ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
您
you (polite)
nín
11 strokes · 你 (you) + 心 (heart) — you, carried on the heart · HSK 2
Where 您 comes from
您 is simply 你 'you' set on a heart 心 — respect written as anatomy. Address someone from the heart and the pronoun itself bows. It arose in northern Chinese and Beijing made it standard courtesy.
您 in Chinese culture
您好 opens formal encounters; shop clerks, students to teachers, anyone to the elderly — all switch from 你 to 您. Beijingers famously 您 everyone, even in arguments: 您怎么回事儿? manages to be furious and polite simultaneously.
Example
您好 nín hǎo — hello (polite)
您好，请问您贵姓?
Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn nín guìxìng?
Hello, may I ask your surname?
How to remember it
YOU 你 lifted onto a heart 心 — the RESPECTFUL you.
There's no plural 您们 in careful usage — one heart can't carry a crowd. Polite Chinese addresses respected people one at a time.
Same sound, different tones
您
4th nìn
(nín is the only common nin)
Words unlocked by 您
您好 nín hǎo
hello (polite)
谢谢您 xièxie nín
thank you (polite)
您贵姓? Nín guìxìng?
your surname? (polite)
Related characters
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One character a morning · 371-character HSK library · iOS