您

nín

you (courteous, as opposed to informal 你[ni3])

you (你) + heart (心) = respectful you

To address someone with 您, you extend not just the word 'you' but also your heart toward them. The added 心 signals deference and warmth, marking this as a respectful register.

你+心→您
你The informal second-person pronoun 'you'Semantic
心HeartSemantic

请问您贵姓？

qǐng wèn nín guì xìng？

May I ask what your surname is?

您对这件事有什么看法？

nín duì zhè jiàn shì yǒu shén me kàn fǎ？

What is your view on this matter?

Words with 您

您好

nín hǎo

hello (polite)