Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
Chinese to English Dictionary
客套
kètào
Description
“客套”是指对别人说一些礼貌的话，比如“不用麻烦你了”“真是太谢谢了”。
"客套" refers to saying polite things to others, such as "No need to trouble you" or "Thank you very much."
这些话很有礼貌，但有时候不是真心的，只是为了客气。
These words are polite but sometimes insincere, just to be courteous.
Meanings
客套kètào
polite formalities; conventional courteous remarks
我们是好朋友，不用这么客套。
We are good friends, no need to be so formal.
客套kètào
to exchange polite remarks; be ceremoniously polite
他们互相客套了几句就开始谈事。
They exchanged a few polite remarks before starting the discussion.
Related words
Notes
- Etymology
客 (guest) + 套 (set formula), i.e. the set phrases said to guests.
- Nuance
often implies the politeness is surface-level or insincere, unlike genuine 真心 warmth.
Images