閣下

See also: 阁下

Chinese

		council-chamber; shelf	under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter
trad. (閣下)		閣	下
simp. (阁下)		阁	下

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): géxià

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄜˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gok³ haa⁶
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): koh-hǎ / koh-hā / kok-hēe / kok-hā

  (Teochew, Peng'im): goh⁴ ê⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: géxià
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄜˊ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gésià
    • Wade–Giles: ko²-hsia⁴
    • Yale: gé-syà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gershiah
    • Palladius: гэся (gɛsja)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɤ³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gok³ haa⁶
    • Yale: gok hah
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gok⁸ haa⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gog³ ha⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːk̚³ haː²²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koh-hǎ
    • Tâi-lô: koh-hǎ
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ko(ʔ)⁵ ha²²/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koh-hā
    • Tâi-lô: koh-hā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koihha
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kɤ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ ha³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /ko(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ ha³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ko(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ ha²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-hēe
    • Tâi-lô: kok-hēe
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kɔk̚³²⁻⁵ hɛ²²/
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kok-hā
    • Tâi-lô: kok-hā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kokha
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kɔk̚³²⁻⁴ ha³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: goh⁴ ê⁶
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: koh ĕ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /koʔ²⁻⁴ e³⁵/

Noun

閣下

1. (literary) Your Excellency; His or Her Excellency; Your Honour

   • 閣下如此宏材大略，不出來做點事情實在可惜！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     阁下如此宏材大略，不出来做点事情实在可惜！ [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1907 CE, Liu E, The Travels of Lao Can

     Géxià rúcǐ hóng cái dàlüè, bù chūlái zuò diǎn shìqíng shízài kěxī! [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

2. (archaic) at the foot of a tower or pavilion

   • 時漢書始出，多未能通者，同郡馬融伏於閣下，從昭言嶊。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     时汉书始出，多未能通者，同郡马融伏于阁下，从昭言嶊。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5^th century CE

     Shí hànshū shǐ chū, duō wèinéng tōng zhě, tóng jùn mǎ róng fú yú géxià, cóng zhāo yán 嶊. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Usage notes

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

Synonyms

• 大駕／大驾 (dàjià)
• 足下 (zúxià)
• 左右 (zuǒyòu)
• 尊駕／尊驾 (zūnjià)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (閣下):

• → Japanese: 閣下(かっか) (kakka)
• → Korean: 각하(閣下) (gakha)
• → Vietnamese: các hạ (閣下)

References

• “Entry #68188”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
閣	下
かく > かっ Grade: 6	か Grade: 1
kan'on

Etymology

Literary Chinese 閣下 (géxià)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かっか [káꜜkkà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ka̠k̚ka̠]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

閣(かっ)下(か) • (kakka) ^{←かくか (kakuka)?}

1. (rare, attributive) down a noble's residential tower, looking up

   Coordinate terms: 猊下, 殿下, 陛下

2. Your Excellency; His Excellency; Her Excellency; Your Lordship; His Lordship; Your Ladyship; Her Ladyship; Your Grace; His Grace; Her Grace

   Coordinate terms: 猊下, 殿下, 陛下

   大(だい)統(とう)領(りょう)閣(かっ)下(か)

   Daitōryō Kakka

   His/Her Excellency the President; Mr./Madam President

   ヨーク公(こう)閣(かっ)下(か)

   Yōku Kō Kakka

   His Grace the Duke of York

   • 1986 January 10, Tsurugina, Mai with Katō, Tadashi, “MENU①　幻の料理人 [MENU① The Illusory Cook]”, in ザ・シェフ [The Chef], volume 1 (fiction), Tōkyō: Nihon Bungeisha, →ISBN, page 7:

     ようこそ大臣閣下　お待ち申しておりました

     Yō koso Daijin Kakka Omachimōshite orimashita

     Welcome, Mr. Minister. We’ve been looking forward to seeing you.

   • 1986 January 10, Tsurugina, Mai with Katō, Tadashi, “MENU①　幻の料理人 [MENU① The Illusory Cook]”, in ザ・シェフ [The Chef], volume 1 (fiction), Tōkyō: Nihon Bungeisha, →ISBN, page 8:

     今夜の晩餐(ディナー)は日本におけるフランス料理の第一人者当ホテルの下村総料理長(グランドシェフ)が腕によりをかけて料理いたします　閣下にはきっとご満足いただけるものと信じております

     Kon’ya no dinā wa Nihon ni okeru Furansu ryōri no daiichininsha tō-hoteru no Shimomura Gurando Shefu ga ude ni yori o kakete ryōri Kakka ni wa kitto gomanzoku itadakeru mono to shinjite orimasu

     Our top Japanese executive chef of French cuisine, Shimomura, will use his best efforts to prepare a good dinner tonight. I am confident you will receive the best service.

Korean

Hanja in this term
閣	下

Noun

閣下 • (gakha) (hangeul 각하)

1. hanja form^? of 각하 (“Excellency; President”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
閣	下

Pronoun

閣下

1. chữ Hán form of các hạ (“(Chinese fiction, honorific) you”).