How to say "thank you" in Chinese

谢谢 is a reduplicated form of 谢 (xiè), meaning 'to thank'. The repetition softens the tone, making it a polite and friendly expression.

Use 谢谢 in almost any context to say thank you. It's appropriate for both formal and informal situations. English speakers often overuse 'thank you very much' – in Chinese, a simple 谢谢 is usually sufficient.