Formal/Informal Speech

Formal speech appears in business, official settings, and when showing respect to strangers or elders. It favors polite titles, set phrases, and avoids casual contractions.

Informal speech surfaces among friends, family, and peers. It includes colloquial expressions, shortened forms, and sometimes playful language. Use it to signal closeness and ease.

The pronoun nín 您 is the polite form of nǐ 你 and signals respect when addressing strangers, elders, or customers. Use nín 您 in formal contexts and nǐ 你 in casual ones.

Using titles like lǎoshī 老师 or xiānshēng 先生 maintains formality. Dropping titles and using given names or nicknames signals informality. When in doubt, default to titles.

Qǐng 请 frames requests politely and fits formal contexts, while yào 要 is more direct and common in informal speech. Use qǐng 请 for asking someone to do something and yào 要 for stating desires.

Xièxiè 谢谢 is universally polite for thanks. For extra formality, add nín 您 (e.g. 谢谢您). Duìbuqǐ 对不起 apologizes and works in both registers; bàoqiàn 抱歉 sounds slightly more formal.

Formal farewells use phrases like zàijiàn 再见 or huí tóu jiàn 回头见, while informal speech might add màn zǒu 慢走 to show care. Friends often say yīhuǐr jiàn 一会儿见 for "see you soon."

Formal speech in Mandarin prioritizes polite pronouns, titles, and softening particles like qǐng 请, while informal speech embraces colloquialisms and shortcuts. Paying attention to these cues ensures your tone matches the social context.