native

How do I say 'you're welcome'?

The standard and safe response to thanks — correct everywhere, though alternatives often sound warmer.

不客气

bú kèqi

You're welcome.

LITERAL

No need to be polite.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

You're welcome.

WHEN IT FITS

Responding to 谢谢 in any situationBoth formal and casualThe universal default

不客气 is the safe, correct response to 谢谢 — it works everywhere and offends nowhere. But it is worth knowing that native speakers deploy a richer set of responses depending on the relationship and the size of the favor:

  • 没事 (“it’s nothing”) minimizes your contribution. Use this for small favors — holding a door, passing something, giving directions. It says “this cost me nothing, don’t worry about it.”
  • 应该的 (“it was only right”) is warmer than 不客气. It suggests that helping was natural given who you are to each other. A colleague might say this after staying late to help; a friend after lending money. It turns the thanks into a statement about the relationship rather than the transaction.
  • 不客气 is the neutral middle — polite, complete, and slightly formal. It is the right choice with strangers, in service situations, and whenever you are unsure.

Chinese also has a fourth option that English lacks: saying nothing and simply moving on. Between very close friends and family, a verbal 谢谢 / 不客气 exchange can mark unnecessary distance.

HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT

谢谢你帮我。不客气。

Xièxie nǐ bāng wǒ. Bú kèqi.

Thanks for helping me. You're welcome.

Standard response
太感谢了!不客气,应该的。

Tài gǎnxiè le! Bú kèqi, yīnggāi de.

Thank you so much! You're welcome — it was the right thing to do.

Warm deflection

CHOOSE BY SITUATION

没事

méi shì

It's nothing / no worries.

The help was small and you want to minimize it — very common among friends

应该的

yīnggāi de

It was only right / it's what I should do.

The help was natural or expected given your relationship or role