接待

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jiēdài: 接待 - To Receive, Entertain, Host

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: jiēdài, 接待, how to say host in Chinese, receive guests Chinese, Chinese hospitality, reception desk Chinese, entertain clients China, Chinese business etiquette, HSK 4 vocabulary.
  • Summary: Learn how to use 接待 (jiēdài), the essential Chinese verb for 'to host' or 'receive' guests in formal, business, or service contexts. This guide covers its meaning, cultural significance in Chinese hospitality, and provides practical examples for everything from entertaining clients to working at a hotel reception desk. Understand the key differences between jiēdài and simply welcoming a friend into your home.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): jiēdài
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • HSK Level: HSK 4
  • Concise Definition: To receive, entertain, or host guests, typically in a professional, official, or service-oriented capacity.
  • In a Nutshell: 接待 (jiēdài) isn't just about meeting someone; it implies a formal process and a responsibility. Think of a hotel's reception desk (`接待处`), a company hosting a delegation, or a tour guide taking care of a group. It involves making arrangements, looking after the guests' needs, and acting as the official host for their visit. It's the “hosting” part of formal hospitality.

Character Breakdown

  • 接 (jiē): To receive, connect, or pick up. The character is composed of a hand radical (扌) and a phonetic component. Visually, it evokes the action of using your hand to connect with or accept something or someone.
  • 待 (dài): To treat or to wait for. The character features the “step” or “walk” radical (彳), suggesting the action of attending to someone or waiting on them.
  • Combined Meaning: The characters combine to mean “to connect with and attend to” someone. This perfectly captures the active, service-oriented nature of formally receiving and taking care of guests.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • Hospitality as a Reflection of Honor: In Chinese culture, particularly in business and official settings, hosting is not a casual affair. A proper 接待 (jiēdài) is a direct reflection of the host's (and their organization's) sincerity, capability, and respect for the guest. A well-managed reception gives “face” (面子 - miànzi) to both the host and the guest, laying the groundwork for a strong relationship (关系 - guānxi).
  • Comparison to Western “Hosting”: While an American might “host” a casual backyard barbecue for friends, this would never be described using 接待. The Western concept of hosting can be very informal. 接待, however, is almost exclusively used for situations with a degree of formality and protocol. It's closer to how a university would “host” a visiting professor or a company would “receive” a potential investor, involving planned itineraries, formal meals, and designated personnel.
  • The Host's Responsibility: The act of 接待 implies that the host is responsible for the guest's well-being and logistics during their visit. This can include arranging transport, accommodation, meals, and meetings.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • In Business: This is one of the most common contexts for 接待. A company will 接待客户 (jiēdài kèhù - receive clients), 接待外宾 (jiēdài wàibīn - receive foreign guests), or 接待合作伙伴 (jiēdài hézuò huǒbàn - receive business partners). This is a crucial part of business etiquette.
  • In the Service Industry: Hotels, restaurants, and tourism agencies all have the primary function of 接待 guests. The front desk of a hotel is often called the 接待处 (jiēdàichù) or 前台 (qiántái). A receptionist is a 接待员 (jiēdàiyuán).
  • In Official Contexts: Government bodies and public institutions formally 接待 delegations, inspection teams, and official visitors.
  • Formality: 接待 is a formal word. For casual situations with friends, you would use words like 请 (qǐng) (to invite), 欢迎 (huānyíng) (to welcome), or simply say they are coming over to 玩 (wán) (hang out).

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 我们公司下周要接待一个重要的国外客户。
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī xiàzhōu yào jiēdài yí ge zhòngyào de guówài kèhù.
    • English: Our company needs to host an important foreign client next week.
    • Analysis: This is a classic business usage. It implies the company will arrange meetings, dinners, and possibly other logistics for the client's visit.
  • Example 2:
    • 酒店接待人员的服务态度非常好。
    • Pinyin: Jiǔdiàn jiēdài rényuán de fúwù tàidù fēicháng hǎo.
    • English: The hotel reception staff's service attitude is excellent.
    • Analysis: Here, 接待 is used as an adjective to describe the staff whose job is to receive guests.
  • Example 3:
    • 这次会议的接待工作是谁负责的？
    • Pinyin: Zhè cì huìyì de jiēdài gōngzuò shì shéi fùzé de?
    • English: Who is in charge of the reception work for this conference?
    • Analysis: This shows 接待 used as a noun, referring to the entire set of tasks related to hosting and receiving attendees.
  • Example 4:
    • 我们受到了主人热情周到的接待。
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen shòudào le zhǔrén rèqíng zhōudào de jiēdài.
    • English: We received a warm and thoughtful reception from the host.
    • Analysis: Another noun usage, describing the quality of the hosting. `热情周到` (rèqíng zhōudào - warm and thoughtful) is a common and positive collocation.
  • Example 5:
    • 他每天的工作就是在大厅接待来访的客人。
    • Pinyin: Tā měitiān de gōngzuò jiùshì zài dàtīng jiēdài láifǎng de kèrén.
    • English: His daily job is to receive visiting guests in the lobby.
    • Analysis: This clearly describes the function of a receptionist or front-desk employee.
  • Example 6:
    • 如果你找不到路，可以去接待处问一下。
    • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ zhǎo bu dào lù, kěyǐ qù jiēdàichù wèn yíxià.
    • English: If you can't find the way, you can go to the reception desk to ask.
    • Analysis: `接待处` (jiēdàichù) is the physical place of reception, like a front desk or information counter.
  • Example 7:
    • 为了接待这些专家，我们提前做了很多准备。
    • Pinyin: Wèile jiēdài zhèxiē zhuānjiā, wǒmen tíqián zuòle hěn duō zhǔnbèi.
    • English: In order to host these experts, we made many preparations in advance.
    • Analysis: This highlights that 接待 is a process that requires planning and preparation (`准备` - zhǔnbèi).
  • Example 8:
    • 政府派了专门的团队来接待外国代表团。
    • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ pài le zhuānmén de tuánduì lái jiēdài wàiguó dàibiǎotuán.
    • English: The government dispatched a special team to receive the foreign delegation.
    • Analysis: A typical example of 接待 in an official, governmental context.
  • Example 9:
    • 抱歉，我们今天太忙了，接待不周，请多包涵。
    • Pinyin: Bàoqiàn, wǒmen jīntiān tài máng le, jiēdài bù zhōu, qǐng duō bāohan.
    • English: Sorry, we were too busy today, please forgive us if our hospitality was inadequate.
    • Analysis: `接待不周` (jiēdài bù zhōu - reception was not thorough/thoughtful) is a very common and polite apology if a host feels they did not do a good enough job.
  • Example 10:
    • 这个旅游团一天要接待好几百名游客。
    • Pinyin: Zhè ge lǚyóutuán yì tiān yào jiēdài hǎo jǐ bǎi míng yóukè.
    • English: This tour group has to handle/receive several hundred tourists a day.
    • Analysis: Shows the use of 接待 in the context of tourism and handling a large volume of people.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `接待 (jiēdài)` vs. `欢迎 (huānyíng)`: This is the most common point of confusion.
    • `欢迎` (huānyíng) means “Welcome.” It is a greeting, an expression used at the moment of arrival.
    • `接待` (jiēdài) is the entire process of hosting someone during their stay.
    • Correct: 你来的时候，我们会在门口欢迎你，然后由市场部接待你。(When you arrive, we will welcome you at the door, and then the marketing department will host you.)
  • `接待 (jiēdài)` vs. `见面 (jiànmiàn)`:
    • `见面` (jiànmiàn) simply means “to meet up” or “to see each other.” It implies no host-guest relationship or responsibility.
    • Example: I'm going to meet a friend for coffee. → 我要去跟朋友见面喝咖啡。(Wǒ yào qù gēn péngyou jiànmiàn hē kāfēi.) You would never use 接待 here.
  • Mistake: Using `接待` for Informal Hosting:
    • Incorrect: 我今晚要接待我最好的朋友来我家吃饭。 (I need to formally receive my best friend at my house for dinner tonight.)
    • Why it's wrong: This sounds extremely stiff, formal, and distant, as if your friend is a foreign dignitary.
    • Correct: 我今晚请我最好的朋友来我家吃饭。(Wǒ jīnwǎn qǐng wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou lái wǒ jiā chīfàn.) (I'm inviting my best friend to my house for dinner tonight.)

Related Terms and Concepts

  • `欢迎` (huānyíng) - To welcome. The initial greeting. `接待` is the process that follows the welcome.
  • `招待` (zhāodài) - To entertain (guests). Very similar to `接待`, but can carry a stronger emphasis on providing food, drink, and entertainment. It can sometimes be used in slightly less formal (but still not casual) settings than `接待`.
  • `款待` (kuǎndài) - To treat cordially; to feast. A more formal and literary term that emphasizes the generosity and warmth of the reception.
  • `客人` (kèrén) - Guest. The person or people who are the object of the `接待`.
  • `客户` (kèhù) - Client. A specific type of `客人` in a business context.
  • `前台` (qiántái) - Front desk; reception. In modern spoken Chinese, this is a more common word for a hotel/office reception desk than `接待处`.
  • `安排` (ānpái) - To arrange; to plan. A key action involved in a good `接待`, as one must arrange schedules, transport, etc.
  • `接风洗尘` (jiēfēng-xǐchén) - “To welcome a guest from afar” (lit. “connect with the wind, wash the dust”). A classic idiom for the welcome meal given to a traveler, which is a core part of `接待`.
  • `陪同` (péitóng) - To accompany. A person who `péitóng` a guest is part of the `接待` team, responsible for escorting them to meetings, meals, or tours.