Chinese Work Chat and Email

Avoid vague promises. State the item, the next action and the expected time. Written Chinese at work is judged on whether the reader can act on it, not on how polite the opening line is — a short message with the deadline in it beats a long one without.

Keep sentences short and put one idea in each. A message that separates request, status and timing is easier to write in a second language and easier to act on.

Making a request in writing

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
请您确认一下附件。	Qǐng nín quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn.	Please take a look at the attachment.
麻烦您今天回复。	Máfan nín jīntiān huífù.	Could I ask you to reply today?
您可以帮我处理吗？	Nín kěyǐ bāng wǒ chǔlǐ ma?	Could you handle this for me?
如果有问题，请告诉我。	Rúguǒ yǒu wèntí, qǐng gàosu wǒ.	If there is a problem, please let me know.

附件 (fùjiàn) is an attachment; 处理 (chǔlǐ) is to handle or deal with something. When a request has a deadline, write the date rather than “soon”, and leave room for the other person to say the timing does not work.

Progress and delays

目前正在处理。 (Mùqián zhèngzài chǔlǐ.) — I am working on it now.
已经完成了。 (Yǐjīng wánchéng le.) — It is done.
预计明天完成。 (Yùjì míngtiān wánchéng.) — I expect to finish tomorrow.
可能会晚一点。 (Kěnéng huì wǎn yìdiǎn.) — It may be slightly late.
原因是〜。 (Yuányīn shì ~.) — The reason is ~.

预计 (yùjì) means “estimated” or “expected”, and it is the word that makes an update usable. “As soon as possible” tells the reader nothing; 预计明天完成 (yùjì míngtiān wánchéng) tells them when to check back. When something slips, send the new estimate early — the delay is rarely the problem, the silence is.

Acknowledging, following up and handing over

Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning
我已经收到您的邮件。	Wǒ yǐjīng shōudào nín de yóujiàn.	I have received your email.
我会跟进这个事项。	Wǒ huì gēnjìn zhège shìxiàng.	I will follow up on this item.
我把这项工作交接给〜。	Wǒ bǎ zhè xiàng gōngzuò jiāojiē gěi ~.	I am handing this work over to ~.
请确认我们的理解一致。	Qǐng quèrèn wǒmen de lǐjiě yízhì.	Please confirm we understand this the same way.

跟进 (gēnjìn) means to follow up or take ownership of an item; 交接 (jiāojiē) is a handover; 事项 (shìxiàng) is an item or matter. When several people are involved, name the owner and the next person who needs to confirm — pronouns disappear fast in a long thread.

A template for the order of information

您好，附件是更新后的资料。
(Nín hǎo, fùjiàn shì gēngxīn hòu de zīliào.)
请您在周五前确认。如果有问题，请告诉我。
(Qǐng nín zài zhōuwǔ qián quèrèn. Rúguǒ yǒu wèntí, qǐng gàosu wǒ.)

What I am sending → what I need from you → by when. Three short sentences in that order make a complete message, and the pattern is easy to reuse: swap the noun and the date and you have next week’s email.

Conversation: confirming the owner and the timing

Colleague: 这件事谁来跟进？
(Zhè jiàn shì shéi lái gēnjìn?)
Learner: 我来跟进，明天上午给你回复。
(Wǒ lái gēnjìn, míngtiān shàngwǔ gěi nǐ huífù.)
Colleague: 好的，谢谢。
(Hǎo de, xièxie.)

我来〜 (wǒ lái ~) is how you volunteer for something: “I’ll take this.” Recording the owner and the time of the next update in one line is what makes a chat thread useful later.

Conversation: flagging that a check will take longer

Learner: 我还在确认，预计明天完成。
(Wǒ hái zài quèrèn, yùjì míngtiān wánchéng.)
Colleague: 好的，有进展请告诉我。
(Hǎo de, yǒu jìnzhǎn qǐng gàosu wǒ.)

进展 (jìnzhǎn) is progress. 还在 (hái zài) — “still in the middle of” — is a useful way to report that something is unfinished without sounding like an apology.

Write the update people can act on

Put the request, owner, deadline, and current status in separate short sentences. If a deadline may change, say that early and name the time you will update again. Clear written Chinese is often more valuable than a very formal message.

Read the message once from the receiver’s side: can they tell what you need, by when, and what you will do next? If not, add the missing detail rather than adding polite filler. That is how a brief message becomes dependable.

Takeaway

One idea per sentence: what it is, what you are asking, when it is due.
Report delays with a new estimate, not with “as soon as possible”.
In a handover, write down the owner and the open questions so the thread stands on its own.

Related: meetings and tasks for what you are writing up, and work basics for requests and deadlines.

By the end of this chapter, you can say

请您确认一下附件。请在周五前回复。 (Qǐng nín quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn. Qǐng zài zhōuwǔ qián huífù.)

Practical note for this chapter

Coordinate with classmates, colleagues and customers with clear, dependable Mandarin. In this chapter, practice giving a short response and then checking what matters.

Use it in context

A: 这件事谁来跟进？ (Zhè jiàn shì shéi lái gēnjìn?)
B: 请您确认一下附件。请在周五前回复。 (Qǐng nín quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn. Qǐng zài zhōuwǔ qián huífù.)

Phrase map for this chapter

Question or situation: 这件事谁来跟进？ (Zhè jiàn shì shéi lái gēnjìn?)
Central response: 请您确认一下附件。请在周五前回复。 (Qǐng nín quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn. Qǐng zài zhōuwǔ qián huífù.)
Another natural way to say it: 请您在周五前确认一下附件。 (Qǐng nín zài Zhōuwǔ qián quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn.); Use this variation in a situation you genuinely expect to handle.
How to use it: Listen to the model once, then say it again with one detail from your own situation.

Turn the model into three conversation turns

1. Open the situation这件事谁来跟进？ (Zhè jiàn shì shéi lái gēnjìn?)
2. Say the central response请您确认一下附件。请在周五前回复。 (Qǐng nín quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn. Qǐng zài zhōuwǔ qián huífù.)
3. Add an alternative请您在周五前确认一下附件。 (Qǐng nín zài Zhōuwǔ qián quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn.)

Before acting, check the point most likely to cause a misunderstanding. This dialogue is for practice. For important decisions, confirm official guidance as well.

A useful variation

Keep the same purpose, then change the person, time or place to make it your own.

请您在周五前确认一下附件。 (Qǐng nín zài Zhōuwǔ qián quèrèn yíxià fùjiàn.)

Use this variation in a situation you genuinely expect to handle.

Listen to the model once, then say it again with one detail from your own situation.

A common trap

For important details, do not decide from what you think you heard; check written information when needed.

工作消息要写清对象、文件和回复时间。 (Gōngzuò xiāoxi yào xiě qīng duìxiàng, wénjiàn hé huífù shíjiān.)

This dialogue is for practice. For important decisions, confirm official guidance as well.

Three-step practice

Open the situation in one short phrase
Say the central response
Add one detail of your own

Chinese Work Chat and Email — Requests, Updates, Delays and Handover