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不客气 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
不客气búkèqiyou're welcomeHSK 1, d, Hard
不客气búkèqidon't mention itHSK 1, d, Hard
不客气búkèqiimpoliteHSK 1, d, Hard
不客气búkèqirudeHSK 1, d, Hard
不客气búkèqibluntHSK 1, d, Hard
búkèqi(bu2ke4qi5) T4
  1. 1you're welcome
  2. 2don't mention it
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March 24, 2026
不客气(不客氣)búkèqi(bu2ke4qi5)

不客气 (bù kè qì) is a polite response used to say 'you're welcome' after someone thanks you. It conveys the sentiment that the favor or help provided was no trouble at all and emphasizes friendliness in social interactions.

Frequency#—DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing gratitude and politeness in social interactions is essential. 不客气 reflects the value of humility, suggesting that helping others is a common and expected part of social life.

Memory Tip

Think of 不 (bù) as 'not' and 客气 (kè qì) as 'formal' or 'polite.' Together, 不客气 suggests that you are not being formal or polite about your help, implying it was no inconvenience. Imagine a friend casually saying 'no worries' with a smile after you thank them.

Meanings of 不客气

búkèqi(bu2ke4qi5)
1you're welcome
2don't mention it
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 不客气

不客气Simplified
不客氣Traditional
Strokes
Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1YCTL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 不客气

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Podcast: 不客气

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AI Study Notes for 不客气

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 不 (bù) as 'not' and 客气 (kè qì) as 'formal' or 'polite.' Together, 不客气 suggests that you are not being formal or polite about your help, implying it was no inconvenience. Imagine a friend casually saying 'no worries' with a smile after you thank them.

Usage Notes

Learners often mistakenly use this phrase in formal settings where a more formal response would be appropriate. Remember that 不客气 is informal and used among friends or acquaintances. It is also important to use it in response to direct thanks, not as a standalone phrase.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 1 word, 不客气 connects with other basic expressions of politeness. Students should focus on using it in everyday conversational contexts and practice responding to thanks with it to build fluency.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, expressing gratitude and politeness in social interactions is essential. 不客气 reflects the value of humility, suggesting that helping others is a common and expected part of social life.

Common Mistakes

Learners might say 不客气 as a standalone phrase instead of responding to thanks, which can sound awkward. Ensure you use it only after someone has expressed gratitude, such as saying '谢谢' (xiè xiè).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 不客气

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Component Characters

(negative prefix)
HSK 14 strokes
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customer
HSK 19 strokes
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gas
HSK 44 strokes
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Write 不客气

Practice writing 不客气 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 不客气

不客气 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 5 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他对耍弄他的人毫____。

He does not tolerate anyone who mucks him about.

Example Sentences for 不客气 (4)

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1
他对耍弄他的人毫不客气。

tā duì shuǎ nòng tā de rén háo bù kè qì。

He does not tolerate anyone who mucks him about.
2
歇了一会儿后,亚历克斯毫不客气地说:“要是让你心烦了,那我很抱歉。”

xiē le yī huì ér hòu, , yà lì kè sī háo bù kè qì dì:“ shuō :“ yào shì ràng nǐ xīn, fán le , nà wǒ。”

After a pause Alex said sharply: "I'm sorry if I've upset you"
3
“非常感谢您能和我们交谈。”——“不客气。”

“ “ fēi cháng gǎn xiè nín néng hé wǒ mén jiāo。”——“ tán 。”——“ bù。”

"Thank you very much for speaking with us." — "Not at all."
4
她毫不客气地叫那些烦人的摄影者“滚开”。

tā háo bù kè qì dì jiào nà xiē fán rén de shè yǐng zhě“ “ gǔn”。

She didn't hesitate to tell intrusive photographers to "naff off".

Cultural Notes for 不客气

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, expressing gratitude and politeness in social interactions is essential. 不客气 reflects the value of humility, suggesting that helping others is a common and expected part of social life.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, 'you're welcome' is a common response to thanks, but the nuance of humility and casualness in 不客气 may not always translate directly.

Frequently Asked Questions about 不客气

Use 不客气 when responding to someone thanking you for a favor or help, especially in informal settings.