Visiting & Guests in Chinese 做客
zuòkè
Be a guest in Chinese is 做客 (zuò kè).
Also searched for as: guest, visiting someone's home, host, welcome.
Who comes to your home? 15 essential visiting & guests words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Being invited to someone's home is called 做客 (zuò kè), literally 'to be a guest', and Chinese hospitality comes with its own set of phrases. The host, 主人 (zhǔ rén), will urge you to sit 随便 (suí biàn), wherever you like, and 别客气 (bié kè qi), not to stand on ceremony, while guests bring a small gift and say 打扰了 (dǎ rǎo le) on arriving or leaving. Knowing these exchanges makes visits much smoother.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 客人 | kè rén | guest |
| 做客 | zuò kè | to be a guest |
| 主人 | zhǔ rén | host |
| 招待 | zhāo dài | to entertain (guests) |
| 倒茶 | dào chá | to pour tea |
| 随便 | suí biàn | as you like; make yourself at home |
| 拖鞋 | tuō xié | slippers |
| 带 | dài | to bring |
| 参观 | cān guān | to look around |
| 留下 | liú xià | to stay |
| 打扰 | dǎ rǎo | to disturb |
| 别客气 | bié kè qi | don't be polite; help yourself |
| 敲门 | qiāo mén | to knock on the door |
| 送 | sòng | to see someone off |
| 下次再来 | xià cì zài lái | come again next time |
Usage tips
- Bring something small when you visit, such as fruit, tea or snacks; hosts often protest once or twice out of politeness before accepting.
- Hosts often see guests out to the door, lift or street, saying 我送你 (wǒ sòng nǐ); the polite reply is 别送了 (bié sòng le), 'no need to see me out'.
- Many homes are shoes-off, so look for slippers, 拖鞋 (tuō xié), by the door and change into them.
Common mistakes
- Answering 随便 (suí biàn) when the host asks what you'd like to drink can sound indifferent. Give a light preference instead, such as 喝茶就好 (hē chá jiù hǎo), 'tea's fine'.
- Expecting a host to stop serving when you've had enough: they'll keep adding food to your bowl. Say clearly 我吃饱了 (wǒ chī bǎo le), 'I'm full', and leave a little on your plate.
Mini dialogue
- A欢迎！请进，这是拖鞋。Huān yíng! Qǐng jìn, zhè shì tuō xié.Welcome! Come in, here are some slippers.
- B打扰了。这是一点儿水果。Dǎ rǎo le. Zhè shì yī diǎnr shuǐ guǒ.Sorry to impose. I've brought some fruit.
- A太客气了！随便坐，我给你倒茶。Tài kè qi le! Suí biàn zuò, wǒ gěi nǐ dào chá.You shouldn't have! Sit anywhere, I'll pour you some tea.
- B谢谢，你家真漂亮。Xiè xie, nǐ jiā zhēn piào liang.Thanks, your home is lovely.
- A别客气，今天留下吃晚饭吧！Bié kè qi, jīn tiān liú xià chī wǎn fàn ba!Make yourself at home, and stay for dinner tonight!
Example sentences
- 今天家里有客人。We've got guests at home today.
- 欢迎来我家做客！Come and visit us at home!
- 主人很热情。The host was very welcoming.
- 谢谢你的招待。Thank you for your hospitality.
- 我给客人倒茶。I pour tea for the guests.
- 别客气，随便坐。Don't stand on ceremony, sit anywhere.
- 进门请换拖鞋。Please put on slippers when you come in.
- 去朋友家要带点儿水果。Bring some fruit when you visit a friend.
- 我带你参观一下我的新家。Let me show you around my new place.
- 留下吃晚饭吧！Stay for dinner!
- 不好意思，打扰你们了。Sorry to disturb you.
- 别客气，多吃点儿！Help yourself, have some more!
- 有人在敲门。Someone is knocking at the door.
- 我送你到楼下。I'll walk you downstairs.
- 下次再来玩儿！Come round again next time!
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Visiting & guests speaking island has 8 everyday questions about visiting & guests to prepare your own answers to.