您 (nín) means "you (polite)" with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: you (polite)
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
您 has no oracle-bone or bronze ancestry. It is a late character, first appearing in writing during the Jin and Yuan dynasties as a northern colloquial polite form of 你. Structurally it is 你 (you) over 心 (heart), treated as a semantic compound suggesting 'you held in the heart', that is, a respectful you.
Form evolution
Because the character is post-classical, it has no seal or clerical pedigree of note. It enters the written record already in 楷书 form and has not changed shape since. Some early vernacular texts write the same polite pronoun as 恁, and 您 gradually replaced that variant in standard use.
How the meaning evolved
From its first attestations 您 has meant 'you (polite)'. In early northern vernacular it could also be a plural 'you all' (a contraction of 你们), and this plural reading survives in some Beijing and northeastern speech. Standard Mandarin today uses it strictly as a respectful singular address to elders, teachers, customers, and strangers.
Cultural note
Using 您 is a basic marker of politeness in service settings and when addressing older people, but overusing it with close friends or peers can sound stiff or sarcastic. In writing, 您好 is the standard opening of formal letters and emails, where 你好 would feel too casual.
Basic info
| Pinyin | nín |
| Meanings | you (polite) |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #1429 most common |
Example sentences
您好！
Nín hǎo!
Hello (polite)!
From 您 (HSK 1)
Words containing 您
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 您 | nín | you (polite) | HSK 1 |
On the new HSK 1 exam
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.