阁下

閣下
géxià
noun #2,244

Meanings

  1. 1 Your Excellency
  2. 2 Your Honor
  3. 3 sir (formal address)

Examples

Géxià yǒu hé guìgàn?
What business do you have, Your Excellency?
Huānyíng géxià láifǎng.
Welcome to your visit, Your Excellency.

Tips

register
阁下 is a very formal honorific, used mostly in diplomacy, official letters, and period dramas. In everyday speech, it sounds overly formal or humorous.
history
Originally 阁下 meant 'below the pavilion' — one addressed a noble indirectly by speaking to the attendants below their pavilion, as a sign of deference.

Stroke Order

xià