How to Say “Keep the change” in Chinese
Shopping · HSK 3
"Keep the change" in Chinese is 不用找了 (Bú yòng zhǎo le). 找 zhǎo here doesn't mean 'look for'; it's the verb for 'give change back.' So 不用找了 literally says 'no need to give change back.
Primary translation
不用找了
Bú yòng zhǎo le
Variants by register
Formal
不用找了，谢谢
Bú yòng zhǎo le, xièxie
When to use it
找 zhǎo here doesn't mean 'look for'; it's the verb for 'give change back.' So 不用找了 literally says 'no need to give change back.' Heads up: tipping is not a cultural norm in Mainland China or Taiwan, so saying this to a waiter can feel awkward or even be refused. Where it's actually common is with taxi drivers when rounding up a fare (e.g., meter says 27元, you hand over 30 and say 不用找了). Because mobile pay is exact-to-the-fen, this phrase has also become rarer; it's almost a marker of the cash era. The 了 le signals the decision is final.
Example sentences
师傅，不用找了。
Shīfu, bú yòng zhǎo le.
Driver, keep the change.
给你五十，不用找了。
Gěi nǐ wǔshí, bú yòng zhǎo le.
Here's fifty, keep the change.
就这样吧，不用找了，谢谢。
Jiù zhèyàng ba, bú yòng zhǎo le, xièxie.
That's fine, keep the change, thanks.