When writing in Chinese, one uses ‹感(gǎn)谢(xiè)› or colloquially ‹谢(xiè)谢› to express gratitude. ‹感(gǎn)› means ‹feel› and its subpart ‹心› is an image of the heart.
Thus, in Chinese culture, one first expresses gratitude through feeling or from the heart. When speaking, one uses a double ‹谢(xiè)›, which soothes and lifts the spirits. The character ‹谢› consists of two parts: the left part ‹讠› means speak, and the right part means shoot. In summary, ‹谢› means shooting out by speaking. From my point of view, in this sense ‹谢› describes a countermovement of receiving realized through reflection and further through words arising from helping or giving, which is usually volitional and rather unconscious. The two movements complete an event that promotes development. The word ‹谢(xiè)› in Mandarin sounds like shooting out air. It has the fourth, falling tone, which has a sense of affirmation and determination. When using a double ‹谢(xiè)›, the second is spoken in a low voice. Translation: Simone Stadlbacher
