How do you say "Cheers!" in Chinese?

"Cheers!" in Chinese is 干杯！ — written in pinyin as Gānbēi!. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.

What does 干杯！ mean in Chinese?

干杯！ (Gānbēi!) means "Cheers!". Broken down word by word: 干 (gān) means "dry / to drain"; 杯 (bēi) means "glass / cup".

When would you use "Cheers!" in Chinese?

At a table when the glasses come together: the same two words work as the invitation to drink and as the answer to one. Not only formal dinners. It is the ordinary toast among friends, colleagues and family, and you will hear it several times in an evening.

How to say “Cheers!” in Chinese

“Cheers!” in Chinese is 干杯！, written in pinyin as Gānbēi!.

干杯！

Gānbēi!

Cheers!

Word by word

What each part of 干杯！ actually means.

干gāndry / to drain
杯bēiglass / cup

When you use it

At a table when the glasses come together: the same two words work as the invitation to drink and as the answer to one.
Not only formal dinners. It is the ordinary toast among friends, colleagues and family, and you will hear it several times in an evening.

Use 干杯！ in everyday situations. Greetings, thanks and the small words you use all day.

Other ways people say it

The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.

干！
Gān!
Down it!
The short form of the same word. Very common at lively tables and it means exactly the same thing.
我干了，你随意。
Wǒ gàn le, nǐ suíyì
I will finish mine, you drink as you like.
The polite way to toast somebody who may not want to match you glass for glass.
敬你一杯。
Jìng nǐ yì bēi
Here is to you.
敬 is the verb for toasting a person, used to a host, an elder or a guest of honour.

What usually trips people up

干杯 means empty the glass, not clink and sip. If you are not drinking alcohol, 我以茶代酒 (I will drink tea instead) is understood and accepted, and your glass stops being refilled.
There is an order to it. The host toasts first, and when a younger person toasts somebody older the glass is held slightly lower. Getting that right matters more than the word.
Toasting here is social rather than competitive. 随意 (as you like) is the standard escape hatch, and saying it once protects you for the rest of the evening.

What you might hear back

好，干！Hǎo, gān!OK, down it!
你随意。Nǐ suíyìTake it easy.
来，再来一杯。Lái, zài lái yì bēiCome on, one more.

Common questions

How do you say "Cheers!" in Chinese?: "Cheers!" in Chinese is 干杯！ — written in pinyin as Gānbēi!. It is an everyday phrase you would use in China.
What does 干杯！ mean in Chinese?: 干杯！ (Gānbēi!) means "Cheers!". Broken down word by word: 干 (gān) means "dry / to drain"; 杯 (bēi) means "glass / cup".
When would you use "Cheers!" in Chinese?: At a table when the glasses come together: the same two words work as the invitation to drink and as the answer to one. Not only formal dinners. It is the ordinary toast among friends, colleagues and family, and you will hear it several times in an evening.

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