帅哥
shuàigē
The English phrase "handsome guy" is translated into Chinese as 帅哥 (shuàigē).
帅哥 literally means a handsome guy, but it is frequently used as a casual vocative to get a man's attention. In many contexts, particularly in service industries like restaurants or shops, it is used as a generic, polite way to address a young man, regardless of his actual level of attractiveness.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 帅 (shuài), meaning handsome and 哥 (gē), meaning older brother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
帅哥 is a colloquial term. For an informal way to express a handsome and cool guy, you can use 帅酷.
How do you pronounce it?
shuàigē
Did you know?
- The word 帅 (shuài) can also mean 'commander' or 'marshal' in historical military contexts. This adds a layer of 'commanding presence' to the modern meaning of 'handsome'.
- The female equivalent used by service staff to address young women is often 美女, which literally translates to 'beautiful woman'. This follows the same pattern of using physical compliments as polite social fillers.
- While 哥 means 'older brother', calling someone 帅哥 does not necessarily imply that the person is older than you. It is a fixed social title used for men of various ages in casual settings.
Examples in context
- 这位帅哥是我们公司新来的经理。This handsome guy is our new manager at the company.
- 他是一个很有魅力的帅酷男生。He is a charming and handsome cool guy.
- 昨晚参加的派对上，有好多帅气的男生。There were many handsome and stylish guys at the party last night.
- 那个帅哥是谁？nà ge shuài gē shì shuí?Who is that handsome guy?
- 他在学校里是个帅哥。tā zài xué xiào lǐ shì ge shuài gē.He is a handsome guy at school.
- 这位帅哥很有礼貌。zhè wèi shuài gē hěn yǒu lǐ mào.This handsome guy is very polite.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a photo in a magazine.
- 伟 Wei你看，这个帅哥真不错。nǐ kàn, zhè ge shuài gē zhēn bù cuò.Look, this handsome guy is really good-looking.
- 雨婷 Yuting没错，他长得很帅。méi cuò, tā zhǎng de hěn shuài.That's right, he is very handsome.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，你喜欢这种类型的吗？yǔ tíng, nǐ xǐ huān zhè zhǒng lèi xíng de ma?Yuting, do you like this type?
- 雨婷 Yuting是的，我挺喜欢的。shì de, wǒ tǐng xǐ huān de.Yes, I quite like him.
