Chinese word

礼貌

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǐ mào

Meaning

  • adjectivepolite

Example

他很礼貌。tā hěn lǐ mào

He is very polite.

Illustration for 礼貌 (polite)

More examples

服务员对顾客很有礼貌。fú wù yuán duì gù kè hěn yǒu lǐ mào

The waiter is very polite to the customer.

Core concept

Respect made visible in everyday words and actions.

Common phrases

  • 有礼貌yǒu lǐ mào

    polite

  • 很礼貌hěn lǐ mào

    very polite

  • 对人很礼貌duì rén hěn lǐ mào

    very polite to others

Similar words

客气kè qì: Using polite, restrained words or behavior to show respect.
有礼貌yǒu lǐ mào: Having a well-mannered way of speaking and acting.

Definition in Chinese

遵守社会交往中的基本礼节，通过言行体现对他人的尊重与体谅。zūn shǒu shè huì jiāo wǎng zhōng de jī běn lǐ jié tōng guò yán xíng tǐ xiàn duì tā rén de zūn zhòng yǔ tǐ liàng

Word origin

礼 (lǐ, "ritual propriety") refers to rules of courtesy, and 貌 (mào, "outward manner") adds how those rules appear in a person's conduct.

Usage tips

  • The adjective often follows 很 (hěn, "very") in everyday descriptions, while noun-like uses with 有 (yǒu, "have") and 没有 (méiyǒu, "not have") describe whether someone has good manners.

Other meanings

  • mannersnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word