不客气
bù kèqi
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.
What does 不客气 (bù kèqi) mean?
不客气 (bù kèqi) means “you're welcome” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “not polite / no need for politeness.”
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bù yòng xièno need to thank (slightly more direct)
- 没关系méi guānxiit'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。
xièxie nǐ! bù kèqi.
Thank you! You're welcome.
不用谢，这是我应该做的。
bù yòng xiè, zhè shì wǒ yīnggāi zuò de.
You're welcome, it's what I should do.
没关系，能帮到你就好。
méi guānxi, 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非常感谢 · Thank you very much对不起 · Sorry
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