Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 謝謝 / 谢谢 | xièxie | |
| 多謝 / 多谢 | duōxiè | |
| 三Q | sānkiù | slang |
The most common and widely used way to say thanks in Chinese is 謝謝 / 谢谢. For more intense expressions of gratitude, you can use 非常感谢 to mean 'thank you very much' or 十分感谢 to indicate being extremely grateful or deeply thankful.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression 多謝 / 多谢 literally means 'many thanks', where 多 means 'many' and 謝 means 'thanks'.
Which one should you use?
謝謝 / 谢谢 is the standard form used for general appreciation. 多謝 / 多谢 is a variation meaning 'many thanks'. 三Q is a playful slang term.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more personal and informal touch, you can use 謝謝你 or the informal expression 谢啦. 三Q is a slang term often used in internet contexts, derived from the English pronunciation of 'thank you' where '3' (sān) and 'Q' (kiù) mimic the sounds.
Is it said differently in some regions?
While 多謝 / 多谢 is understood in Mandarin, it is much more characteristic of Cantonese-speaking regions like Hong Kong.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'thank you' specifically to someone, you can add the pronoun 你 (you) after the verb to form 謝謝你 / 谢谢你.
How do you pronounce it?
xièxie
When do people say it?
The standard response to 謝謝 is 不客氣 / 不客气, which literally means 'don't be polite'.
Did you know?
- In some traditional Chinese family settings, saying 謝謝 to an elder can be seen as creating a formal distance or being too polite, which may inadvertently signal that the person is not truly considered 'family'.
- The character 謝 originally referred to the falling off of flowers or petals, later evolving to mean 'to let go' or 'to express gratitude' as a way of settling a debt.
- The playful slang term 三Q is a phonetic imitation of the English 'thank you', filtered through the Japanese pronunciation サンキュー (sankyū).
Examples in context
- 谢谢你，张先生 (xiè xiè nǐ, Zhāng xiān shēng)Thank you, Mr. Zhang
- 谢谢你的夸奖 (xiè xiè nǐ de kuā jiǎng)Thank you for your compliments
Sources
- Wiktionary, “thanks” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 三Q, CC BY-SA 4.0.
