Chinese for Celebrations: Say 'Cheers!' and 'To Your Health!'
Learn elementary Mandarin toasts for meals and celebrations: gānbēi, wèi nǐ de jiànkāng, and more. Includes pinyin, usage notes, a dialogue, and practice.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you raise a glass in a Chinese-speaking setting, the right words matter. This lesson teaches you simple, natural toasts: 'Cheers!' and 'To your health!' You will learn the most common phrase, gānbēi, plus polite variations for hosts, friends, and festive moments. We focus on pronunciation with tone marks, when to use each phrase, and a short dialogue so you can join a table with confidence. No prior grammar is needed beyond basic greetings.
By the end, you can…
- say 'Cheers!' in Mandarin at a meal or celebration.
- propose a toast to someone's health using a simple phrase.
- respond politely when someone toasts me.
- choose between casual and polite toasting phrases.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
干杯！
Cheers! (literally 'dry the cup')
gān bēi
The standard, all-purpose toast. Use it at meals, parties, and celebrations with friends, family, or colleagues. Raise your glass slightly and say it before drinking.
为你的健康干杯！
To your health! (a toast to one person)
wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi
A warm, slightly more formal toast. Use it when honoring a specific person, such as a friend, teacher, or elder. 为 (wèi) means 'for' or 'to'.
为我们的友谊干杯！
To our friendship!
wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì gānbēi
A group toast for friends or colleagues. 友谊 (yǒuyì) means 'friendship'. Use it at gatherings to celebrate a relationship.
我敬你一杯。
I toast you (I raise a glass to you).
wǒ jìng nǐ yì bēi
A polite way to toast one person, often used when showing respect to a host, elder, or guest. 敬 (jìng) means 'to respectfully offer'. 一杯 (yì bēi) means 'one glass'.
谢谢，也祝你健康！
Thank you, and I wish you health too!
xièxie, yě zhù nǐ jiànkāng
A friendly response after someone toasts your health. 也 (yě) means 'also'. 祝 (zhù) means 'to wish'. Use it to return the goodwill.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern for a toast is 为 (wèi) + person/thing + 干杯 (gānbēi). 为 means 'for' or 'to'. For example: 为你的健康干杯 (wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi) 'To your health'; 为我们的友谊干杯 (wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì gānbēi) 'To our friendship'. You can also simply say 干杯 (gānbēi) on its own. To toast one person politely, use 我敬你一杯 (wǒ jìng nǐ yì bēi). Notice that Chinese does not add articles like 'a' or 'the', and the verb stays the same for all speakers.
When to use it
Use 干杯 (gānbēi) for almost any casual or festive moment: dinner with friends, a birthday, or a work celebration. Use 为你的健康干杯 (wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi) when you want to sound warmer or more respectful, especially to an elder or someone you have just met. Use 我敬你一杯 (wǒ jìng nǐ yì bēi) when you are specifically toasting a host or guest to show respect. If someone toasts you, reply with 谢谢，也祝你健康 (xièxie, yě zhù nǐ jiànkāng) and take a small sip. In many settings, it is polite to wait for the host's first toast before drinking.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
今天我们聚在一起，我很高兴。来，干杯！
We are gathered together today, I'm very happy. Come, cheers!jīntiān wǒmen jù zài yìqǐ, wǒ hěn gāoxìng. lái, gānbēi!干杯！为我们的友谊干杯！
Cheers! To our friendship!gānbēi! wèi wǒmen de yǒuyì gānbēi!我也敬你一杯，祝你身体健康！
I also toast you, wishing you good health!wǒ yě jìng nǐ yì bēi, zhù nǐ shēntǐ jiànkāng!谢谢，也祝你健康！我们一起来！
Thank you, and I wish you health too! Let's all drink together!xièxie, yě zhù nǐ jiànkāng! wǒmen yìqǐ lái!A little context goes a long way
In many Chinese-speaking settings, toasting is a social ritual. The host often gives the first toast, and guests may wait for that cue. When clinking glasses, it is common to lower your glass slightly below an elder's or a guest of honor's glass to show respect. 干杯 literally means 'dry the cup', but you do not need to finish your drink every time; a small sip is often fine, especially if you are not drinking alcohol. You can also toast with tea or soft drinks.
One thing to watch for
Using 干杯 (gānbēi) as a direct translation of 'cheers' for every situation, including formal respect to an elder.
Try this instead: 干杯 is fine for casual and general toasts, but for showing respect to an elder or a special guest, use 我敬你一杯 (wǒ jìng nǐ yì bēi) or 为你的健康干杯 (wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi). Example: 我敬您一杯 (wǒ jìng nín yì bēi) uses the polite 'you' 您 (nín).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Cheers!' in Mandarin?
Show a sample answer
干杯！(gānbēi!)
干杯 is the standard, all-purpose toast. It works in casual and festive settings. Other phrases like 为你的健康干杯 are also correct when you want to toast someone's health.
2You want to toast a friend's health. What phrase can you use?
Show a sample answer
为你的健康干杯！(wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi!)
This uses 为 (wèi) 'for' + 你的健康 (nǐ de jiànkāng) 'your health' + 干杯. You could also say 祝你健康 (zhù nǐ jiànkāng) 'wish you health' as a warm alternative.
3Someone toasts your health. What is a polite reply?
Show a sample answer
谢谢，也祝你健康！(xièxie, yě zhù nǐ jiànkāng!)
This thanks the person and returns the good wish. 也 (yě) means 'also'. Another valid reply is 谢谢，干杯！(xièxie, gānbēi!) if you want to keep it short.
For everyday toasts, say 干杯 (gānbēi). To toast someone's health, say 为你的健康干杯 (wèi nǐ de jiànkāng gānbēi). To show respect, use 我敬你一杯 (wǒ jìng nǐ yì bēi). Reply with 谢谢，也祝你健康 (xièxie, yě zhù nǐ jiànkāng).
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