Definition
敬语 refers to honorific or polite language used in Chinese to show respect, especially in formal settings, with elders, or in service interactions. Unlike Japanese or Korean, Chinese doesn't have a full grammatical honorific system, but it uses specific vocabulary and sentence patterns — like 请, 您, 贵, 令, 拜, 赐 — to convey politeness. You'll encounter 敬语 in contexts like business letters, customer service scripts, and formal speeches.
n.
honorific languagepolite expressions
Examples
- ，敬语。Xiě shāngwù yóujiàn shí, yào shǐyòng shìdàng de jìng yǔ.When writing business emails, you should use appropriate polite language.
- ，敬语。Duì zhǎngbèi shuōhuà, zuì hǎo yòng jìng yǔ biǎoshì zūnzhòng.When speaking to elders, it's best to use honorific language to show respect.
- 敬语。Fúwùyuán duì kèrén yòng le hěn duō jìng yǔ.The waiter used a lot of polite language toward the guests.
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