"Kum Xia" (often spelled Kamsia, Kam Sia, or Kám-siā) is a Hokkien phrase that means "thank you". It is commonly used in Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan to express gratitude, appreciation, or to say thanks.
If there is one phrase you should absolutely master before traveling to China, it's 谢谢 (xièxiè) – meaning “thank you” in Chinese. Like James Allen once said – “no duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks”. Besides that, thank you in Chinese (谢谢 – xièxiè) is the most spoken “thank you” in the world.
To count from 1 to 10 in Chinese, use these numerals and pronunciations: 一 (yī), 二 (èr), 三 (sān), 四 (sì), 五 (wǔ), 六 (liù), 七 (qī), 八 (bā), 九 (jiǔ), 十 (shí).
Zai. The word “zai” in Singapore slang usually refers to a compliment when someone did a good job or is a pro at something. In Hokkien, “zai” can also mean steady, experienced, reliable, or trustworthy. Thus, Singaporeans always use this word to describe someone being experienced or doing great work.
Fun fact: Taylor Swift's name in Chinese is Taile Siweifute 泰勒·斯威夫特, a transliteration of her English name. Her Chinese nickname is Meimei/霉霉, which means something like “unlucky,” although to my knowledge it is only used for Swift and not applied to other unlucky people.
Among the many words in the Indonesian language, one that I find especially beautiful is “Terimakasih.” At first glance, it seems simple. It translates to “thank you,” a phrase we use almost daily to show appreciation for what we receive—whether it is a kind word, a thoughtful gesture, or a material gift.
Remember, it is not rude by not saying 谢谢 to your best friends and family members(the old is not included, because we must repect them) in China. However, in my view it is rude when we do that to other people.
In Singlish, "wah lao" is an expression commonly used by Singaporeans to express surprise, frustration, or disbelief. It is derived from the Hokkien dialect and can be loosely translated to "oh my goodness" or "what the heck" in English.
The Chinese internet slang 666 (liù liù liù) basically means “awesome” because the number six in Chinese sounds like “溜” (liù), meaning “smooth”. 666 started as gaming slang to praise a skilled player, like “GG” in English, but is now used generally to praise someone for doing something very impressively or “smoothly”.
8 is the luckiest number in Chinese culture because his pronunciation “Ba” sounds similar to the word “fa”, which means to make fortune. The number 8 is associated with wealth, prosperity, success and status and for this reason business men favor it very much.
You probably wouldn't say 多谢 “duo xie” in contexts like someone passing you a napkin or holding a door open. It's much more common in writing and in slightly more formal occasions like thanking people for attending a business meeting.
To respond to "Ni Hao" (你好, Hello), the simplest reply is another "Ni Hao" (你好), but for a more natural interaction, use "Wǒ hěn hǎo, xièxie. Nǐ ne?" (我很好, 谢谢。你呢? - I'm fine, thank you. And you?) or simply "Hǎo!" (好! - Good!) or "Hǎo, nǐ ne?" (好,你呢? - Good, and you?) for a polite exchange, acknowledging their greeting and asking back.
