What does “干杯” really mean—and do you actually have to finish your drink? In this episode, we explore Chinese drinking culture, from casual dinners with friends to formal business banquets. You’ll learn key toasting phrases, pronunciation tips, and polite ways to decline alcohol—without losing face. “干杯”一定要喝完吗？敬酒时为什么杯子要放低？这一集我们通过生活化对话，带你了解中文里的喝酒文化、正式与非正式的敬酒礼仪，以及各种得体又自然的“不喝酒”说法。 Gānbēi” yídìng yào hē wán ma? Jìngjiǔ shí wèishénme bēizi yào fàng dī? Zhè yí jí wǒmen tōngguò shēnghuó huà duìhuà, dài nǐ liǎojiě Zhōngwén lǐ de hējiǔ wénhuà, zhèngshì yǔ fēi zhèngshì de jìngjiǔ lǐyí, yǐjí gè zhǒng détǐ yòu zìrán de “bù hējiǔ” shuōfǎ. 🟢 Dialogue 1: Casual dinner with friends 小兰: 来，干杯！在中文里，“干杯”就是“cheers”的意思。 湖帆: 哦，那要喝完吗？ 小兰: 不一定，朋友之间随意一点就好。 湖帆: 明白了！那我就小酌一口～ Pinyin： A: Lái, gānbēi! Zài Zhōngwén lǐ, “gānbēi” jiù shì “cheers” de yìsi. B: Ó, nà yào hē wán ma? A: Bù yídìng, péngyǒu zhījiān suíyì yīdiǎn jiù hǎo. B: Míngbai le! Nà wǒ jiù xiǎo zhuó yì kǒu ~ English: A: Okay, cheers! In Chinese, “干杯 (gānbēi)” means “cheers.” B: Oh, do I have to finish the drink? A: Not necessarily — with friends, it’s more relaxed. B: Got it! Then I’ll just take a small sip. 🟠 Dialogue 2: Formal business banquet 小刘: 王经理，我敬您一杯！感谢您的合作。 王经理: 谢谢！我也回敬您一杯。先您后我，这是礼貌。 小刘: 对，听说敬酒时杯口要比对方低一点？ 王经理: 是的，表示尊重。 Pinyin: Xiao Liu: Wáng jīnglǐ, wǒ jìng nín yì bēi! Gǎnxiè nín de hézuò. Wang Jingli: Xièxiè! Wǒ yě huíjìng nín yì bēi. Xiān nín hòu wǒ, zhè shì lǐmào. Xiao Liu: Duì, tīngshuō jìngjiǔ shí bēikǒu yào bǐ duìfāng dī yìdiǎn? Wang Jingli: Shì de, biǎoshì zūnzhòng. English: A: Manager Wang, I’d like to toast to you! Thank you for your cooperation. B: Thank you! I’ll also return the toast. You first, then me — that’s polite. A: Right, I heard the rim of my glass should be slightly lower than yours? B: Yes, that shows respect. Polite Refusals: 1. 我今天不太能喝酒，还请多包涵。 Wǒ jīntiān bù tài néng hējiǔ, hái qǐng duō bāohan. “I can’t really drink today — thank you for understanding.” ➡️ Super common, soft, humble tone. 2. 我酒量不好，今天就先不喝了。 Wǒ jiǔliàng bù hǎo, jīntiān jiù xiān bù hē le. “My alcohol tolerance isn’t great, so I’ll pass today.” ➡️ A very accepted excuse; no one argues with “low tolerance.” 3. 我等等还要开车，就不喝酒了。 Wǒ děngdeng hái yào kāichē, jiù bù hējiǔ le. “I still need to drive later, so I can’t drink.” ➡️ 100% respected; people will immediately stop pushing alcohol. 4. 我身体不太舒服，医生也不建议我喝酒。 Wǒ shēntǐ bù tài shūfu, yīshēng yě bù jiànyì wǒ hējiǔ. “I’m not feeling well, and my doctor advised me not to drink.” ➡️ No one will challenge this. Soft & Friendly Ways (Still Polite) 5. 我陪大家就好，我喝茶/水就行。 Wǒ péi dàjiā jiù hǎo, wǒ hē chá/shuǐ jiù xíng. “I’ll join everyone in spirit — tea/water is fine for me.” ➡️ Shows participation without drinking alcohol. 6. 我浅尝一下就好，真的不太能喝。 Wǒ qiǎncháng yíxià jiù hǎo, zhēn de bù tài néng hē. “I’ll just take a tiny sip; I really can’t drink much.” ➡️ Not very effective. Drinking in China is an "all or nothing" event! Direct But Still Polite 7. 不好意思，我真的不喝酒。 Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ zhēnde bù hējiǔ. “Sorry, but I really don’t drink alcohol.” ➡️ Clear boundary, still polite. 8. 我对酒精过敏，所以真的不能喝。 Wǒ duì jiǔjīng guòmǐn, suǒyǐ zhēnde bùnéng hē. “I’m allergic to alcohol, so I really can’t drink.” ➡️ Absolutely respected; people will even protect you from more toasts. A Playful but Safe Excuse (Used in Friendly Settings) 9. 我喝一杯就会脸红得像虾，还是算了吧！ Wǒ hē yì bēi jiù huì liǎnhóng de xiàng xiā, háishi suànle ba! “If I drink even one glass I turn red like a shrimp, so better not!” ➡️ Lightens the mood, keeps things friendly.
