How to Write 客 (kè) — Meaning “Guest; visitor; customer.”

Imagine a guest (客) arriving at your house — the roof (宀) represents your home, and the bottom part 各 looks like an arrow (→) pointing to the door, meaning 'each guest comes to your door.' This visual helps connect the character to the idea of a visitor.

Start with the top radical 宀: write dot, dot, then a horizontal hook — do not make the hook too long. Then for the bottom 各, pay attention to the strokes: write left-falling stroke, then horizontal hook, then downward-right stroke, followed by vertical, horizontal fold, and final horizontal — keep the bottom part centered under the roof.

All three share the roof radical 宀 but have different bottoms: 客 has 各 (guest), 宋 has 木 (tree/wood) meaning a dynasty or surname, and 完 has 元 (head/origin) meaning 'finish.' Visually, 客's bottom is more complex with crossing strokes, while 宋 is just tree and 完 is simpler.

客 appears in common words like 客人 (guest), 客气 (polite), and 客厅 (living room). A key cultural note: saying 不要客气 (don't be polite) is often used to make guests feel welcome, as hospitality is highly valued in Chinese culture.

Common words containing 客 include: 客人 (kè rén) — Guest; visitor.; 客气 (kè qì) — Polite; courteous.; 客厅 (kè tīng) — Living room..