Chinese word

不客气

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù kè qì

Meaning

  • interjectionyou're welcome

Example

朋友对我说谢谢，我回答：不客气。péng yǒu duì wǒ shuō xiè xiè wǒ huí dá bú kè qì

A friend said, "Thank you," and I replied, "You're welcome."

Illustration for 不客气 (you're welcome)

More examples

邮件里，朋友写了谢谢，我回信写：不客气。yóu jiàn lǐ péng yǒu xiě le xiè xiè wǒ huí xìn xiě bú kè qì

In an email, my friend wrote "Thank you," and I wrote back, "You're welcome."

Core concept

Turns a thank-you into an easy, informal exchange by saying that no special courtesy is needed.

Common phrases

  • 写：不客气xiě bú kè qì

    write 'you're welcome'

  • 说'不客气'shuō bú kè qì

    say 'you're welcome'

Similar words

别客气bié kè qì: A welcoming reply to thanks that invites the other person to accept the kindness without hesitation.
不用谢bú yòng xiè: A reply to thanks meaning that thanking the speaker is unnecessary.
不谢bú xiè: A short conversational reply meaning that thanks are unnecessary.

Definition in Chinese

用于回应“谢谢”的常用感叹词，字面为“不客气”，表示不需要客套或回礼，多见于口语交流。yòng yú huí yìng xiè xiè de cháng yòng gǎn tàn cí zì miàn wèi bú kè qì biǎo shì bù xū yào kè tào huò huí lǐ duō jiàn yú kóu yǔ jiāo liú

Word origin

不客气 (bùkèqì, "not formal") uses 不 (bù, "not") to reject 客气 (kèqi, "formal politeness"), which explains both its welcoming reply and its possible blunt sense.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect one fixed level of politeness, but this expression can sound gentle or distant depending on the speaker's voice.

Other meanings

  • rudeadjective

Related words

Word lists with this word