How to Answer your Chinese Boss: 6 Phrases for Advanced Students

In our previous article 5 Phrases for Beginners, BLCU’s Chinese teachers introduced how to answer your Chinese boss in Mandarin. Aside from those simple sentences, what other more advanced answers are there? Let’s take a look!

好嘞。Hǎo lei

This phrase has the exact same meaning as “好的”, but it’s more used in spoken Chinese and sounds more native and authentic. If you have already worked in a Chinese company for a while and gotten familiar with your coworkers, you can try using this phrase to express your enthusiastic reception of news or responsibility.

老板:你安排一个会议室,半小时后我们开个会吧。

Lǎobǎn:Nǐ ānpái yí gè huìyìshì,bàn xiǎoshí hòu wǒmen kāi gè huì ba。

Boss: Can you book a meeting room, we’ll have a meeting in half an hour.

你:好嘞!

Nǐ:Hǎo lei!

You: Of course!

您放心。Nín fàngxīn

This phrase is used to tell others that you can definitely complete the task and there’s no need to worry about it. If you are answering upper-level leadership, be sure to use the formal “您”. If you’re just talking with colleagues, simply saying “放心” will do. 

老板:明天和A公司的谈判准备得怎么样了?

Lǎobǎn:Míngtiān hé A gōngsī de tánpàn zhǔnbèi de zěnmeyàng le?

Boss: How are the preparations for tomorrow’s negotiation with Company A going?

你:都准备好了,您放心。

Nǐ:dōu zhǔnbèi hǎo le,nín fàngxīn。

You: Everything’s been prepared, there is no need to worry.

我马上处理。Wǒ mǎshàng chùlǐ

When your boss discovers a problem and sends you to solve it, this phrase indicates your focus and that you will immediately solve the problem.

老板:客户说他们还没有收到货。

Lǎobǎn:Kèhù shuō tāmen hái méiyǒu shōudào huò。

Boss: The client says they haven’t received the money yet.

你:好的,我马上处理。

Nǐ:hǎode,wǒ mǎshàng chùlǐ。

You: Understood, I’ll go take care of it immediately.

Chinese workers and Chinese boss talking in the workplace around a computer

我一定按时完成。Wǒ yídìng ànshí wánchéng

When your boss asks you to complete a project, especially if there is limited time, you can use t his phrase to answer their requests. It means that you will complete the task within the required time.

老板:下周一前把项目计划书给我吧。

Lǎobǎn:Xià zhōu yī qián bǎ xiàngmù jìhuà shū gěi wǒ ba。

Boss: Give the project plan to me before next week, all right?

你:好的,我一定按时完成。

Nǐ:Hǎode,wǒ yídìng ànshí wánchéng。

You: Understood, I’ll complete it on time.

我会跟进这件事。Wǒ huì gēnjìn zhè jiàn shì

If your boss gives you some new work, and hopes you regularly update him on the project’s progress and development, you can use this sentence to answer them.

老板:和A公司的合作非常重要,他们最近有反馈吗?

Lǎobǎn:hé A gōngsī de hézuò fēicháng zhòngyào,tāmen zuìjìn yǒu fǎnkuì ma?

Boss: Our collaboration with Company A is extremely important, did they share any feedback lately?

你:还没有,我会跟进这件事。

Nǐ:Hái méiyǒu,wǒ huì gēnjìn zhè jiàn shì。

You: Not yet, I’ll follow up on this matter.

How to answer your Chinese boss

我研究研究。Wǒ yánjiū yánjiū

If you don’t totally understand a task, you can respond to the boss using this phrase. It means you first need to do a bit of research to understand the task, and then you’ll be able to complete it.

老板:这款产品的功能很好,我们的新产品能有这样的功能吗?

Lǎobǎn:Zhè kuǎn chǎnpǐn de gōngnéng hěn hǎo,wǒmen de xīn chǎnpǐn néng yǒu zhèyàng de gōngnéng ma?

Boss: This product’s functions are very good, will our new products also have these functions?

你:我先研究研究,明天给您汇报。

Nǐ:Wǒ xiān yánjiū yánjiū,míngtiān gěi nín huìbào。

You: I’ll look into it first, and tomorrow will give you my report.

 

These six phrases will help you find success in your workplace. Don’t forget to share this article if it was helpful to you!

If you want to study Chinese for the workplace, communicating with Chinese customers or working at a Chinese enterprise, and want to understand Chinese culture, click the button here to apply and improve your future career prospects!

Savannah Billman has a master's degree in Chinese Law and Society at the Yenching Academy of Peking University. She holds a B.A. from NYU Shanghai and has also written for The World of Chinese, TechNode, SupChina, and Sixth Tone.
Savannah Billman

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