---
title: "Chinese Condolence Messages: What to Say When Someone Dies, With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "12 Chinese phrases for condolences, like 节哀顺变。 (Please accept my condolences.) and 听到这个消息，我很难过。 (I’m so sorry to hear the news.), each with pinyin over every word, the English and Play to hear it. Keep the words in one press."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases/condolences"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese phrases](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases) · 12 phrases

# Chinese condolence messages

Each with pinyin over every word, the English and sound.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E8%8A%82%E5%93%80%20%E6%B6%88%E6%81%AF%20%E4%BF%9D%E9%87%8D%20%E8%BA%AB%E4%BD%93%20%E5%BF%83%E6%83%85%20%E5%B8%AE%E5%BF%99%20%E6%83%B3%E5%BF%B5%20%E6%B0%B8%E8%BF%9C%20%E5%AE%89%E6%81%AF%20%E4%B8%80%E8%B7%AF%20%E5%93%80%E6%82%BC%20%E6%82%BC%E5%BF%B5)

Speed

jié’āi-shùnbiàn节哀顺变。

Please accept my condolences.

tīngdào听到zhè这gè个xiāoxi消息，wǒ我hěn很nánguò难过。

I’m so sorry to hear the news.

qǐng请nǐ你duō多bǎozhòng保重。

Please take good care of yourself.

qiānwàn千万yào要bǎozhòng保重shēntǐ身体。

Do look after your health.

wǒ我néng能lǐjiě理解nǐ你de的xīnqíng心情。

I understand how you feel.

yǒu有shénme什么xūyào需要bāngmáng帮忙de的，qǐng请gàosu告诉wǒ我。

If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.

wǒmen我们dōu都hěn很xiǎngniàn想念tā他。

We all miss him very much.

tā他huì会yǒngyuǎn永远huó活zài在wǒmen我们xīnzhōng心中。

He will always live on in our hearts.

yuàn愿tā他ānxī安息。

May he rest in peace.

yīlù一路zǒu走hǎo好。

Go well on your way.

shēnbiǎo深表āidào哀悼。

My deepest sympathy.

chéntòng沉痛dàoniàn悼念。

In deep mourning.

## More situations

## What do you say in Chinese when someone dies?

节哀顺变 (jié’āi shùnbiàn), “hold back your grief and accept the change”, is what people say to the family, with 请你多保重 (please take good care of yourself). In writing, 深表哀悼 (my deepest sympathy). 一路走好 (go well on your way) is said to the one who died, at the funeral, and 沉痛悼念 (in deep mourning) is written on wreaths and banners.

## Do you give money for a Chinese funeral?

In many families, yes: condolence money goes in a white envelope (白包, báibāo), never a red one, which is for happy days. Flowers are white or yellow; red is kept away from a funeral.

## How do I say them right?

Press Play and say each phrase with the voice, slow first, then at normal speed. Each word’s pinyin is above it, its tone marked.

## Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each word in our recorded voice instead.

## More free tools

- [Chinese greetings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-greetings)
- [Chinese idioms](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms)
- [Chinese text to speech](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-text-to-speech)
- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Tone practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/tone-practice)

Pinyin from our own reader.