Drinking culture & toasts in Chinese 酒桌文化
jiǔ zhuō wénhuà
Cheers in Chinese is 干杯 (gān bēi).
Also searched for as: cheers in Chinese, how to say cheers in Chinese, ganbei, toast in Chinese, Chinese drinking etiquette, baijiu.
Raise your glass: the rules of the Chinese dinner table. 15 essential drinking culture & toasts words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Shared meals in China often come with toasts, and the word you'll hear first is 干杯 (gān bēi), literally 'dry the glass'. A few more phrases help you join in politely: 敬酒 (jìng jiǔ) means proposing a toast, 随意 (suí yì) lets someone drink at their own pace, and 以茶代酒 (yǐ chá dài jiǔ) is the graceful way to toast with tea if you'd rather not drink alcohol at all.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 干杯 | gān bēi | cheers; bottoms up |
| 随意 | suí yì | as you like (drink at your own pace) |
| 敬酒 | jìng jiǔ | to propose a toast |
| 我敬你 | wǒ jìng nǐ | here's to you |
| 白酒 | bái jiǔ | baijiu (Chinese spirit) |
| 啤酒 | pí jiǔ | beer |
| 酒量 | jiǔ liàng | how much someone can drink |
| 碰杯 | pèng bēi | to clink glasses |
| 劝酒 | quàn jiǔ | to press someone to drink |
| 喝醉 | hē zuì | to get drunk |
| 以茶代酒 | yǐ chá dài jiǔ | to toast with tea instead of alcohol |
| 酒驾 | jiǔ jià | drink-driving |
| 满上 | mǎn shàng | to fill up (a glass) |
| 一口闷 | yī kǒu mēn | to down in one |
| 断片 | duàn piàn | to black out (from drinking) |
Usage tips
- The pairing 我干了，你随意 (wǒ gān le, nǐ suí yì), 'I'll finish mine, you drink as you like', shows respect while letting the other person off the hook, and it's a handy line if you're the one being toasted.
- When clinking glasses with someone older or more senior, hold your glass slightly lower than theirs as a sign of respect.
- Rather than drinking on your own, you raise your glass to a particular person, often with 我敬你一杯 (wǒ jìng nǐ yī bēi), and hosts and senior guests are usually toasted first.
Common mistakes
- Treating 干杯 (gān bēi) as a casual 'cheers': people may expect you to empty your glass, so if you only want a sip, say 我随意 (wǒ suí yì).
- A blunt 我不喝 (wǒ bù hē) can feel abrupt; give a reason such as 我要开车 (wǒ yào kāi chē), 'I'm driving', and suggest 以茶代酒 (yǐ chá dài jiǔ) instead.
Mini dialogue
- A来，满上！今天大家都要喝好。Lái, mǎn shàng! Jīn tiān dà jiā dōu yào hē hǎo.Come on, let me top you up! Everyone's got to enjoy themselves today.
- B谢谢，我酒量不好，喝一点儿啤酒就行。Xiè xie, wǒ jiǔ liàng bù hǎo, hē yī diǎnr pí jiǔ jiù xíng.Thanks, but I can't hold my drink, a little beer is fine for me.
- A没关系，那我敬你一杯。我干了，你随意！Méi guān xi, nà wǒ jìng nǐ yī bēi. Wǒ gān le, nǐ suí yì!No problem. Here's to you, then. I'll finish mine, you drink as much as you like!
- B谢谢！为我们的友谊干杯！Xiè xie! Wèi wǒ men de yǒu yì gān bēi!Thank you! To our friendship!
Example sentences
- 为我们的友谊干杯！To our friendship!
- 我干了，你随意。I'll finish mine, you drink as much as you like.
- 他站起来给领导敬酒。He stood up and toasted the boss.
- 王总，我敬你一杯！Mr Wang, here's to you!
- 白酒太烈了，我喝不了。Baijiu is too strong, I can't drink it.
- 服务员，再来两瓶啤酒！Two more beers, please!
- 他酒量很好。He can really hold his drink.
- 大家一起碰杯吧！Let's all clink glasses!
- 我不喜欢别人劝酒。I don't like being pressured to drink.
- 他昨天晚上喝醉了。He got drunk last night.
- 我要开车，以茶代酒吧。I'm driving, so I'll toast with tea.
- 酒驾在中国处罚很重。Drink-driving is punished very severely in China.
- 来，给你满上！Here, let me top you up!
- 这杯一口闷！Down this one in one!
- 我昨天喝断片了。I blacked out last night.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Drinking culture & toasts speaking island has 8 everyday questions about drinking culture & toasts to prepare your own answers to.