noun HSK 2
guest · visitor · customer · passenger
Meaning
客 refers to someone who visits or is served, covering guests in social contexts, customers in business, and passengers in transport. It carries a sense of being an outsider or temporary presence, as opposed to the host or owner.
Usage
客 is rarely used alone in modern Mandarin. It almost always appears in compounds like 客人 (guest), 顾客 (customer), 乘客 (passenger), or 游客 (tourist). In business contexts, it emphasizes the service relationship between provider and recipient.
Examples
- 01今天家里来了很多客人。.Many guests came to our home today.
- 02这家餐厅的顾客越来越多。.This restaurant has more and more customers.
Measure words
- 位一位客人
- 个一个客人
Common collocations
- 客人guest
- 顾客customer
- 乘客passenger
- 客气polite, courteous
Antonyms
Origin
The character 客 originally depicted a person under a roof, representing someone staying temporarily in another's home. The top component 宀 means roof or house, while the bottom suggests a person.