见外 (jiàn wài) — to treat someone as an outsider; to be overly formal (especially among friends or close acquaintances)
Definition
见外 means treating a close friend like a stranger — 'don't be so formal.' Unlike 客气 (general politeness), it implies distance that feels inappropriate between people who know each other well.
adjective
to treat someone as an outsiderto be overly formal (especially among friends or close acquaintances)
Examples
- ，见外。Dà jiā dōu shì hǎo péng you, nǐ jiù bié jiàn wài le.We're all good friends, so don't be so formal.
- 见外，。Nǐ zhè yàng shuō jiù jiàn wài le, wǒ men dōu rèn shi zhè me duō nián le.Saying that makes you sound like a stranger; we've known each other for so many years.
- 见外？？Nǐ jīn tiān zěn me zhè me jiàn wài? shì bu shì yǒu shén me bù kāi xīn de shì?Why are you being so formal today? Is there something that's upsetting you?
Appears in
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