{"id":15087,"date":"2020-06-02T15:19:56","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T19:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=15087"},"modified":"2020-06-02T15:19:56","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T19:19:56","slug":"how-to-respond-to-compliments-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/how-to-respond-to-compliments-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Respond to Compliments in Chinese"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Image via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n

In Chinese culture, modesty is viewed as a virtue. It is an inherent part of the Confucian beliefs which emphasize the group over the individual. One of the daily aspects in which Chinese modesty is reflected is the way Chinese receive and respond (\u56de\u5e94<\/strong>hu\u00ed y\u00ecng) to a compliment (\u8d5e\u7f8e<\/strong>z\u00e0n m\u011bi).<\/p>\n

While a simple thank you is considered a polite response in the western culture, it is uncommon to answer a compliment in China with \u8c22\u8c22 <\/strong>(xi\u00e8 xi\u00e8, thank you<\/em>). Depreciatory expressions (\u8c26\u8bcd<\/strong>qi\u0101n c\u00ed) are usually used when responding to praise in Chinese. There are many ways to deflect a compliment (\u4e0d\u63a5\u53d7\u8d5e\u7f8e<\/strong>b\u00f9 ji\u0113 sh\u00f2u z\u00e0n m\u011bi) in Chinese.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The common Chinese response to praise will be disagreeing. Many short phrases to refute the compliment, meaning no<\/em>, not at all<\/em>, it\u2019s not true<\/em>, can be used:<\/p>\n

\u6ca1\u6709\u6ca1\u6709 (<\/strong>m\u00e9i y\u01d2u m\u00e9i y\u01d2u)<\/p>\n

\u6c92\u6709\u5566<\/strong> (m\u00e9i y\u01d2u la)<\/p>\n

\u54ea\u91cc\u54ea\u91cc<\/strong> (n\u01ce l\u01d0 n\u01ce l\u01d0)<\/p>\n

\u54ea\u6709<\/strong> (n\u01ce y\u01d2u)<\/p>\n

\u54ea\u513f\u7684\u8bdd<\/strong> (n\u01ce er de hu\u00e0)<\/p>\n

These phrases are general and work for any compliment. They can be changed to a specific response, by adding an adjective to the negative pattern. For example, if someone compliments your Chinese skills:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u7684\u6c49\u8bed\u8bf4\u5f97\u5f88\u597d\uff01<\/strong><\/p>\n

N\u01d0 de h\u00e0n y\u01d4 shu\u014d d\u00e9 h\u011bn h\u01ceo!<\/p>\n

Your Chinese is good!<\/em><\/p>\n

You can respond the compliment by saying:<\/p>\n

\u6ca1\u6709\u90a3\u4e48\u597d\/<\/strong>\u5389\u5bb3\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

M\u00e9i y\u01d2u n\u00e0 me h\u01ceo\/l\u00ec h\u00e0i.<\/p>\n

Not that good. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other phrases to modestly refute the compliment are:<\/p>\n

\u8fd8\u884c\u5427<\/strong> (h\u00e1i x\u00edng ba) means it\u2019s alright, I guess<\/em><\/p>\n

\u8fd8\u597d\u5427<\/strong> (h\u00e1i h\u01ceo ba) means it\u2019s alright, I guess<\/em><\/p>\n

\u8fd8\u4e0d\u591f\u597d<\/strong> (h\u00e1i b\u00f9 g\u00f2u h\u01ceo) means it\u2019s still not good enough<\/em><\/p>\n

\u8fd8\u5dee\u5f97\u8fdc\u5462<\/strong> (h\u00e1i ch\u00e0 d\u00e9 yu\u01cen ne) means I\u2019m still really far off<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Phrases with the meaning of you flatter me<\/em>, which express that the compliment bestowed is overestimating can be used:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u592a\u5938\u5f20\u4e86<\/strong> (n\u01d0 t\u00e0i ku\u0101 zh\u0101ng le) means you exaggerate too much<\/em><\/p>\n

\u4f60\u592a\u5ba2\u6c14\u4e86<\/strong> (n\u01d0 t\u00e0i k\u00e8 q\u00ec le) means you are too polite<\/em><\/p>\n

\u4f60\u8fc7\u5956\u4e86<\/strong> (n\u01d0 gu\u00f2 ji\u01ceng le) means you speak too highly of me<\/em><\/p>\n

\u4e0d\u6562\u5f53<\/strong> (b\u00f9 g\u01cen d\u0101ng) literally means I dare not bear (this honor\/this title), and figuratively means I don\u2019t deserve your praise<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another polite response to a compliment in Chinese is returning the compliment. General phrases that mean you are good too<\/em> can be used:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u4e5f\u4e0d\u9519\u554a<\/strong> (n\u01d0 y\u011b b\u00f9 cu\u00f2 a)<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u4e5f\u4e0d\u8d56\u54e6<\/strong> (n\u01d0 y\u011b b\u00f9 l\u00e0i \u00f3)<\/p>\n

Returning the compliment doesn\u2019t necessary require a fixed pattern. If someone, for example, compliments your dressing style, you can in response compliment his outfit:<\/p>\n

\u4f60\u4eca\u5929\u4e5f\u6253\u626e\u8fd9\u4e48\u597d\u770b\u554a\uff01<\/strong><\/p>\n

N\u01d0 j\u012bn ti\u0101n y\u011b d\u01ce b\u00e0n zh\u00e8 me h\u01ceo k\u00e0n a!<\/p>\n

You dressed up nice today!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Another typically Chinese polite way to push the compliment away is by sharing the credit. When receiving a compliment, instead of responding with a thank you, the receiver thanks someone else. If, for example, someone compliments your Chinese skills, you can answer:<\/p>\n

\u662f\u6211\u7684\u4e2d\u6587\u8001\u5e08\u6559\u5f97\u597d\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sh\u00ec w\u01d2 de zh\u014dng w\u00e9n l\u01ceo sh\u012b ji\u0101o de\u00a0h\u01ceo.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just that my teacher is really good.<\/em><\/p>\n

If, for another example, someone compliments your new dress, you can answer:<\/p>\n

\u8fd9\u4ef6\u8863\u670d\u662f\u670b\u53cb\u5e2e\u7740\u6211\u4e00\u8d77\u9009\u7684\u3002<\/strong><\/p>\n

Zh\u00e8 ji\u00e0n y\u012b f\u00fa sh\u00ec p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u b\u0101ng zhe w\u01d2 y\u012b q\u01d0 xu\u01cen de.<\/p>\n

My friend helped me choose this fabric. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u597d\u597d\u5b66\u4e60\uff0c\u5929\u5929\u5411\u4e0a\uff01<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d\u200d<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

In Chinese culture, modesty is viewed as a virtue. It is an inherent part of the Confucian beliefs which emphasize the group over the individual. One of the daily aspects in which Chinese modesty is reflected is the way Chinese receive and respond (\u56de\u5e94hu\u00ed y\u00ecng) to a compliment (\u8d5e\u7f8ez\u00e0n m\u011bi). While a simple thank you…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":15088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15087","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-vocabulary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15087"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15087\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15090,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15087\/revisions\/15090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}