祝福你
zhù fú nǐ
Bless you
祝福你 (zhùfú nǐ) is a general way to say "bless you" in Mandarin Chinese, used to express good wishes or to bestow good fortune upon someone. It's suitable for situations like wishing someone a good future or celebrating an event, but it's not used when someone sneezes.
When to use it
Neutral. For a more religious "bless you" (e.g., "May God bless you"), 保佑你 (bǎoyòu nǐ) is often used. When someone sneezes, there is no direct Chinese equivalent like "bless you." Instead, people might say 祝你健康 (zhù nǐ jiànkāng, "wish you health") or simply say nothing at all.
How to pronounce it
Sounds roughly like "joo-FOO nee." 'Joo' has a falling tone, 'foo' has a rising tone, and 'nee' has a third tone.
Other ways to say it
- 保佑你bǎo yòu nǐbless you (often religious, for protection or divine favor)
- 祝你健康zhù nǐ jiàn kāngbless you (when someone sneezes, lit. "wish you health")
- 愿你平安yuàn nǐ píng ānMay you be safe/peaceful (a general good wish)
Examples
祝福你，我的朋友。
zhù fú nǐ ， wǒ de péng yǒu 。
Bless you, my friend.
我祝福你有一个美好的未来。
wǒ zhù fú nǐ yǒu yí gè měi hǎo de wèi lái 。
I bless you with a wonderful future.
愿上帝祝福你。
yuàn shàng dì zhù fú nǐ 。
May God bless you.
Pro tip: The English phrase "bless you" when someone sneezes has no direct, universal Chinese equivalent. Using 祝福你 in that context would sound unnatural.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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