<p>I think the logic is like 口气，语气. </p>

<p>口气 is tone in English. 气 is air. 口气 is air from your mouth. Figuratively, it becomes your tone with which you speak. </p>

<p>So, my thought for 客气 would be you speak in a guest's tone, which implies you are being polite. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T01:36:58.530Z
2017-10-10T01:36:58.530Z
dan
<p>'polite' comes from the Latin politus "refined, elegant, accomplished," literally "polished," past participle of polire (polish, not Polish), but that doesn't mean someone who is polite is shiny!</p>

<p>Maybe it originated from 'in the spirit or air of a guest', the assumption being, a guest is very well behaved. (Back then the Chinese never had English guests perhaps, or they might not have used this metaphor)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/xs/6C14.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/xs/6C14.htm</a></p>

<p>气: (19) 指精神状态,情绪 [morale;spirit] or</p>

<p>气： (25) 中医学术语。指脉气和营卫 [energy of life;vital energy]</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-30T08:18:28.070Z
(19) is correct, (25) is not related.
tsh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T09:36:15.577Z
2017-10-10T09:36:15.577Z
Pedroski
<p>气 Has many uses, just as "air" does in English:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>an air of insouciance </p></li>
<li><p>give someone the air </p></li>
<li><p>the radio station is on the air </p></li>
<li><p>putting on airs</p></li>
<li><p>take a sweater or jacket out for an airing</p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-11T16:51:30.407Z
2017-10-11T16:51:30.407Z
IHeartPoodles
<p>"客气" can be traced back to a story in The Spring and Autumn period(I did search this term....what an awkward name). This term was to describe actions that not from the heart, just for being polite. Now it becomes a neutral term - "you're welcome". </p>

<p>source:
<a href="http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4aa115950100f0tz.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4aa115950100f0tz.html</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T20:10:18.860Z
2017-10-10T20:10:18.860Z
Kevman
<p>Looking up their definitions:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.xiaoma.info/compound.php?cp=%E5%AE%A2%E6%B0%94" rel="nofollow noreferrer">客气</a> (kè qi) = polite<br>
  <a href="http://www.xiaoma.info/hanzi.php?hz=%E5%AE%A2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">客</a> (kè) = customer; visitor; guest<br>
  <a href="http://www.xiaoma.info/hanzi.php?hz=%E6%B0%94" rel="nofollow noreferrer">气</a> (qì) = gas; air; smell; weather; vital breath; to anger; to get angry; to be enraged</p>
</blockquote>

<p>There seems to be no logic behind combining 客 and 气 to give 客气.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: How does 客 and 气 combine to give 客气?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T01:30:48.977Z
origin explained:  https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%AE%A2%E6%B0%94/33666
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-10T06:36:05.937Z
气 ：＂现代汉语词典＂（８）人的作风习气：官～｜骄傲～｜孩子～。bkrs：（作风; 习气） airs; manner; style:
官气 bureaucratic airs
孩子气 childishness
书生气十足 bookish in the extreme
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-11T02:44:58.263Z
**客气**: in guest-style. 别**客气**: do not act **in manner of a guest** here, do anything like that you do home.
xenophōn
<word>
How does 客 (kè, "customer, guest") and 气 (qì, "gas, anger") combine to give 客气 （kèqi, "polite")?
# How does 客 (kè, "customer, guest") and 气 (qì, "gas, anger") combine to give 客气 （kèqi, "polite")?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-10)

Looking up their definitions:

> [客气](http://www.xiaoma.info/compound.php?cp=%E5%AE%A2%E6%B0%94) (kè qi) = polite  
> [客](http://www.xiaoma.info/hanzi.php?hz=%E5%AE%A2) (kè) = customer; visitor; guest  
> [气](http://www.xiaoma.info/hanzi.php?hz=%E6%B0%94) (qì) = gas; air; smell; weather; vital breath; to anger; to get angry; to be enraged

There seems to be no logic behind combining 客 and 气 to give 客气.

**Question**: How does 客 and 气 combine to give 客气?

**Tags:** word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: origin explained:  https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%AE%A2%E6%B0%94/33666  
> **username_1**: 气 ：＂现代汉语词典＂（８）人的作风习气：官～｜骄傲～｜孩子～。bkrs：（作风; 习气） airs; manner; style: 官气 bureaucratic airs 孩子气 childishness 书生气十足 bookish in the extreme  
> **username_2**: **客气**: in guest-style. 别**客气**: do not act **in manner of a guest** here, do anything like that you do home.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2017-10-10. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

"客气" can be traced back to a story in The Spring and Autumn period(I did search this term....what an awkward name). This term was to describe actions that not from the heart, just for being polite. Now it becomes a neutral term - "you're welcome".

source:
<http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4aa115950100f0tz.html>


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### Answer by username_3 on 2017-10-10. Score: 5

I think the logic is like 口气，语气.

口气 is tone in English. 气 is air. 口气 is air from your mouth. Figuratively, it becomes your tone with which you speak.

So, my thought for 客气 would be you speak in a guest's tone, which implies you are being polite.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2017-10-10. Score: 0

'polite' comes from the Latin politus "refined, elegant, accomplished," literally "polished," past participle of polire (polish, not Polish), but that doesn't mean someone who is polite is shiny!

Maybe it originated from 'in the spirit or air of a guest', the assumption being, a guest is very well behaved. (Back then the Chinese never had English guests perhaps, or they might not have used this metaphor)

<http://www.zdic.net/z/1c/xs/6C14.htm>

气: (19) 指精神状态,情绪 [morale;spirit] or

气： (25) 中医学术语。指脉气和营卫 [energy of life;vital energy]

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: (19) is correct, (25) is not related.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2017-10-11. Score: 0

气 Has many uses, just as "air" does in English:

* an air of insouciance
* give someone the air
* the radio station is on the air
* putting on airs
* take a sweater or jacket out for an airing


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