对不起
duìbuqǐ
I'm sorry
How to say "you're welcome" in Chinese
不用谢
búyòng xiè
No need to thank me
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
不用 (búyòng) means "no need," and 谢 (xiè) means "thanks." So it's literally "no need for thanks."
Variations and politeness
没关系
méi guān xì
It doesn't matter — More casual, used to brush off apologies as well as thanks.
不客气
bù kè qì
Don't be polite — More polite, often used in formal or customer-service contexts.
不用
bú yòng
No need — Shorter, very casual, often said with a smile.
Mini dialogue
A
谢谢你的帮助！
xiè xiè nǐ de bāng zhù
Thank you for your help!
B
不用谢！
bú yòng xiè
No need to thank me!
When to use it
Appropriate
- When someone thanks you for a favor or help.
- In both casual and semi-formal situations.
- When you want to sound warm and modest.
Avoid when
- Before someone thanks you — it is only a response.
- When someone apologizes; use 没关系 (méi guānxi) instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'you're welcome' in Chinese?
You can say 不用谢 (búyòng xiè), which literally means 'no need to thank me'. It is a common and polite response to thanks.
How do you pronounce 不用谢?
It is pronounced búyòng xiè. Note that 不 is pronounced with the second tone because it comes before a fourth-tone syllable.
When should I use 不用谢 instead of 不客气?
Both are polite responses to thanks. 不用谢 is slightly more modest, while 不客气 is a bit more formal. You can use either in most situations.
More phrases for this situation
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