谢谢您
xièxie nín
The Chinese phrase for "thank you politely" is 谢谢您 (xièxie nín).
谢谢您 is a formal way to express gratitude to someone to show respect, especially when addressing elders or those in authority.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 谢谢 (xièxie), meaning 'to thank' and 您 (nín), which is the polite form of 'you'.
Which one should you use?
Use 谢谢您 instead of 谢谢你 when addressing elders, superiors or people you wish to show high respect to.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of the pronoun 您 makes this phrase a formal and respectful way to express gratitude.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 谢谢 is a verb that can be used alone or followed by a pronoun like 您 to specify the recipient.
How do you pronounce it?
xièxie nín
Did you know?
- The character 您 is visually identical to the standard 你 but adds the 'heart' radical 心 at the bottom, literally placing the heart under the person.
- If you are receiving a gift or a compliment, responding with a humble denial like 哪里哪里 (nǎlǐ nǎlǐ), meaning 'where, where', is often more culturally appropriate than simply saying 谢谢.
- In some traditional contexts, saying 谢谢 too often to a host can actually imply a sense of social distance or even a lack of intimacy. In very close circles, expressing gratitude through actions or food is often preferred over verbalizing it.
Examples in context
- 谢谢爷爷 (xiè xiè yé yé)Thank you, Grandfather
- 阿姨，谢谢 (ā yí, xiè xiè)Auntie, thank you
- 谢谢老师 (xiè xiè lǎo shī)Thank you, Teacher
- 非常感谢你的帮助 (fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ de bāng zhù)I truly appreciate your help
- 谢谢你的礼物 (xiè xiè nǐ de lǐ wù)Thank you for the gift
- 谢谢您，老师。Xièxie nín, lǎoshī.Thank you, teacher.
- 非常感谢，谢谢您。Fēicháng gǎnxiè, xièxie nín.Thank you very much.
- 这件事谢谢您。Zhè jiàn shì xièxie nín.Thank you for this matter.
Example conversation
Haoran is thanking Jiayi for her professional advice.
- 浩然 Haoran谢谢您给我建议。Xièxie nín gěi wǒ jiànyì.Thank you for giving me advice.
- 佳怡 Jiayi不客气，没问题。Bú kèqì, méi wèntí.You're welcome, no problem.
- 浩然 Haoran这对我很有帮助。Zhè duì wǒ hěn yǒu bāngzhù.This was very helpful for me.
- 佳怡 Jiayi很高兴能帮到你。Hěn gāoxìng néng bāng dào nǐ.I'm glad I could help you.
