Today’s Episode
In this episode of MaoMi Chinese, we uncover the world of kètàohuà, those unique Chinese polite expressions that can leave even advanced learners scratching their heads. Why do Chinese people ask if you’ve eaten as a greeting? And what do you say when someone humbly downplays an impressive meal? Tune in to learn how these phrases work and how to respond like a native!
大家好！欢迎回来MaoMi Chinese！当你的中文已经很好的时候，你可能还会觉得，有时候听不明白一些话。中文里有一些客套话，可能和其他语言很不一样。客套话，意思是人们说的一些礼貌的话。今天，我们一起来聊一聊这些客套话，还有听到这些客套话的时候，我们应该说什么。
第一个很常见的客套话，就是“你吃了吗？”或者“吃了没？”或者“吃过了吗”？有时候你早上去散步，看到一个中国的朋友，他可能会这样问你：“散步呢？吃过早饭了吗？”西方人打招呼一般说“你好”，“你怎么样”，有时候会说一说天气，但是中国人打招呼，喜欢问吃饭了吗，尤其是一些年龄比较大的中国人，他们更喜欢这样打招呼。他们不是真的想知道你吃过饭了没有。如果有人这样问你，你可以说：“是啊，刚吃过，你也散步呢？吃过了吗？”
在中国的文化里，我们说话，做事情，都要很谦虚。有时候，你夸你的一个中国朋友，你说他做得太好了，你的朋友可能会说：“哪里哪里！要学习的地方还有很多。”虽然你的朋友也很高兴，但是他要说这样的客套话。有一些人更礼貌，他们会说：“你过奖了！”意思是，你夸他夸得太多了，他没有你说的这么好。其实他也知道他很好，但是他要谦虚，要说一些客套话。
如果你去一个中国朋友家做客，朋友给你准备了很多好吃的饭菜，但是朋友可能会说：“没什么好吃的，你不要介意，随便吃点儿。”你看着饭桌上很多的饭菜，可能会想：“这儿有很多好吃的啊！怎么会说没有好吃的呢？”这也是一个客套话。这时候，你可以对朋友说：“这些菜看着就很好吃！做了这么多的菜，太谢谢你了！”如果你吃饭的时候也说饭菜很好吃，我想你的朋友一定会更高兴的。
如果你在工作的地方认识了一个中国同事，他可能会和你说：“很高兴认识你，请多多关照。”意思是，请你照顾一下我。但是呢，这也是一个客套话，你的同事不是真的要你照顾他。这时候，你也可以说一句客套话：“哪里哪里，也请你多多关照！”
还有一些客套话，比如：如果你想找你的朋友帮忙，你可以先说：“不好意思，打扰你了！”如果你的朋友帮了你的忙，你可以说：“辛苦你了！谢谢！”
今天我们聊了一些常见的客套话，如果你和一些年龄比较大的中国人聊天，你可以说这些客套话。年轻人比较少说客套话，但是有时候为了礼貌，他们也会说一些客套话。
在你的国家，你们会说客套话吗？给我们留言，和我们分享哦！
Hello everyone! Welcome back to MaoMi Chinese! When your Chinese is already quite good, you may still feel that sometimes you don’t understand certain phrases. In Chinese, there are some polite expressions that might be quite different from other languages. These expressions, or kètàohuà, are phrases people use to be polite. Today, let’s discuss some of these expressions and how we can respond when we hear them.
The first common polite expression is, “Have you eaten?” or “Eaten yet?” or “Have you had a meal?” Sometimes in the morning, if you’re out for a walk and meet a Chinese friend, they might greet you by asking, “Out for a walk? Had breakfast yet?” Westerners usually greet each other by saying “Hello,” “How are you?” or sometimes even talking about the weather. But in China, especially among older generations, people often greet each other by asking about meals. They don’t actually want to know if you’ve eaten; it’s simply a friendly greeting. If someone asks you this, you can respond by saying, “Yes, I just had some. Are you out for a walk too? Had breakfast?”
In Chinese culture, it’s important to be modest in speech and action. Sometimes, if you compliment a Chinese friend and say they did something very well, they might respond with, “Oh, not at all! I still have a lot to learn.” Although they’re happy with the compliment, they use this polite expression as a modest reply. Some people might even say, “You flatter me!” meaning they don’t think they’re as good as you say. Of course, they know they’re good, but to be humble, they respond with these polite phrases.
If you’re invited to a Chinese friend’s home, they might prepare a lot of delicious food for you. Yet your friend might say, “It’s nothing special, just a little something to eat.” You might look at the table full of dishes and think, “There’s so much good food here! Why are they saying there’s nothing special?” This is another example of a polite expression. In response, you could say, “The food looks amazing! Thank you so much for preparing all of this!” And if you compliment the food during the meal, your friend will surely be even happier.
If you meet a Chinese colleague at work, they might say to you, “It’s a pleasure to meet you; please look after me.” This means they’re hoping for good collaboration, but it’s also a polite expression—they’re not literally asking for your help. You could respond with another polite expression: “Not at all, please look after me as well!”
There are other polite expressions, too. For example, if you want to ask a friend for help, you might start by saying, “Sorry to bother you!” And if they do help you, you can say, “Thank you so much for your hard work!”
Today, we’ve discussed some common polite expressions. If you’re chatting with older Chinese people, you might find it helpful to use these expressions. Young people tend to use them less often, but for politeness, they sometimes do as well.
Do people use polite expressions in your country? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts!
你好MOLLY老师谢谢你博客。这个博客也非常好。结束的时候突然结束。请看一看这个博客。（不知道我的话对， 我希望你听懂了我）。上星期叔叔问我你吃了么？我不知道这个是客套话然后我告诉他还没吃过 ：））还是在我的国家也这样的。我们在我们文化里也有很多客套话。
你好MOLLY老师谢谢你博客。这个博客也非常好。可是结束的时候，突然结束。请看一看这个博客。（不知道我的话对， 我希望你听懂了我）。上星期叔叔问我你吃了么？我不知道了这个是客套话然后我告诉他还没吃过 ：））在我的国家也这样的。我们在我们文化里也有很多客套话。
在我的国家人们也常说一些客套话。比如： 大家收到别人的夸奖的时候也会说一些谦虚的话，表明自己还有很多地方需要学习
你好今天也我听你的博客。行。谢谢你