Meaning of 客气
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- polite
- courteous
- formal
- modest
How to use 客气
客气 describes polite or formal behavior, and it is often used to tell someone not to stand on ceremony. As a verb it means to be polite or modest. Example: 别客气，多吃点。(Bié kèqi, duō chī diǎn.) Don't be shy, have some more.
客 (kè) means guest and 气 (qì) means air or manner. 客气 is the "guest manner": the careful, polite way you act when you are a guest in someone's home.
Common mistake: Learners often say 不客气 (bù kèqi) as a reply to every polite phrase. It only answers 谢谢 (xièxie). Don't use it to answer 对不起 (duìbuqǐ); say 没关系 (méi guānxi) for that. Also note that 气 is usually light-toned in 客气, so it sounds like kèqi and not kèqì.
客气 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
客 kè · guest · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
气 qì · gas · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 客气.
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be furious; vitality; liveliness |
| 天气 | tiānqì | weather |
| 不客气 | bù kèqì | you're welcome; don't mention it |
| 客人 | kèrén | visitor; guest; customer |
| 空气 | kōngqì | air; atmosphere |
| 顾客 | gùkè | customer; client |
| 游客 | yóukè | traveler; tourist; (online gaming) guest player |
| 请客 | qǐngkè | to give a dinner party; to entertain guests |
| 旅客 | lǚkè | traveler; tourist |
| 气温 | qìwēn | air temperature |
| 气候 | qìhòu | (meteorology) climate; (fig.) climate; prevailing conditions (in human affairs) |
| 客观 | kèguān | objective; impartial |
Questions about 客气
What does 客气 mean?
客气 (kèqi) means "polite; courteous" and is used as a adjective and verb.
How do you write 客气?
客气 is made of 2 characters: 客 (9 strokes), 气 (4 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 客气 an HSK word?
Yes. 客气 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 客气 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 客气 is written 客氣.
Is being 客气 always a good thing?
Not always. Among close friends, being too 客气 can feel distant, so people say 你太客气了 (nǐ tài kèqi le), meaning you are being too formal. It is both a compliment and a gentle push to relax.
What does 不客气 mean when it is not a reply to thanks?
It can mean rude or blunt, as in 说话不客气 (shuōhuà bù kèqi), to speak bluntly. A phrase like 对你不客气 (duì nǐ bù kèqi) is a warning that someone will not go easy on you.