How to respond when someone apologizes in Chinese
Complaining and Apologizing in Chinese: Essential Phrases for Learners: How to respond when someone apologizes in Chinese
When someone apologizes in Chinese, a common and polite response to accept the apology is “没关系” (méi guān xì), which means “It’s okay” or “It doesn’t matter” and shows that the apology is accepted and the incident is not a big deal. Other ways to respond include:
- “不用道歉” (bù yòng dào qiàn) – “No need to apologize.”
- “没事” (méi shì) – “It’s nothing” or “No problem.”
- “没什么” (méi shén me) – “It’s nothing” or “No big deal.”
- “别担心” (bié dān xīn) – “Don’t worry about it.”
- “算了吧” (suàn le ba) – “Forget about it,” used to indicate the matter is not worth worrying over.
These phrases are used to show forgiveness or reassure the person apologizing that everything is fine. They work well in informal to semi-formal settings and help maintain harmony in conversations.