客套 (kè tào) — polite formulas; civilities; exchange of greetings (as a social courtesy)
Definition
客套 (kètào) refers to polite, formulaic words exchanged as social ritual — pleasant but often insincere. It usually modifies 话 (客套话) and pairs with 文化 / 重视, distinct from 客气的 everyday politeness in manner.
noun
polite formulascivilitiesexchange of greetings (as a social courtesy)
Examples
- 。Jiàn miàn shí xiān shuō jǐ jù kè tào huà zài tán zhèng shì.When meeting, first say a few polite words before discussing business.
- 客套，。Zhōng guó rén zhī jiān yě hěn zhòng shì kè tào, dàn bìng bú dài biǎo guān xì bù qīn mì.Chinese people also value civilities among themselves, but it doesn't mean the relationship isn't close.
- ，。Tā shuō de kè tào huà suī rán hǎo tīng, dàn dōu shì xíng shì.The polite words he said, though pleasant to hear, were all formalities.
Appears in
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