閣下

Mandarin

Noun

閣下 (traditional, Pinyin géxià, simplified 阁下)

1. (literary) Your Excellency; His or Her Excellency
2. (archaic) at the foot of a tower or pavilion

Usage notes

Originally a term of respect toward members of the nobility; became a more generic term of respect later on.

References

• "閣下" (in Mandarin), Guoyu Cidian On-line Mandarin Dictionary (國語辭典). URL accessed on 2008-01-26.