(lǐ mào) - politeness, manners; polite in Mandarin
lǐmàoTraditional: 禮貌
Translation
politeness, manners; polite
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Word origin
A compound of 礼 (lǐ, rite, courtesy) and 貌 (mào, outward appearance), so courtesy as it shows on the outside.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 礼 (lǐ, courtesy) + 貌 (mào, appearance)
Stroke order
礼
貌
Examples
。
He is a very polite person.
。
Speaking like that is not very polite.
。
Children should learn good manners.
，。
Out of politeness, I went anyway.
。
He asked politely.
礼貌 (lǐ mào) is politeness in the sense of good manners: the surface behaviour that shows you were brought up properly. Its usual home is 有礼貌 and 没礼貌, have manners and have none, which is how Chinese most often judges a person's conduct.
It flexes across word classes without changing shape. 很礼貌 uses it as an adjective, 礼貌地说 as an adverb with 地, and 讲礼貌 as a noun meaning to mind one's manners. All three are natural.
The trap is confusing it with 客气. 客气 is politeness performed towards a guest or a stranger, and 别客气 means do not stand on ceremony. 礼貌 is a standing quality of a person. Telling someone 别礼貌了 would mean stop having manners, which is not the friendly thing you meant.
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Mandarin · Free printables
礼貌: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "礼貌" (politeness, manners; polite): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 30, lesson 2: 礼貌, 打击, 药物 and 7 more words.