顾客

• Pinyin: gù kè
• Hanzi breakdown: 顾 = 雇 (hire, phonetic element) + 页 (page/head); 客 = 宀 (roof) + 各 (each) — a visitor under one's roof

Meaning

Customer; patron; client. A person who buys goods or services.

The standard word for a customer in commercial contexts. Used for shoppers, diners, and service users. In formal business language, 客户 (client) may be preferred.

Examples

1. 这家店的顾客很多。 This shop has a lot of customers.
2. 服务员对顾客很热情。 The waiter is very friendly to customers.
3. 顾客可以在这里试穿衣服。 Customers can try on clothes here.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, restaurants, business

Tone: professional, polite

Do Say

• 欢迎顾客光临。(Welcome, customers.)
• 顾客的意见很重要。(Customer feedback is very important.)

Don't Say

• 不要对朋友说'你是我的顾客' — 顾客 is strictly for commercial relationships. For friends helping each other, use 朋友 or other casual terms.

Origin & History

Compound of 顾 (to look at, to attend to, to patronise) and 客 (guest, visitor), meaning 'a guest who patronises a business.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal