干杯

• Pinyin: gān bēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 (gān) — dry, to drain; 杯 (bēi) — cup, glass

Meaning

Cheers; bottoms up. An exclamation used when clinking glasses to drink together.

Literally means 'dry the cup' — in traditional Chinese drinking culture, 干杯 means to empty your glass completely. In modern casual settings, people may just take a sip. Very common at banquets, celebrations, and social gatherings.

Examples

1. 大家举起杯子，干杯！ Everyone raise your glasses — cheers!
2. 为我们的友谊干杯！ Let's drink to our friendship!
3. 新年快乐，干杯！ Happy New Year — cheers!

Usage Guide

Context: celebrations, banquets, social drinking

Tone: festive, enthusiastic

Do Say

• 来，为你的成功干杯！(Come on, cheers to your success!)
• 干杯！祝大家新年快乐！(Cheers! Happy New Year to everyone!)

Don't Say

• 如果不能喝酒，不要勉强干杯 — you can politely say 我以茶代酒 (I'll toast with tea instead of alcohol) rather than refusing a toast outright.

Origin & History

Compound of 干 (dry, to drain) and 杯 (cup, glass). The literal meaning is 'dry the cup' — to drink it all.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal