Have you noticed that the phrase "You're welcome" has largely been taken place by two new words — "No problem."?
Here is an example:
Shop assistant, "Here's your change, Madam." Me, "Thank you." Shop assistant, "No problem."
But to me, "No problem" is a . I want to be thanked for going to a shop. I don't want this automatic (机械的) reply. "You are welcome" means "You are welcome to shop here; thanks for us to help you." When I hear "no problem", what I think is: "You're not helping me. I'll go somewhere else next time."
There are some annoying phrases, of course. But this one especially seems to just push people to one side. It seems to say, "I've taken care of you, so now leave me alone." It seems that the shop assistant wants to say is that you are actually not "welcome".
It's part of a whole, lazy culture. People don't notice each other. People can't be bothered (打搅). People sit in cafes, but they don't talk. They just look at their mobile phones. If you ask one of these people to move their chair a little you can sit down, they reply, "No problem." I don't feel that means "You're welcome to the table." I feel it means "No problem that you only bothered me a bit."
Lots of people think this phrase is mainly used by younger people, just another word "whatever". But actually, "no problem" crosses generations (一代人). It's taken hold in a way that fits no single group of people. There is "no problem" wherever you go. Next time you're about to say those two words, stop for a minute. Make eye contact, and say with a smile: "You're welcome."
Be a bit more polite? No problem.
