辛苦了
xīn kǔ le
Thank you for your hard work
辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) is a very common and warm way to acknowledge someone's effort and express gratitude for their hard work. It's used when someone has completed a task, especially one that required significant effort or sacrifice.
When to use it
Neutral to warm. It's often used by superiors to subordinates, or by anyone to someone who has just finished a task (e.g., a delivery person, a colleague, a service person). For a more polite version, use 您辛苦了 (nín xīnkǔ le). When someone says 辛苦了 to you, a common reply is 没什么 (méi shénme, 'it's nothing') or 不客气 (bù kèqi, 'you're welcome').
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “SHEEN-koo-luh.” The first syllable (辛) is a high, flat tone, the second (苦) is a falling-rising tone, and the third (了) is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 您辛苦了nín xīn kǔ lethank you for your hard work (polite)
- 辛苦你了xīn kǔ nǐ leyou've worked hard (a bit more direct)
- 谢谢您的辛劳xiè xiè nín de xīn láothank you for your toil/labor (more formal)
Examples
送货员，你辛苦了！
sòng huò yuán ， nǐ xīn kǔ le ！
Delivery person, thank you for your hard work!
大家辛苦了，今天早点回家休息吧。
dà jiā xīn kǔ le ， jīn tiān zǎo diǎn huí jiā xiū xi ba 。
Everyone, thank you for your hard work, go home and rest early today.
老师，您辛苦了！
lǎo shī ， nín xīn kǔ le ！
Teacher, thank you for your hard work! (Common phrase from students)
Pro tip: 辛苦了 is typically used *after* someone has completed the hard work, acknowledging the effort already expended. It's less common to use it *before* they start or during the process.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
Want to speak Chinese for real?
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →
Start a free lesson with a native teacher →