礼节 (lǐ jié) — etiquette; rules of polite behavior in social situations

Definition

礼节 refers to the specific rules of polite behavior observed in social situations, more concrete than the broader 礼貌 ('politeness, good manners'). 礼仪 is a more formal synonym leaning toward ceremonial or ritual settings.

noun
etiquetterules of polite behavior in social situations

Examples

  • ，礼节。
    Zài shè jiāo huó dòng zhōng, liǎo jiě dāng dì de lǐ jié hěn zhòng yào.
    In social activities, it's important to understand local etiquette.
  • 礼节。
    Zhōng guó rén zài yǔ rén jiāo wǎng shí hěn jiǎng jiu lǐ jié.
    Chinese people pay great attention to etiquette when interacting with others.
  • 礼节。
    Zhèng shì chǎng hé de lǐ jié yāo qiú chuān zhuó dé tǐ.
    Formal occasions require dressing appropriately as a matter of etiquette.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 禮; 礼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
礻Written in full as示shìaltar
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ禮lǐ
Same sound today

The traditional form 禮 pairs 礻 (altar) with 豊, a sound part, for performing rites at the altar; the simplified 礼 is a later shorthand.

Open 礼 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 節; 节 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺮Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
即
即jí節jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 節 pairs ⺮ (bamboo) with 即, which gives the sound; the bamboo part points to a node of bamboo. The simplified 节 is a later abbreviation.

Open 节 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Greetings & Politeness

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