不客气
bú kè qì
You're welcome · trad. 不客氣
不客气 (bù kèqi) is the most common and polite way to say “you're welcome” in Mandarin Chinese. It literally means “don't be polite” or “no need for formalities,” implying that the help was no trouble at all.
When to use it
Neutral and polite. It's the standard reply when someone says 谢谢 (xièxie). Other common alternatives include 不用谢 (bú yòng xiè), which means “no need to thank,” or 没关系 (méi guānxi), meaning “it's nothing / no problem.” For very casual situations, 没事 (méi shì) is also used.
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “boo-KUH-chee.” The 不 (bù) is usually pronounced with a rising tone (second tone) before a fourth tone (like 客), so it's said “bú kèqi.” The 气 is often said lightly (neutral tone).
Other ways to say it
- 不用谢bú yòng xièno need to thank (slightly more direct)
- 没关系méi guān xìit's nothing / no problem (also means 'it's okay')
- 没事méi shìit's nothing / no big deal (casual)
Examples
谢谢你！不客气。
xiè xiè nǐ ！ bú kè qì 。
Thank you! You're welcome.
不用谢，这是我应该做的。
bú yòng xiè ， zhè shì wǒ yīng gāi zuò de 。
You're welcome, it's what I should do.
没关系，能帮到你就好。
méi guān xì ， néng bāng dào nǐ jiù hǎo 。
No problem, I'm glad I could help you.
Pro tip: Tone change: The character 不 (bù) is normally a fourth tone, but when it's followed by another fourth tone, it changes to a second tone. So, 不客气 is pronounced 'bú kèqi,' not 'bù kèqi.'
Related phrases
谢谢 · Thank you对不起 · Sorry请 · Please
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