HSK 1 · Article · 232 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/how-to-say-cheers-in-chinese

杯子在下边

How to say cheers in Chinese (干杯)

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中国zhōngguó人rén吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou，大家dàjiā都dōu说shuō：“干杯gānbēi！”

“杯bēi”是shì杯子bēizi。“干杯gānbēi”是shì说shuō：杯子bēizi里的de，都dōu喝hē了le！你nǐ不想bùxiǎng都dōu喝hē，喝hē一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě没关系méiguānxi。

还有háiyǒu一yí件jiàn事shì：和hé爸爸bàba妈妈māma、老师lǎoshī干杯gānbēi的de时候shíhou，你nǐ的de杯子bēizi要yào在zài他们tāmen的de杯子bēizi下边xiàbian一点儿yìdiǎnr。

去年qùnián，我wǒ去qù女朋友nǚpéngyou家jiā，见jiàn她tā的de爸爸bàba妈妈māma。她tā爸爸bàba喝酒hējiǔ。我wǒ要yào开车kāichē，不能bùnéng喝酒hējiǔ，我wǒ喝茶hēchá。

她tā爸爸bàba说shuō：“来lái，干杯gānbēi！”我wǒ的de杯子bēizi在zài他tā的de杯子bēizi下边xiàbian一点儿yìdiǎnr。

他tā看kàn了le看kàn，他tā的de杯子bēizi也yě低dī了le一点儿yìdiǎnr。

我wǒ的de杯子bēizi再zài低dī一点儿yìdiǎnr。他tā的de杯子bēizi也yě再zài低dī一点儿yìdiǎnr。

我们wǒmen的de两liǎng个gè杯子bēizi都dōu到dào了le桌子zhuōzi上shàng……

女朋友nǚpéngyou的de妈妈māma说shuō：“你们nǐmen两liǎng个gè！菜cài要yào冷lěng了le！”

她tā爸爸bàba说shuō：“好hǎo，好hǎo，干杯gānbēi！”我们wǒmen都dōu喝hē了le。

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，我们wǒmen说shuō了le八bā次cì“干杯gānbēi”。我wǒ喝hē了le八bā杯bēi茶chá，到dào了le十二shí’èr点diǎn，一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不想bùxiǎng睡觉shuìjiào。

Key words

When Chinese people eat together, everyone says, "Gānbēi!" (Cheers!)

杯 means cup. 干杯 means: drink everything in your cup! If you don't want to drink it all, a little is fine too.

One more thing: when you clink with your parents or a teacher, your cup should be a little lower than theirs.

Last year I went to my girlfriend's home to meet her parents. Her dad was drinking alcohol. I had to drive, so no alcohol for me: I drank tea.

Her dad said, "Come on, gānbēi!" I held my cup a little lower than his.

He looked, and lowered his cup a little too.

I lowered mine a little more. He lowered his a little more too.

Our two cups both reached the table...

My girlfriend's mum said, "You two! The food's getting cold!"

Her dad said, "OK, OK, gānbēi!" And we both drank.

That night we said gānbēi eight times. I drank eight cups of tea, and at midnight I still didn't feel like sleeping at all.