见外

jiàn wài

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Rare

Definitions

1. to treat sb with the formal courtesy accorded to a host or a guest

Word relationships

Related words

1 item

客气

kè qi

polite

Used when someone is being overly formal or polite, making the other person feel like a stranger.

Usage notes

Common mistakes

Often used in the negative form 别见外 to mean 'don't be a stranger' or 'make yourself at home.' Learners may mistakenly use it affirmatively to mean 'you're welcome,' but it's typically a reminder to be informal.

Formality

Implies a friendly scolding to stop being overly polite. Commonly used among close friends or family to encourage casualness.

Example Sentences

1 shown

你千万别见外，就把这儿当成自己家吧。

Please don't stand on ceremony; just make yourself at home.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 见外

outside

to see

to appear