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If you find "no problem" to be hard to say - or perhaps you feel it is hard for your listener to hear - then you could try "my pleasure". I made this small edit to my speech a few years ago.

I recently heard a nurse say, "It's my privilege" in response to a thank-you. This felt like a more heartfelt acknowledgement of the gratitude being expressed.

One might also experiment with "It's no burden", which seems to fall somewhere between "My pleasure" and "It's my privilege".


Let's say you go out of your way helping someone, because you go out your way, it is not really a pleasure. Of course it is a pleasure and a feel of privilege when someone thanks/appreciates you. So saying "my pleasure" or "it is my privilege" is accepting the "thank you". To understand in Chinese culture, it is first need to be modest (or to feel embarrassing), therefore, "my pleasure", "it is my privilege", "you are welcome" all fails to fill the bill of being modest (either that or pretentious).

In comparison, "no problem" does not deny that I went out of my way but it is not a problem for me to do it (as long as you appreciate it).

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