Q: After sending a few messages with someone, excuse yourself by saying something like “I’m about to go to the gym for a little, it was nice to talk!” This will hint to them that you probably won’t be responding to their messages for a little bit. Be sure to tailor your responses depending on who you’re talking to. If you’re messaging with a coworker, you can say something along the lines of “I’m about to make some dinner. I’ll see you in the office on Monday!” Sometimes, ending a conversation is as simple as saying “I’m at work right now, I’ll talk to you soon!” Most people will be understanding as long as you have a real reason for ending the conversation.  For example, if you’re at home, you can say “Someone’s at the door – we’ll chat more soon!” If you’re about to get in the car, you can send a quick message like “TTYL, I’m driving!” Avoid lying about what you’re doing or why you can’t talk. More often than not, the person talking to you will know that you’re being dishonest, and they might get upset. Most people are pretty understanding if you have to end the conversation to get to sleep. Once you feel yourself starting to get tired, let your texting friend know that you’ll be heading to sleep soon. Try to avoid falling asleep while talking, which can seem rude!  For example, you could say something like “I have to hit the sack – talk to you tomorrow!” if you know you’ll be able to talk then. If you don’t get to talk to them often, you could say something like “I’m so sleepy. Let’s catch up later this week!” and make plans to talk on the phone or even video call within the next few days. When you’re talking to someone who you see in person often, responding with an emoji is a great way to pause the conversation until you see each other. Remember to make sure that the emoji is an appropriate response to their statement before you press send!  For example, if your roommate texts you “I’m bringing home pizza for dinner!” you could respond with the heart eyes emoji or the thumbs up emoji to let them know that you saw the message and you’re excited. If a friend or family member texts you saying “Are you free?” or “Can you talk later?” you can respond with the thumbs up or thumbs down emojis depending on your answer. This is a great way to end a conversation before it starts. Because you aren’t responding with words, the other person will be less likely to feel like they need to reply to your message. If you’ve been texting for a while and don’t have anything to say, just wait to respond. Try to think of something within 15-30 minutes so it doesn’t seem like you’re ignoring the message.  If you can’t think of something to say, end the conversation by making plans to talk later or saying that you’re busy. Don’t feel like you have to reply immediately to messages that you receive. If you don’t have anything to say, sometimes it’s best to just wait until you think of something important or funny to contribute.
A: Excuse yourself by saying that you're about to start doing something. State why you aren’t available to talk right now. Tell them you’re going to bed if it’s late at night. Respond with an emoji or two when appropriate. Wait to respond to messages if you have nothing to say.

Q: " This is the most common way to say "Thanks" in Chinese, especially in Mandarin Chinese.  Mandarin Chinese is spoken across most of northern and southwestern China. It has more native speakers than other forms of Chinese.  Xie does not translate directly into English, but when spoken as xiè xie, it means "Thanks" and "'xiè xie nǐ" means "Thank you." A rough pronunciation of xiè xie is syeh-syeh. The first xiè starts high and drops by the end. The second xie is a neutral tone, meaning it is said lightly and without any emphasis. In simplified Chinese characters, xiè xie is 谢谢. In traditional Chinese characters, it would be 謝謝。 Other "thank you" sayings involving xie xie include "xiè xiè nín de bāng zhù," (谢 谢 您 的 帮 助) a formal way of saying "thanks for your help," and "xiè xiè nǐ bāng wǒ," (谢谢 你 帮 我) a casual way of saying "Thanks for your help. This phrase translates roughly into “where, where!”  The Chinese culture values humility, and saying “thank you” in response to a compliment can come off as being a little arrogant. By saying “where, where,” you are essentially deflecting the compliment. Within the U.S. culture, it would be similar to saying “shucks.” A rough pronunciation of this response would be na-ha-lee na-ha-lee.  In simplified Chinese characters, this response is written as 哪里哪里. In traditional Chinese characters, it would be 哪裡哪裡. As with nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ, responding with bù, bù, bù is a way to politely deflect compliments.  This response is similar to saying "no, no, no" in English. The number of times you say "bù" can vary depending on how strong your denial needs to be. The greater the compliment, the stronger the denial. A rough pronunciation of bù, bù, bù would be bhoo bhoo bhoo. Write bù in Chinese as 不.
A:
Say "xiè xie. Use "nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ" when given a compliment. Try "bù, bù, bù" for compliments, as well.