麻烦你了 Sorry to Trouble You in Chinese

下个星期xià ge xīngqī，我wǒ要yào出差chūchāi，家里jiā lǐ的de花huā没méi人rén浇水jiāoshuǐ。

Next week I'm going on a business trip, and there'll be no one at home to water the flowers.

我wǒ去qù楼下lóuxià找zhǎo邻居línjū小张Xiǎo Zhāng，说shuō：“小张Xiǎo Zhāng，麻烦máfan你nǐ帮bāng我wǒ浇水jiāoshuǐ，可以kěyǐ吗ma？”

I went downstairs to find my neighbor Xiao Zhang and said: "Xiao Zhang, sorry to trouble you, could you water the flowers for me?"

小张Xiǎo Zhāng说shuō：“没méi问题wèntí，你nǐ把bǎ钥匙yàoshi给gěi我wǒ吧ba。”

Xiao Zhang said: "No problem, just give me the key."

我wǒ说shuō：“谢谢xièxie你nǐ，麻烦máfan你nǐ了le。”

I said: "Thank you, sorry for the trouble."

一个yí ge星期xīngqī以后yǐhòu，我wǒ回huí来lái了le，发现fāxiàn阳台yángtái上shang的de花huā开kāi得de很hěn好hǎo。

A week later, I came back, and discovered the flowers on the balcony had bloomed beautifully.

我wǒ给gěi小张Xiǎo Zhāng买mǎi了le一些yìxiē水果shuǐguǒ，又yòu说shuō了le一次yí cì：“麻烦máfan你nǐ了le。”

I bought Xiao Zhang some fruit, and said once more: "Sorry for the trouble."

小张Xiǎo Zhāng拿ná着zhe水果shuǐguǒ，说shuō：“下次xià cì出差chūchāi，再zài叫jiào我wǒ。”

Xiao Zhang held the fruit and said: "Next time you go on a trip, just call on me."

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

麻烦máfanto trouble (someone)

浇水jiāoshuǐto water (plants)

钥匙yàoshikey

出差chūchāito go on a business trip

阳台yángtáibalcony

邻居línjūneighbor

麻烦你 + verb（asking a favor politely）

麻烦你 before a verb softens a request — it shows you know the favor takes the other person's time or effort.

麻烦你帮我浇水。— Sorry to trouble you, could you water them for me.

麻烦你了（thanking someone for their trouble）

麻烦你了 is said after someone has already helped — it thanks them for the specific effort or inconvenience, heavier than a plain 谢谢.

谢谢你，麻烦你了。— Thank you, sorry for the trouble.

把 + object + 给 + person（handing something over）

把 moves the object in front of the verb to focus on what is being handed to someone.

你把钥匙给我吧。— Just give me the key.

1. Why does the narrator ask Xiao Zhang for help?

2. What does 麻烦你了 express?

3. What does the narrator discover after returning from the trip?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.