Chinese honorifics (Chinese: 敬語; pinyin: Jìngyǔ) and honorific language are words, word constructs, and expressions in the Chinese language that convey self-deprecation, social respect, politeness, or deference.
[1] Once ubiquitously employed in ancient China, a large percent has fallen out of use in the contemporary Chinese lexicon.
Many of the classical constructs are also occasionally employed by contemporary speakers to convey formality, humility, politeness or respect.
Usage of classical Chinese honorifics is also found frequently in contemporary Chinese literature and television or cinematic productions that are set in the historical periods.
Honorific language in Chinese is achieved by using honorific or beautifying alternatives, prefixing or suffixing a word with a polite complement, or by dropping casual-sounding words.