she looks pretty while smiling.
In Chinese: 你笑起来可真美。
Pinyin: Nǐ xiào qǐ lái kě zhēn měi.
In English: “You are so pretty when you are smiling.”

4-

Example situation: Suppose your friend is wearing a suit today for a presentation, and he looks very nice in the suit.
In Chinese: 你这身西装穿起来非常绅士。
Pinyin: Nǐ zhè shēn xī zhuāng chuān qǐ lái fēi cháng shēn shì.
In English: “Your suit makes you look like such a gentleman.”

Compliment your dream girl with the best you’ve got!

5-

Example situation: Suppose your relative just had her baby, and you want to say something nice about the baby. You happen to notice that her eyes are pretty.
In Chinese: 瞧这双大眼睛，多么炯炯有神啊。
Pinyin: Qiáo zhè shuāng dà yǎn jīng, duō me jiǒng jiǒng yǒu shén a.
In English: “Look at these big eyes, how bright and full of life.”

6-

Example situation: Suppose your friend is going to have a football game, and you see that he looks very confident and ready for it.
In Chinese: 你今天可真是神采飞扬。
Pinyin: Nǐ jīn tiān kě zhēn shì shén cǎi fēi yáng.
In English: “Today you seem so full of spirit.”

2. Complimenting Someone’s Work

7-

Example situation: Suppose your teammate in a basketball match just scored for your team.
In Chinese: 干得漂亮。
Pinyin: Gàn de piào liang.
In English: “Good job.”

8-

Example situation: Suppose you did something good for your company and your boss wants to compliment you in front of other people so that they will learn from you.
In Chinese: 你是大家的楷模。
Pinyin: Nǐ shì dà jiā de kǎi mó.
In English: “You are everyone’s role model.”

When we have done something with genuine effort, we deserve to be appreciated.

9-

Example situation: Suppose your classmate offered a very creative and smart idea for a group project.
In Chinese: 你可真是个有想法的人。
Pinyin: Nǐ kě zhēn shì gè yǒu xiǎng fǎ de rén.
In English: “You have some good ideas.”

10-

Example situation: Suppose your friends were confused about what to do, and you offered a great idea that everyone liked.
In Chinese: 你简直就是我们的智多星。
Pinyin: Nǐ jiǎn zhí jiù shì wǒ men de zhì duō xīng.
In English: “You deserve to be called the most resourceful person among us.”

11-

Example situation: Suppose your friend taught you how to make a dish that seemed pretty hard for you.
In Chinese: 你这也太厉害了吧。
Pinyin: Nǐ zhè yě tài lì hai le ba.
In English: “I can’t believe you are so great at this.”

3. Complimenting Someone’s Skills

12-

Example situation: Suppose you’re asking your friend what to wear for a date and she gives you a good idea of what to wear.
In Chinese: 你的品味也太好了。
Pinyin: Nǐ de pǐn wèi yě tài hǎo le.
In English: “Your taste is so good.”

13-

Example situation: Suppose your friend invited you over to his house and cooked something delicious for you.
In Chinese: 你做饭好棒啊。
Pinyin: Nǐ zuò fàn hǎo bàng a.
In English: “You are a fantastic cook.”

14-

Example situation: Suppose you’re unsure about your future, and your friend showed great wisdom and helped you understand what you should pursue.
In Chinese: 你太有智慧了。
Pinyin: Nǐ tài yǒu zhì huì le.
In English: “You are such a wise person.”

15-

Example situation: Suppose you just saw your friend’s new photo shots on social media; you think they look great and want to say something nice.
In Chinese: 你照相技术好牛啊。
Pinyin: Nǐ zhào xiàng jì shù hǎo niú a.
In English: “Your photography skill is amazing.”

How are your photography skills?

16-

Example situation: Suppose you just asked your friend for life advice, and what he told you was very helpful.
In Chinese: 你有着成熟的思想。
Pinyin: Nǐ yǒu zhe chéng shú de sī xiǎng.
In English: “You have an extremely mature mind.”

17-

Example situation: Suppose you asked your friend about philosophy, and he discussed something deep.
In Chinese: 你的见解很有深度。
Pinyin: Nǐ de jiàn jiě hěn yǒu shēn dù.
In English: “Your ideas are very insightful.”

18-

Example situation: Suppose your friend just told a very funny joke.
In Chinese: 你可真是富有幽默感啊。
Pinyin: Nǐ kě zhēn shì fù yǒu yōu mò gǎn a.
In English: “You are so full of a sense of humor.”

4. Other Compliments

19-

Example situation: Suppose your friend showed great talent for singing and you enjoy people who sing well.
In Chinese: 你简直就是我的偶像。
Pinyin: Nǐ jiǎn zhí jiù shì wǒ de ǒu xiàng.
In English: “You are like an idol to me.”

20-

Example situation: Suppose your friend received a high test score without even studying, but you received a lower score after studying so much.
In Chinese: 我可真是羡慕死你了。
Pinyin: Wǒ kě zhēn shì xiàn mù sǐ nǐ le.
In English: “I envy you so much that I could die for it.”

We should all strive to become a better person.

21-

Example situation: Suppose your friend is a very hardworking person, which motivates you to work hard.
In Chinese: 是你让我想成为一个更好的人。
Pinyin: Shì nǐ ràng wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi yī gè gèng hǎo de rén.
In English: “You make me a better person.”

22-

Example situation: Suppose your friend just helped you with a difficult math problem that you couldn’t solve, so you want to show your admiration.
In Chinese: 你可真让我自叹不如啊。
Pinyin: Nǐ kě zhēn ràng wǒ zì tàn bù rú a.
In English: “You are so good that it makes me feel like I am so far from your excellence.”

5. How to Make Your Compliments Sound More Sincere

Sometimes, compliments can sound pretentious if they’re not given properly, which can make the effect backfire. We want to express our compliments in a sincere manner to make the other person feel comfortable accepting the compliment. This is a great way to enhance a relationship.

The compliments in Chinese that we listed here are all in a sincere tone. If you notice, we sometimes add particles such as 啊 (a) and 呀 (ya) to emphasize the tone and make it sound more friendly. Moreover, you can add more personal details to specify why you want to offer the compliment while avoiding vague Chinese compliments such as 挺好 (tǐng hǎo) or 不错 (bú cuò), meaning “It’s good” or “Not bad.” Phrases like these don’t provide enough depth to the compliment.

6. What to Expect After Giving Compliments

Unlike in Western culture, where you’ll probably prefer to directly accept the compliment and say “Thank you,” the Chinese response to compliments is different. Chinese people like to shy away from compliments and appear to be modest. Traditionally, accepting a compliment without being self-deprecating would be impolite. But now, more and more people are learning to reply to compliments with a “Thank you.”

If you ever receive a compliment in Chinese, don’t panic! Here, we’ve prepared a list of phrases you can use to respond to compliments in an appropriate manner.

1-

Example situation: Suppose you’re receiving a compliment from your friend, and your friend’s skill on the matter is not bad, so you compliment your friend back by saying that the two of you are on the same level.
In Chinese: 彼此彼此。
Pinyin: Bǐ cǐ bǐ cǐ.
In English: “You are just the same as I am.”

2-

Example situation: Suppose you just showed that you have good skills in something, and you want to seem modest. You can say that your skill is poor.
In Chinese: 献丑了。
Pinyin: Xiàn chǒu le.
In English: “Sorry to show my poor skills.”

3-

Example situation: Suppose you’re receiving compliments from your friend, but you want to seem modest.
In Chinese: 哪有。
Pinyin: Nǎ yǒu
In English: “Not at all.”

4-

Example situation: Suppose you’re receiving compliments from your friend, but you want to seem modest.
In Chinese: 我还差得远呢。
Pinyin: Wǒ hái chà dé yuǎn ne
In English: “I’m still far from that.”

7. Conclusion

Want to win a girl’s heart with a good compliment? Do you feel awkward when you receive a compliment in Chinese? Now you’ve found all the answers in this article. As long as you keep practicing, you’ll definitely be able to produce a healthy social life, knowing when and how to say the right compliments.

Of course, a diligent Chinese language learner like you probably won’t feel content with only this article. We have more for you at ChineseClass101.com, where we deliver free, high-quality Chinese lessons to you every week, allowing you to enjoy an immersive and interesting learning experience with professional teachers! Why not give it a try right now?

Do you remember being a kid? Growing up, I always looked forward to a day off from school (and dreaded most days not off school…).

Well, Children’s Day in China is a day off from school that children can look forward to all year long; it’s a holiday filled with fun and excitement for the little ones! In this article, you’ll explore how children and parents celebrate International Children’s Day, pick up some vocab, and learn the Chinese phrase for someone who’s still a child at heart.

Let’s get started.

1. What is Children’s Day?

International Children’s Day, celebrated in many countries around the world, is a holiday dedicated to honoring and protecting children; it’s also a day for the little ones to have fun and 逃学 (táoxué), or “be off school.”

Let’s briefly look at some Children’s Day history. The holiday is thought to have started as early as 1857, when a pastor living in Massachusetts gave a special sermon for and about children. It wasn’t until 1920, however, that Children’s Day was officially declared a holiday; Turkey was the first country to make this declaration, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk made it official in 1929. In 1950, the holiday spread rapidly to a number of other countries.

Children’s Day, as we know it today, started as a means of promoting children’s rights and protesting the killing and harming of children. The United Nations declared this holiday a way to mourn the loss of all the children who died as a result of poisoning from the Nazis during WWII.

Chinese Children’s Day started in 1932, initiated by the Shanghai China Salesian Society.

→ Learn the most important facts about Chinese Society with us, and be prepared for your visit or further studies!

2. When is Children’s Day in China?

Each year, International Children’s Day is celebrated on June 1. This is when the majority of countries celebrate this holiday, though many countries have their own Children’s Day celebrations on other dates. For example, the United Nations celebrates World Children Day on November 20.

3. Chinese Children’s Day Celebrations

Today, Children’s Day in China is a time for children to feel 欢乐 (huānlè), or “happy,” and loved. Most children get the day off school, though schools do put on fun performances or take children on field trips, where they can see a movie or engage in other exciting activities. Only children under the age of fourteen partake in Children’s Day activities.

Some of the most popular Children’s Day traditions in China include taking one’s child to the 公园 (gōngyuán), or “park,” making their favorite snack or dinner, and giving them a 礼物 (lǐwù), or “gift.” Some common gifts include candy, balloons, and toys.

The most important thing, though, is the opportunity for parents to show their children how much they love and care about them. Being loved really is the best feeling, isn’t it?

→ Study our vocabulary lists on the Must-Know Terms for Family Members and the Must-Know Words & Phrases to Use at an Amusement Park.

4. The Children at Heart

Did you know there’s a Chinese phrase for adults who are really children at heart? It’s 童心未泯 (tóngxīn wèi mǐn), which means “to be a child at heart.”

It’s no question that life in today’s world is hectic, crazy, and even full of sorrow at times. Children and adults alike are experiencing lots of stress and anxiety on a day-to-day basis. This makes the significance of being able to maintain a childlike outlook really shine through!

So next time you want to indulge in a favorite childhood dessert, run around outside in the grass, or act silly with your bestie, why not go for it? 😉

Do you consider yourself a child at heart? Or maybe an old soul? Both?

→ China has another holiday dedicated to the country’s youth. Learn all about Youth Day and the May Fourth Movement with us!

5. Essential Vocabulary for Children’s Day

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here are the essential words and phrases to remember for Children’s Day in China!

• 零食 (língshí) — “snack”
• 公园 (gōngyuán) — “park”
• 糖果 (tángguǒ) — “candy”
• 礼物 (lǐwù) — “gift”
• 儿童 (értóng) — “children”
• 气球 (qìqiú) — “balloon”
• 家长 (jiāzhǎng) — “parent”
• 天真 (tiānzhēn) — “innocent”
• 逃学 (táoxué) — “be off school”
• 欢乐 (huānlè) — “happy”

If you want to hear the pronunciation of each word and phrase listed above, visit our Chinese vocabulary list for Children’s Day.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Children’s Day in China with us, and that you took away some valuable information on Chinese culture.

Do you celebrate Children’s Day in your country? If you have kids, what activities do you do together on this holiday? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re itching to continue learning about Chinese culture and the language, check out the following articles on ChineseClass101.com:

• The Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinese Culture
• Celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
• How to Celebrate Single’s Day in China: You’re Not Alone!
• How to Introduce Your Family in Chinese
• Learn Chinese from Great Shows & Chinese Movies on Netflix

This only scratches the surface of all that ChineseClass101.com can offer the aspiring Chinese-learner. To make the most of your study time, create your free lifetime account today; for access to exclusive content and lessons, upgrade to our Premium or Premium PLUS plans!

Good luck, stay safe, and Happy Children’s Day!

Question: If ordering food, asking for directions, and exchanging contact information are only beginner-level language skills, what makes an advanced-level Chinese learner?

Here’s my answer: Using the perfect Chinese phrases to express your anger. If you’ve experienced the frustration of not being able to defend yourself in a heated conversation because of your limited vocabulary, you know what I’m talking about.

In this article, you’ll find over thirty phrases and expressions to use in intense situations. These will help you understand what that angry Chinese man might be yelling about, as well as expand your vocabulary to help you express your own feelings and emotions more freely.

Before we proceed, I’d like to assure you that there are no overly vulgar or profane angry Chinese phrases below. That said, you should still be cautious when using any of these phrases—while they’re not too strong, they can still be offensive or rude, especially if used in the wrong context. If you’re curious about curse words in Chinese, you can read all about them in a separate lesson.

Table of Contents

1. Angry Imperatives
2. Angry Warnings
3. Angry Blames
4. Describe Your Feelings
5. Ways to Calm Down When You’re Angry
6. Final Round: Apologizing
7. Conclusion

1: Angry Imperatives

When annoyed, we tend to give impatient and harsh imperatives. For example, in English, we say things like “Shut up,” “Cut it out,” or “Get out of here.”

In Chinese, some of these phrases have translations with the exact same meanings, while others vary a bit.

走开! (Zǒukāi!)

This phrase literally means “Walk away,” but it’s really a stronger phrase to tell someone: “Get out of the way!”

滚蛋! (Gǔndàn!)

The literal translation of this phrase sounds a little too cute (or yummy): “to roll an egg.”

滚 (gǔn), meaning “to roll,” here is asking someone to “get lost.” The word 蛋 (dàn), or “egg,” in Chinese slang is often associated with something indecent, such as 王八蛋 (wángbādàn), the equivalent of “bastard,” and 妈蛋 (mā dàn), the equivalent of “crap.”

滚 and 蛋 together is a common phrase that translates as “Get the heck out of here!”

闭嘴! (Bìzuǐ!)

Just like its literal translation, this phrase means “Shut your mouth!”

To make this command, or any of the others, stronger and angrier, stick the phrase 你给我 (nǐ gěi wǒ) before the verb.

你给我 (nǐ gěi wǒ) literally means “you give me,” but in imperatives, it’s short for “I’m ordering you to do …” This is a tone intensifier that presumably makes the speaker feel more powerful.

你给我闭嘴！(Nǐ gěi wǒ bìzuǐ!)

闭嘴 (bìzuǐ), as we mentioned earlier, means “Shut your mouth.” Adding 你给我 (nǐ gěi wǒ) doesn’t change the meaning. Instead, it only makes the tone stronger.

你给我滚蛋！(Nǐ gěi wǒ gǔndàn!)

As explained earlier, 滚蛋 (gǔndàn) means “Get the heck out of here!” 你给我 (nǐ gěi wǒ) only makes 滚蛋 more potent, similar to the English “Get the hell outta here!”

The subject 你 (nǐ), meaning “you,” can be omitted.

给我滚蛋! (Gěi wǒ gǔndàn!) has the same meaning and effect.

你给我听好！(Nǐ gěi wǒ tīng hǎo!)

This literally translates to “You give me listen well!” But it means something more like: “You better listen to me carefully!”

To sternly order someone not to do something, like a parent would tell a child not to interrupt, we can use the 不许 (bùxǔ) + verb pattern.

不许 (bùxǔ) means “not allowed.” Here are some examples using the 不许 before verbs:

不许插嘴。(Bùxǔ chāzuǐ.)

This literally means “Interrupting is not allowed.” It translates as “No interrupting.”

不许胡说。(Bùxǔ húshuō.)

胡说 (húshuō) means “to talk nonsense.” 不许胡说 is telling someone to stop making stuff up.

不许说脏话。(Bùxǔ shuō zānghuà.)

This phrase is typically used by a parent telling his or her child not to say bad words.

脏话 (zānghuà) means “dirty words” or “bad words.”

2: Angry Warnings

When the angry imperatives don’t work, it might be time to upgrade to some intimidating warnings. These warning phrases are a great way to show someone you’re about to get very angry in Chinese.

别惹我。(Bié rě wǒ.)

The verb 惹 (rě) means “to provoke,” but here it means “to mess with” or “to irritate.”

别惹我 is used to warn someone: “Don’t mess with me.”

你给我小心点。(Nǐ gěi wǒ xiǎoxīn diǎn.)

You just learned that 你给我 (nǐ gěi wǒ) intensifies an imperative. It also intensifies a warning.

小心点 (xiǎoxīn diǎn) literally means “to be a little careful.” Together, the phrase 你给我小心点 translates to “You better watch out.”

我警告你，这是最后一次。 (Wǒ jǐnggào nǐ, zhè shì zuìhòu yí cì.)

This is a firm warning that says: “I’m warning you, this is the last time.”

我的忍耐已经达到极限了。(Wǒ de rěnnài yǐjīng dádào jíxiàn le.)

This one means: “My tolerance has reached its limit.”

别怪我不客气。(Bié guài wǒ bú kèqi.)

The phrase 不客气 (bú kèqi) here has a different meaning than the 不客气 that’s used to say “You’re welcome.”

客气 (kèqi) is a unique and almost untranslatable word in Chinese. It has the positive meaning of being courteous, nice, and formal. Its negative form, 不客气 (bú kèqi), means “not nice” or “without any courtesy or etiquette.”

别怪我 means “Don’t blame me.” Together, the phrase 别怪我不客气 means something like “Don’t blame me for being mean.”

This is a common phrase used in trash talk.

3: Angry Blames

When it’s time to really get angry in Chinese, angry blames take the stage. During the exchange of angry words and phrases, putting blame on the other person and name-calling always bring tension to the next level. We’ll introduce these phrases, but hope you never have to use them.

The common blaming and name-calling phrases in Chinese we’ve listed below are in order from least harsh to most harsh.

你太过分了。(Nǐ tài guòfèn le.)

This phrase means: “You crossed the line.”

你这个人真是莫名其妙。(Nǐ zhège rén zhēnshì mòmíngqímiào.)

莫名其妙 (mòmíngqímiào) is a Chinese idiom, or 成语 (chéngyǔ), that means “confusing” or “can’t be explained.”

你这个人真是莫名其妙 translates as “You are such an oddball,” implying that you don’t understand why the person is doing what they’re doing.

你活该。(Nǐ huógāi.)

This phrase is just like the English “You deserve it.”

你算老几？(Nǐ suàn lǎojǐ?)

A little cultural background before we break down this phrase:

When a family has more than one child, the children are referred to not only by name, but also by their birth order. The firstborn is 老大 (lǎodà), the second is 老二 (lǎoèr), the third is 老三 (lǎosān), and so on. The oldest child, 老大 (lǎodà), is usually put in charge when the parents aren’t around. Therefore, 老大 also means “boss” in slang.

The phrase 你算老几? literally means “You are what number down the line?” implying “You’re not the one in charge.” Oftentimes, it’s translated as: “Who do you think you are?”

你脑子有病吧？(Nǐ nǎozi yǒubìng ba?)

The literal translation is “Is your brain sick?” It could also be translated as: “What the heck is going on with you?” but with a slightly stronger tone.

Calling someone 有病 (yǒubìng), or “sick,” is one of the most common ways in Chinese colloquial language to vent anger. This is by no means vulgar, but still serves the purpose of expressing your despise and disgust.

Another way of calling someone sick in the head is 神经病 (shénjīngbìng), meaning “psycho.”

After “sicko” and “psycho,” the list of name-calling slang words goes on. Below are some commonly used name-calling words, also in order from least to most harsh:

大嘴巴 (dà zuǐbā)

This is literally “big mouth,” but it refers to someone who can’t keep a secret.

铁公鸡 (tiě gōngjī)

This literally translates to “iron rooster,” referring to someone who is cheap and stingy.

This term comes from the 歇后语 (xiēhòuyǔ), or “two-part saying”:

• 铁公鸡 — 一毛不拔
  Tiě gōngjī — yīmáobùbá.
  “An iron rooster — never pulls out a feather.”

It’s used to describe the same type of people.

自恋狂 (zìliàn kuáng)

This word literally means “self-love maniac.” This is someone who thinks the world of themselves, always posts their selfies on social media, and can’t stop staring at themselves in the mirror.

It could translate to “egocentric” in English.

戏精 (xìjīng)

This word is similar to “drama queen.” It refers to the type of person who likes to over-exaggerate and make a scene.

妈宝男 (mā bǎo nán)

The literal translation of this phrase is “mom’s baby man,” which is similar to “mama’s boy” in English. But it only applies to adult men who are spoiled by their mothers, and who still rely on their mothers whenever something comes up.

白痴 (báichī)

This refers to someone who knows nothing. An idiot.

二百五 (èrbǎiwu)

“Two hundred fifty” is not an ordinary number in Chinese. It’s a symbol for stupid people.

绿茶婊 (lǜchá biǎo)

This literally means “green tea b*tch.” It’s used to call the type of girl who appears innocent and harmless like a cup of refreshing green tea, but deep down they’re calculating or could even be evil.

脑残 (nǎocán)

This word literally means “brain handicapped” or “mentally disabled.” They’re the kind of people, usually young folks, who make stupid decisions.

To use the above name-calling words in sentences, you can use the 你就是个… (nǐ jiùshì ge…) pattern.

• 你就是个妈宝男。
  Nǐ jiùshì ge mā bǎo nán.
  “You’re such a mom’s boy.”
• 你就是个戏精。
  Nǐ jiùshì ge xìjīng.
  “You’re such a drama queen.”
• 你就是个二百五。
  Nǐ jiùshì ge érbǎiwu.
  “You’re such an idiot.”

4: Describe Your Feelings

Arguing and fighting is exhausting, especially with all the yelling and name-calling. It may be hard to do, but always try to tell the other person how you feel instead of saying something you’ll regret later—or for the rest of your life.

Here are some examples of phrases you can use to express that you’re feeling angry in Chinese, or to tell someone about your other negative feelings:

• 我实在是受够了。
  Wǒ shízài shì shòu gòu le.
  “I’m so fed up.”
• 我对你太失望了。
  Wǒ duì nǐ tài shīwàng le.
  “I’m so disappointed in you.”
• 我不想跟你吵架。
  Wǒ bùxiǎng gēnnǐ chǎojià.
  “I don’t want to fight with you.”
• 我只想一个人静一静。
  Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng yīgerén jìngyījìng.
  “I just want to be alone and have some quiet time by myself.”
• 你为什么要这样对我？
  Nǐ wèishénme yào zhèyàng duì wǒ?
  “Why are you treating me like this?”

5: Ways to Calm Down When You’re Angry

When none of the above actions can resolve the issue and you’re only finding yourself getting more angry, try to walk away and do something to distract yourself.

To calm yourself down, you can try:

1. 深呼吸。 (Shēn hūxī.)

“Take a deep breath.” Getting some cleansing air into your body usually helps to slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

2. 走一走。 (Zǒuyizǒu.)

“Take a walk.” Go for a walk outside to get your mind off the things that upset you. It gives you a chance to slow your mind down and think about what made you so mad and if it’s really worth being upset over.

3. 听音乐。(Tīng yīnyuè.)

“Listen to music.” Music has the power to heal. Either cry it out with some sad music, or crank up the dance music to let the negative energy out.

4. 写下来。 (Xiě xiàlai.)

“Write it down.” Write down in your journal, or on a piece of paper, about what happened, why it happened, and what you could have done better. When you read it back to yourself, you’ll be surprised to find how silly and trivial these things are.

You can also try to write a letter or message to the person you had a fight with. When people communicate through written words, it often turns out to be more calm and logical than the face-to-face confrontations.

5. 记住：生气就是用别人的错误惩罚自己。(Jìzhu: Shēngqì jiùshì yòng biérén de cuòwù chéngfá zìjǐ.)

“Remember: Getting angry is punishing yourself for the mistakes of others.”

6: Final Round: Apologizing

A sincere apology is magical. It ends fights, mends relationships, and heals wounds. After you manage to calm down, chances are you’ll feel sorry for being angry and using hurtful words that were totally unnecessary.

Here are some soothing apologies you can use:

• 对不起。
  Duìbuqǐ.
  “I’m sorry.”
• 我错了。
  Wǒ cuò le.
  “I was wrong.” Or “It was my fault.”
• 我向你道歉。
  Wǒ xiàng nǐ dàoqiàn.
  “I apologize to you.”
• 我也有不对的地方。
  Wǒ yěyǒu búduì de dìfang.
  Literally: “I also had improper places,” meaning “I also did something improper.”
• 我们和好吧。
  Wǒmen hé hǎo ba.
  “Let’s make up.”
• 我们以后都要有话好好说。
  Wǒmen yǐhòu dōu yàoyǒu huà hǎohǎo shuō.
  Literally: “We should always talk to each other peacefully,” meaning “Let’s communicate without yelling in the future.”

7: Conclusion

As much as we don’t want you to use the angry and strong Chinese words and phrases introduced in this article, they’re still something you need to understand and know how to use, just in case. Seeking peace and co-existence is one of the essential philosophies in Chinese culture. So try to avoid disputes and fights when you’re in China.

To learn more about the language, the people, and the culture of China, explore ChineseClass101.com for more hidden treasures!

Before you go, let us know in the comments how you calm yourself down when angry. We’d love to hear from you!

On International Labor Day, China is known for its large number of travelers and tourists, massive sales, and other fun events. In this article, you’ll learn more about the Labor Day holiday, what to expect in China during this time, and some useful vocabulary!

Let’s get started.

1. What is Labor Day?

You’re most likely familiar with International Labor Day. This is a special 假日 (jiàrì), or “holiday,” weekend during which workers and employees are allowed to take a 假期 (jiàqī), or “vacation,” from work. But how did it get started?

Labor Day History

Labor Day got its start in the United States in 1882. There’s some debate as to who came up with the idea, but in 1894, then-President of the U.S., Grover Cleveland, made it a national holiday.

It wasn’t until 1919 that people in China started celebrating Labor Day, and it didn’t become a national holiday here until 1949. When this holiday began in China, it was simply a day to honor and show appreciation for workers; over time, Labor Day has become more associated with time off work and fun activities.

5-1 Golden Week

For a while, the Labor Day celebration in China lasted for an entire week. The Chinese labeled it “5-1 Golden Week,” and this long holiday became a time of mass 旅游 (lǚyóu), or “travel.”

Unfortunately, in 2008, the Chinese government decided to transform this holiday into only a one-day celebration. This is because they added a few more holidays to the Chinese calendar:

• Tomb Sweeping Day
• Dragon Boat Festival
• Mid-Autumn Festival

Of course, depending on what day of the week Labor Day actually takes place, people may be able to take a full weekend off.

2. When is Labor Day in China?

Each year, Labor Day takes place on May 1. This is when most countries celebrate the holiday, with the exception of the United States, which celebrates on the first Monday of September for a full Labor Day weekend.

→ To learn a few more new Chinese words related to Labor Day, check out our Labor Day in the United States vocabulary list!

3. Labor Day Traditions & Celebrations

On Labor Day, Chinese workers and employees have the day off as the majority of businesses are closed. As mentioned earlier, during the Labor Day holiday, China is abuzz with travel as people enjoy a rest from their 劳动者 (láodòngzhě), or “labor.” This is one of the heaviest traveling times in the country, with hundreds of millions of tourists across the country!

Other Labor Day events include shopping and going out with family or friends. This is a great time to take advantage of a massive 打折 (dǎzhé), or “sale,” because many shops and restaurants see this as an opportunity to boost sales.

Those exploring the streets of China during Labor Day are likely to hear people playing music and see an array of lovely flower decorations. Also be prepared for crowds and the hustle-and-bustle that comes with them. Many people choose to stay at home (or close to home) in order to avoid the craziness of holiday travel!

→ ChineseClass101.com has vocabulary lists on the Top 30 Travel Phrases You Should Know and Shopping so you can be prepared for Labor Day!

4. Japanese Golden Week

Did you know that Japan was the only other Asian country with a 5-1 Golden Week?

Unlike China, the 5-1 Golden Week still exists in Japan. This is a period of time from late April to early March when a number of holidays take place, including Labor Day.

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Labor Day in China

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important words and phrases for Labor Day!

• 员工 (yuángōng) — “employee” [n.]
• 打折 (dǎzhé) — “sale” [n.]
• 周末 (zhōumò) — “weekend” [n.]
• 假期 (jiàqī) — “vacation” [n.]
• 旅游 (lǚyóu) — “travel” [n.]
• 工人 (gōng rén) — “worker” [n.]
• 工作 (gōngzuò) — “job” [n.]
• 劳动节 (Láodòng jié) — “Labor Day” [n.]
• 职业 (zhíyè) — “career” [n.]
• 劳动者 (láodòngzhě) — “labor” [n.]
• 工会 (gōnghuì) — “union” [n.]
• 工作 (gōngzuò) — “work” [n.]
• 权利 (quánlì) — “right” [n.]
• 假日 (jiàrì) — “holiday” [n.]
• 野餐 (yěcān) — “picnic” [n.]

To hear the pronunciation of each word, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Chinese Labor Day vocabulary list!

6. Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Labor Day in China with us, and that you took away some valuable information.

Do you celebrate Labor Day in your country? If so, how? We look forward to hearing from you!

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Happy Labor Day! 🙂

Sometimes, a single sentence can allow humans to easily connect with each other, especially wishes phrases that everyone wants to hear. There are some unique life events, and different ways of celebrating them, in every single country even between the local people, and that’s where they share the same values and embrace each other’s traditions. So how do you wish someone well in Chinese? And what can you gain from learning how to say Happy New Year in Chinese, and other holiday greetings?

As a language learner, such events can establish a great communication channel with native speakers and provide a better look at the local culture so you can really be a part of it. In China, you can have a variety of opportunities to get involved, as long as you know the right thing to say. Now is the best time to learn those phrases of congratulations in Chinese that pave your way toward integrating into Chinese culture!

Table of Contents

1. Birthday
2. Mid-Autumn Festival
3. Chinese Congratulations: Graduation
4. Lantern Festival
5. Chinese New Year Congratulations
6. Wedding
7. Bad News
8. Death/Funeral
9. Injured/Sick
10. Holidays
11. Conclusion

1. Birthday

Undeniably, birthdays are one of the biggest events across all cultures! Traditionally, Chinese people like to eat longevity noodles, which is a type of noodle that’s all in one string. Nowadays, however, more and more people eat western birthday cakes. Now, imagine that you’re invited to a birthday party and don’t know how to say Happy Birthday in Chinese. How embarrassing is that? Don’t worry, though; the answer is here for you!

In Chinese: 生日快乐！
Pinyin: Shēng rì kuài lè!
In English: Happy birthday!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; informal.

In Chinese: 恭喜你又长大了一岁。
Pinyin: Gōng xǐ nǐ yòu zhǎng dà le yī suì.
In English: Congratulations on growing a year older.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

In Chinese: 恭喜你又向成年迈出了一步！
Pinyin: Gōng xǐ nǐ yòu xiàng chéng nián mài chū le yī bù.
In English: Congratulations that you are one step closer to becoming an adult!
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

2. Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival happens when there is a full moon.

Mid-Autumn Festival is another holiday where Chinese people like to unite together with their families. On the night of this holiday, the moon will be completely round. In ancient times, people appreciated the moon in an artistic way, which is why there’s so much Chinese old-style poetry about the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The staple food for this holiday is called 月饼 (yuè bǐng), meaning “moon cake.” It looks round and golden like the moon, usually with a whole salted duck egg inside.

Eat mooncake and appreciate the moon with families!

In Chinese: 中秋节快乐。
Pinyin: Zhōng qiū jié kuài lè.
In English: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 祝你们合家欢乐。
Pinyin: Zhù nǐ men hé jiā huān lè.
In English: Wish you a happy family.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

In Chinese: 你吃月饼了吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ chī yuè bǐng le ma?
In English: Did you eat a mooncake?
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

3. Chinese Congratulations: Graduation

Graduation means a whole new chapter in life!

Graduations in China are very similar to other graduation ceremonies. Students take pictures and wish each other a bright future. Despite celebrating academic achievements, people may shed some tears on their graduation, as it could be time to part with some of their close friends from school. One way to keep the beautiful memories alive is to sign each other’s uniforms.

In Chinese: 毕业快乐。
Pinyin: Bì yè kuài lè.
In English: Happy graduation!
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

In Chinese: 祝你前程似锦。
Pinyin: Zhù nǐ qián chéng sì jǐn.
In English: Hope you will have a bright future.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 希望你毕业之后一切顺利。
Pinyin: Xī wàng nǐ bì yè zhī hòu yī qiē shùn lì.
In English: Hope everything goes well for you after graduation.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; informal.

4. Lantern Festival

Let’s put on some lanterns for the Lantern Festival!

The fifteenth day of the lunar calendar is the Lantern Festival, a holiday that’s arranged very close to the Chinese New Year. On this special day, Chinese people eat 元宵 / 汤圆 (yuán xiāo / tāng yuán), a dessert made from glutinous rice flour, to celebrate. They also give each other riddles to solve with a theme associated with the holiday.

In Chinese: 元宵节快乐！
Pinyin: Yuán xiāo jié kuài lè!
In English: Happy Lantern Festival!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 我来给你出个灯谜吧。
Pinyin: Wǒ lái gěi nǐ chū gè dēng mí ba.
In English: Let me give you a riddle.
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

In Chinese: 祝您一家人团团圆圆。
Pinyin: Zhù nín yī jiā rén tuán tuán yuán yuán.
In English: Wish your family a great reunion.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

5. Chinese New Year Congratulations

When you see these, you know Chinese New Year is running right now!

Wondering how to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese? Well, you better know that if you’re studying Chinese, because the Chinese New Year is like Christmas in western countries. On this important holiday, people celebrate it by eating dumplings, visiting family, and lighting fireworks. If you ever want to be a part of Chinese culture, learn how to wish congratulations on Chinese New Year with some must-know phrases for the Chinese New Year!

In Chinese: 新年快乐，恭喜发财！
Pinyin: Xīn nián kuài lè, gōng xǐ fā cái!
In English: Happy new year, (I) wish you prosperity.
Usage: More natural for writing; informal.

In Chinese: 祝您万事如意。
Pinyin: Zhù nín wàn shì rú yì.
In English: May all your wishes come true.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

In Chinese: 我在这给您拜年了！
Pinyin: Wǒ zài zhè gěi nín bài nián le!
In English: Allow me to give you my new year’s blessing!
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

6. Wedding

Traditionally, Chinese couples wore red for their wedding. However, modern Chinese weddings are very similar to western wedding ceremonies. A special custom that Chinese people still like to do is to give 份子钱 (fèn zi qián), or “gift money,” to the newly married couple for a wedding. This Chinese congratulations gift is one of the defining aspects of a Chinese wedding.

What do you say at a Chinese wedding? Make sure to study the Chinese marriage congratulations below to have something to say when you’re invited to a wedding!

In Chinese: 新婚快乐！
Pinyin: Xīn hūn kuài lè!
In English: Happy new wedding!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 祝你们长长久久。
Pinyin: Zhù nǐ men cháng cháng jiǔ jiǔ.
In English: I wish you a long time together.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

In Chinese: 祝你们一生恩爱幸福。
Pinyin: Zhù nǐ men yī shēng ēn ài xìng fú.
In English: Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

7. Bad News

Of course, there are always dark sides of life as long as there are bright sides. Now that we’ve learned all the happy Chinese wishes phrases, it’s time to learn some comforting phrases to show your support when hearing bad news.

In Chinese: 一切都会好起来的。
Pinyin: Yī qiè dōu huì hǎo qǐ lái de.
In English: Everything will get better.
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

In Chinese: 节哀顺变。
Pinyin: Jié āi shùn biàn.
In English: Please save your sadness and let things slide (for someone’s loss).
Usage: More natural for speaking; formal.

In Chinese: 别难过了，有我在呢。
Pinyin: Bié nán guò le, yǒu wǒ zài ne.
In English: Don’t be sad, I’m here for you.
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

8. Death/Funeral

Death is an inevitable topic in every culture, China included. The Chinese have a holiday where people go to the graveyard of their dead families to clean the grave and awake the past family memories. If you ever accompany someone on this special holiday, or go to a Chinese funeral, here are some Chinese wishes phrases you can use for the dead.

In Chinese: 安息吧，你会永远在我们的心里。
Pinyin: Ān xī ba, nǐ huì yǒng yuǎn zài wǒ men de xīn lǐ.
In English: Rest in peace and know that you will always be in our hearts.
Usage: More natural for speaking; informal.

In Chinese: 一路走好。
Pinyin: Yī lù zǒu hǎo.
In English: Have a good trip.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 希望你在天堂一切都好。
Pinyin: Xī wàng nǐ zài tiān táng yī qiè dōu hǎo.
In English: Hope everything is good in heaven.
Usage: More natural for writing; informal.

9. Injured/Sick

We are all human, and we may get injured or sick once in a while. When we’re in such a vulnerable state, we need nothing more than a heartwarming wish from loved ones. Traditionally, staple foods for sick people are boiled chicken soup or some porridge; if you ever want to show your care beyond words, that’s the way to go. But for now, let’s first learn some basic Chinese phrases for condolences, such as “wishing you good health” in Chinese. Here are some phrases to show your friends and loved ones that you care!

In Chinese: 好好照顾自己。
Pinyin: Hǎo hǎo zhào gù zì jǐ.
In English: Take care of yourself.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; informal.

In Chinese: 快点好起来啊。
Pinyin: Kuài diǎn hǎo qǐ lái a.
In English: Get well soon.
Usage: More natural for writing; informal.

In Chinese: 祝您身体健康。
Pinyin: Zhù nín shēn tǐ jiàn kāng.
In English: Wishing you good health.
Usage: More natural for writing; formal.

10. Holidays

More Chinese wish phrases? No problem! There are many more unique holidays in China that you may not know! For example, the Chinese traditional Valentine’s Day is on July 7, which originated from a romantic fairytale of the Weaver Girl. Now, modern Chinese couples like to celebrate Valentine’s Day on May 20 because the pronunciation of 520 in Chinese sounds very similar to “I love you” in Chinese. Holidays like April Fool’s Day are a huge thing in China as well. Many young people take advantage of this day to confess their romantic feelings for one another! Lastly, you’ll learn how to say Chinese Christmas greetings and happy holidays in Mandarin Chinese.

In Chinese: 情人节/七夕快乐。
Pinyin: Qíng rén jié /Qī xī kuài lè.
In English: Happy Valentine’s Day.
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 愚人节快乐！
Pinyin: Yú rén jié kuài lè!
In English: Happy April Fool’s Day!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 圣诞节快乐！
Pinyin: Shèng dàn jié kuài lè!
In English: Merry Christmas!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

In Chinese: 假期快乐！
Pinyin: Jiǎ qī kuài lè!
In English: Happy holidays!
Usage: Natural for both speaking and writing; formal.

11. Conclusion

Now, do you remember how to say “happy holidays” in Mandarin Chinese? How about Happy New Year or Merry Christmas in Chinese? This article certainly is a life-saver when it comes to being involved in life events. Now you don’t ever have to worry about being awkward during such occasions.

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