nín

you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你)

HSK 2

漢字分解

Polite form of 'you'

The pronoun (nín) is the respectful form of (nǐ), used to show politeness and respect when addressing someone, especially elders, strangers, or in formal situations. It is common in customer service, formal conversations, and when speaking to people you want to honor.

Usage and nuance

Using instead of signals respect and good manners. It is often paired with polite phrases like (please) or (hello, respectfully). Avoid using with close friends or younger people, as it may sound overly formal or distant.

Common collocations

Avoiding confusion

Do not confuse with ; is always more formal. Also, is singular; for plural polite forms, is sometimes used but less common than .

Summary

Use to show respect in formal or polite contexts. It helps maintain social harmony and shows good etiquette in Mandarin conversations.

例文

您好,请问需要帮忙吗?

Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn xūyào bāngmáng ma?

Hello, do you need any help?

这是您的房间钥匙。

Zhè shì nín de fángjiān yàoshi.

This is your room key.

请您稍等一下,我马上回来。

Qǐng nín shāo děng yíxià, wǒ mǎshàng huílái.

Please wait a moment, I’ll be right back.

您贵姓?

Nín guì xìng?

What is your honorable surname?

您觉得这件衣服怎么样?

Nín juéde zhè jiàn yīfu zěnmeyàng?

What do you think about this piece of clothing?