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来客 (lái kè) — guest, visitor (formal/literary)

Definition

A formal or literary word for a guest or visitor. More elevated in register than everyday 客人, and usually used in writing about hosts, banquets, or notable visitations rather than casual daily speech.

noun
guestvisitor (formal/literary)
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 来客。
    Hěn duō lái kè cān jiā le zuó tiān de wǎn yàn.
    Many guests attended yesterday's banquet.
  • 来客。
    Zhè zuò gǔ zhái jīng cháng yǒu lái kè lái fǎng.
    This ancient residence often has visitors.
  • 来客。
    Zhǔ rén rè qíng dì zhāo dài měi yí wèi lái kè.
    The host warmly received every guest.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

来láiarriving/come
客kèguest

来 says the person arrives, and 客 says they are a guest, so 来客 means a visiting guest.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
各
各gè客kè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 客, 宀 is a roof and 各 gives the sound; the character meant a guest.

Open 客 →
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