OK is the most used word all over the world. In addition to the ubiquitous OK, each country has their own specific ways of showing agreement. China is no different. It has in fact many ways to show agreement and consent. As a beginner learning Chinese, not only should you know how to say “yes” but you also need to know various ways of saying “OK, I agree…” to show your enthusiasm when you understand or accept something, don’t you think? So, let’s learn how to say OK in Mandarin so you can impress the Chinese with your speaking skills!
You already know everything about how to say “yes” in Mandarin, but perhaps you’re tired of saying yes to everything?! Sometimes you just need a “OK” to let the others know you got it. Let’s help you diversify your vocabulary then with 5 ways to say okay in Mandarin Chinese. OK? Ok!
Say OK to accept a proposition
Need to answer someone’s question or show you want to accept their proposition? These three words are all good candidates to use:
[zh zh=”好” py=”hǎo” en=”fine”]
[zh zh=”行” py=”xíng” en=”OK”]
[zh zh=”可以” py=”kěyǐ” en=”it’s okay”]
These three words all show you’re okay with the idea or proposition so you can pick your favorite one to answer. For example when someone asks you :
[zh zh=”周末去看电影吗?”]
[zh py=”Zhōumò qù kàn diànyǐng ma?”]
[zh en=”Should we watch a movie this weekend?”]
[zh zh=”可以啊”]
[zh py=”kěyǐ a”]
[zh en=”Ok, sounds great!”]
You can answer: 可以,好 or 行 if you want to watch a movie with them this weekend.
Say ok with 对 and 没错 – Right!
Let me introduce you two other Chinese expressions to say OK: [zh zh=”对” py=”duì” en=”yes; right”] and [zh zh=”没错” py=”méicuò” en=”right”]. Both can be used to show you agree with that they just. 对 means “correct” in Chinese, and 没错 means “not wrong”, so they are both often used to show your approval of what someone is saying, just like you would in English by saying “Right”.
没错 can be used, for instance to say
[zh zh=”你说的没错!”]
[zh py=”Nǐ shuō de méi cuò”]
[zh en=”You’re right / You can say that again.”]
Say Ok with 我同意 – I agree
[zh zh=”我同意!”]
[zh py=”wǒ tóng yì”
[zh en=”I agree”]
An easy way to say ok you can use all the time when you agree with something is 我同意. If you’re having a conversation with someone and totally agree with what they just said well this is a perfect way to give them feedback.
For example:
[zh zh=”我同意你的看法”]
[zh py=”wǒ tóng yì nǐ de kànfǎ”]
[zh en=”I agree with your opinion”].
Say Ok with 没问题 – No problem / Don’t mention it
[zh zh=”没问题!”]
[zh py=”méi wèn tí”]
[zh en=”no problem”]
Another very Chinese way to say OK is 没问题! It may sound informal, but for Chinese people, it’s not and they use it all the time. When using 没问题, you show you want to put one at ease, to reassure them that everything is okay. 没问题 is a word you can use in many situations when you need someone to feel okay.
For example, if you really need to leave and feel uncomfortable about going at that time, you might want to say, to seek reassurance:
[zh zh=”现在可以走了吗?”]
[zh py=”Xiànzài kěyǐ zǒule ma?”]
[zh en=”Can I leave right now?”]
[zh zh=”没问题!”]
[zh py=”méi wèn tí”]
[zh en=”no problem”]
Don’t you feel reassured upon hearing them say that?
Just for you to know: 没 is for “no” and 问题 is for “problem”.
#5 How to say Ok with 我知道了 – Got it
[zh zh=”我知道了”]
[zh py=”wǒ zhī dào le”]
[zh en=”I got it”]
You surely know about this one, I mean, it’s one of the first phrases you learn in Mandarin, right?
Wait. You don’t know this sentence? Then check out our last article about useful Chinese phrases to know more about 我知道了.
Ok, imagine, you’re in a meeting and your boss tells you that he wants you to introduce the company in front of everyone. This is your time to shine and you’re so excited. Calm yourself first and answer:
[zh zh=”我知道了”]
[zh py=”wǒ zhī dào le”]
[zh en=”I got it”]
Another example? Say, if you’ve been studying Chinese really hard and thought you did well on Master Yocha’s test. But then, Master Yocha tells you there are mistakes in the last test you’ve made. You may feel upset, but keep in mind that mistakes are a great way to learn. So, calm down, breathe in and say:
[zh zh=”我知道了, 下次注意”]
[zh py=”Wǒ zhīdàole, xià cì zhùyì”]
[zh en=”Got it, I’ll be more careful next time.”]
Master Yocha is good-hearted, he knows you’re doing your best!
#6 A non-word to say OK: 嗯
Looking for a not too wordy way to say OK? Use [zh zh=”嗯” py=”èn” en=”OK / hmm”]!
It’s more a sound than a word but you can use it to show your approval of something that was said. Kind of like the “hmm” of agreement in English you might use when you’re okay with something. Just make sure you watch your pronunciation. If you write it or say it with a second tone like so “én”, it means “what?”. Not quite the same meaning, huh?!
#7 Bonus word to say OK: OK了
Update: A Reddit User aptly pointed out we forgot this essential and extremely easy way to say OK: [zh zh=”OK了”]
Ok了 is, as you see, simply the word okay coupled with 了. 了 as you probably know is a particle that is either used after a verb to indicate the completion of an action; or at the end of a sentence to indicate a change in situation or state, or, and its most likely the case here, as a modal particle to intensify the preceding phrase.
You use it to show your agreement to a suggestion that’s been made; such a positive answer to a suggestion to go out for a coffee or a shopping session, like so:
[zh zh=”我们下午去看电影吧?Ok了”]
[zh py=”wǒmen xiàwǔ qù kàn diànyǐng ba? Ok le”]
[zh en=”Let’s go see a movie this afternoon? Ok”]
You can also use it to show you’ve finished doing something or accomplished something you had set out to do. For instance,
[zh zh=”你做完作业了吗?Ok了”]
[zh py=”nǐ zuò wán zuòyèle ma? Okle”]
[zh en=”Did you finish your homework? Yup.”]
Easy peasy, right?
Final words
There are many words to say OK in Chinese. The 5 we just shared (and the bonus grunt!) we just gave you are among the most used in Chinese. Learn these so you can be more fluent and pretend to be Chinese hehe~. OK了?!
Your Nincha Mission: Use these 5 ways to say OK to the Chinese speakers around you! Tell us how it went and if they were surprised to hear you use them!
Pauline, Yanjie and
The Nincha Team
Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
3 replies on “How to Say OK Like a Real Chinese”
[…] https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/03/22/say-ok-in-chinese/ […]
[…] sure which words to start with? How about picking easy words like hello, thank you and OK in Mandarin? They’re really easy to use and very important to know! Got your 3 words? Good! Now, […]
I want to know how to speak a chinese and this site helps me a little xîxî