问候 (wèn hòu) — to greet; to send one's regards

Definition

问候 is a formal 'greeting / sending regards' — often written or used for polite phrases like 请代我问候你的家人. 比打招呼更正式书面, and emphasizes sending regards rather than the casual greet-and-go of 打招呼.

verb

to greetto send one's regards

Examples

问候。
Wǒ dài biǎo gōng sī xiàng nín biǎo shì chéng zhì de wèn hòu.
On behalf of the company, I extend my sincere greetings to you.
问候。
Tā měi cì jiàn dào zhǎng bèi dōu huì zhǔ dòng wèn hòu.
Every time he sees an elder, he takes the initiative to greet them.
问候。
Qǐng dài wǒ wèn hòu nǐ de jiā rén.
Please send my regards to your family.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

问wènask after

候hòugreet

问 ask after and 候 greet together express sending regards to someone.

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 問; 问 is its simplified writing.

門口問

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

門

門mén問wèn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 問 combines 口 (mouth) with 門, which gives the sound; the simplified 问 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 问 →

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

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

矦

矦hóu候hòu

Same sound today

候 combines 亻, relating to people, with 矦, which gives the sound.

Open 候 →

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 5 Greetings & Politeness