A traveler arriving from outside to stay under a roof. A guest, customer, visitor, or outsider. Under a roof (宀), an outsider (各) enters and is received.
客 is not a verb or adjective; 不客气 is a fixed phrase meaning 'you're welcome' or 'don't be polite', but 客不客气 is not used.
客 is a bound morpheme and cannot stand alone as a noun; you must say 客人 for 'a guest'.
客 means 'guest' and 家 means 'home/family'; both have the roof 宀, but the bottom parts are completely different.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | 客 = guest, visitor | 家 = home, family |
| Bottom component | 各 (phonetic) | 豕 (pig) |
| Example | 客人来了。 | 我家有四个人。 |
No, 客 is a bound morpheme; it must combine with another character like 人 to form a word.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone noun | 客人 (kè rén) | 客 (kè) |
| Example sentence | 家里来客人了。 | 家里来客了。 |
| Other compounds | 客气, 请客, 客厅 | 客 alone |
Before you start learning Chinese, master the most important phrases: greetings. This short dialogue shows you how to say hello and goodbye, and how to respond politely.
不用客气 ！
不客气 ！
Follow Dazhong, a busy worker in China, as he finds warmth and kindness at a small noodle shop. Practice everyday words for food, weather, and expressing gratitude.
老先生很高兴，对大中说：“ 不客气 ，多吃一点儿。”
Why would a millionaire leave a table of lobster and wagyu untouched? This story explores the hidden rules of business dining and the true cost of staying alert.
他忽然说，十多年前他第一次跟 大客户 吃饭。
Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.
游客 想去喝茶，还要买门票。
Discover how a simple letter from a cookie seller led to an unexpected friendship with a famous scholar. This heartwarming story explores kindness and connection across social divides.
一天，胡之适邀请元真到他研究院的办公室去 做客 。
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
家人、朋友关系好，“谢谢”、“您”、“请”太 客气 ，在家说话 不客气 ，可以不说“您和请”。
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