客 kè guest
guest; customer
How to remember 客: 宀 roof + 各 each = guest. At New Year everyone squeezes under grandma's roof, and each person at the door is welcomed like an honoured guest.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
客 = 宀 roof + 各 each
- 宀 roof meaning
- 各 each sound
- 夂 downward foot
- 口 mouth
At New Year everyone squeezes under grandma's roof, and each person at the door is welcomed like an honoured guest.
How it came to be
The oldest form has a roof on top for the meaning and a sound part beneath it.
How it is used
- 'Guest / customer': 客人 (kèren) guest, 顾客 (gùkè) customer, 乘客 (chéngkè) passenger.
- 请客 (qǐngkè) means to treat someone / pick up the bill; 做客 (zuòkè) is to be a guest at someone's home.
- In the set phrase 不客气 (bú kèqi) 'you're welcome', 客气 literally means 'polite/standing on ceremony', so 别客气 is 'don't be so formal'.
Characters built with 客
Words with 客
- 不客气bú kèqìyou are welcomeHSK 1
- 客人kèrenguestHSK 3
- 做客zuòkèto be a guest or visitorHSK 3
- 游客yóukètravelerHSK 3
- 请客qǐngkèto give a dinner partyHSK 3
- 顾客gùkècustomerHSK 4
- 客厅kètīngliving roomHSK 4
- 乘客chéngkèpassengerHSK 4
- 客气kèqipoliteHSK 4
- 旅客lǚkètravelerHSK 4
- 客户kèhùclientHSK 5
- 客服kèfúcustomer serviceHSK 5
- 客观kèguānobjectiveHSK 5
- 好客hàokèhospitalityHSK 6
- 客车kèchēcoachHSK 6
- 作客zuòkèto live somewhere as a visitorHSK 7
- 客房kèfángguest roomHSK 7
- 客机kèjīpassenger planeHSK 7
- 客流kèliúpassenger flowHSK 7
- 客运kèyùnpassenger transportationHSK 7
- 黑客hēikè(loanword) hackerHSK 7
Example sentences
- 来了一位客人。 Láile yí wèi kèren.One guest has arrived.
- 不客气，我很愿意帮助你！ Búkèqi, wǒ hěn yuànyì bāngzhù nǐ!Think nothing of it, I'm happy to help you!
- 她对待客人很友好。 Tā duìdài kèren hěn yǒuhǎo.She's friendly to the guests.
- 客厅里有一张方桌。 Kètīng lǐ yǒu yī zhāng fāngzhuō.There's a square table in the living room.