Correct

款待 vs 招待

/ kuǎndài vs zhāodài / 
Strokes

Definition

Both 款待 (kuǎndài) and 招待 (zhāodài) mean "to entertain" or "to host," but they differ in formality, emphasis, and context.

1. 款待 (kuǎndài) – "To Host Generously" (Formal, Luxurious Hospitality)

Usage:

Luxurious or Warm Hospitality

  • Implies generous, high-quality, or even lavish treatment (e.g., expensive meals, VIP treatment).
  • Often used in formal, business, or special occasions.

 

Examples:

  • 他们款待了我们一顿豪华晚餐。 (Tāmen kuǎndài le wǒmen yí dùn háohuá wǎncān.)
    → "They treated us to a luxurious dinner." (Expensive, VIP-style hosting.)
  • 感谢您的热情款待！ (Gǎnxiè nín de rèqíng kuǎndài!)
    → "Thank you for your warm hospitality!" (Grateful for generous treatment.)

 

Often Used in Written or Formal Speech

  • Common in business banquets, diplomatic events, or high-end social gatherings.
  • Rarely used for casual hosting.

 

Examples:

  • 公司款待了重要客户。 (Gōngsī kuǎndài le zhòngyào kèhù.)
    → "The company hosted important clients generously." (Business context.)

 

Key Points:
✔ Formal, generous hospitality (VIP treatment).
✔ Often involves expensive meals, gifts, or special arrangements.
✔ Mostly used in written or official contexts.

 

2. 招待 (zhāodài) – "To Host" (General, Everyday Hospitality)

Usage:

General or Casual Hospitality

  • Used for ordinary hosting (e.g., inviting friends over, serving tea, casual meals).
  • Does not imply luxury—just basic politeness.

 

Examples:

  • 请坐，我给您倒茶招待您。 (Qǐng zuò, wǒ gěi nín dào chá zhāodài nín.)
    → "Please sit, I’ll serve you tea." (Simple, polite hosting.)
  • 我们只是简单招待了一下客人。 (Wǒmen zhǐshì jiǎndān zhāodài le yíxià kèrén.)
    → "We just entertained the guests simply." (No luxury implied.)

 

Common in Daily Life and Business

  • Used in restaurants, hotels, or when receiving guests at home.
  • Can also refer to customer service (e.g., hotel staff "招待" guests).

 

Examples:

  • 这家餐厅的服务员很会招待客人。 (Zhè jiā cāntīng de fúwùyuán hěn huì zhāodài kèrén.)
    → "The waiters at this restaurant are good at serving customers." (General service.)

 

Key Points:
✔ General hosting (casual or business).
✔ No implication of luxury—just basic politeness.
✔ Used in daily conversations and service industries.

 

3. Key Differences

Feature款待 (kuǎndài)招待 (zhāodài)
FormalityFormal, VIP-styleCasual or general
Luxury LevelLavish, expensiveSimple, ordinary
Usage ContextBusiness banquets, diplomatic eventsDaily hosting, restaurants, hotels
Example Sentence"They 款待 us with fine wine.""I’ll 招待 you with tea."

 

Final Summary

Use 款待 (kuǎndài) for:
✔ Luxurious, VIP-style hosting (business, diplomatic events).
✔ Formal written contexts (thank-you notes, official reports).

Use 招待 (zhāodài) for:
✔ General hosting (friends, family, restaurants).
✔ Everyday hospitality (serving tea, casual meals).

Example

款待 implies cordiality; while 招待 is just entertaining.
1) 记者招待会 (press conference) and 招待所 (guest house) are common terms that imply providing food and drink or board and lodging.

2) Example ④ concerns a visit of an honored guest, so 款待 is used.
1
Tājiā
他家
de
的
guīju
规矩
shì
是
  
,
yībān
一般
kèrén
客人
lái
来
le
了
  
,
cháshuǐ
茶水
zhāodài
招待
  
;
zhìqīnhǎoyǒu
至亲好友
lái
来
le
了
  
,
zé
则
yào
要
kuǎndài
款待
yī
一
pān
番
  
。

Their family rule of treating guests is as follows:a common guest will be served with tea;a close friend or relative will be cordially treated.

2
Guówùyuàn
国务院
xīnwén
新闻
bàngōngshì
办公室
jīntiān
今天
jǔxíng
举行
jìzhě
记者
zhāodàihuì
招待会
  
。

A press conference will be held today by the News office of the State Council.

3
Lǎowáng
老王
dào
到
shànghǎi
上海
chūchāi
出差
  
,
zhù
住
zài
在
mǒu
某
jīguān
机关
de
的
zhāodàisuǒ
招待所
  
。

Lao Wang was on business in Shanghai and stayed in the official hotel.

4
Gāiguó
该国
yuánshǒu
元首
lái
来
wǒguó
我国
fǎngwèn
访问
  
,
shòudào
受到
wǒguó
我国
zhèngfǔ
政府
de
的
rèqíng
热情
kuǎndài
款待
  
。

The state head of that country paid an official visit to our country and was greeted with a cordial treat of our government.

Mistake

❌ Wrong (Too Casual for 款待):

我妈妈款待了我的朋友吃家常菜。 (Use 招待 for casual home meals.)

✅ Correct:

我妈妈招待了我的朋友吃家常菜。 (Wǒ māma zhāodài le wǒ de péngyou chī jiācháng cài.)→ "My mom hosted my friends with home-cooked dishes."

 

❌ Wrong (Too Simple for 款待):

酒店款待了客人一杯免费咖啡。 (Use 招待 for basic service.)

✅ More Natural:

酒店招待了客人一杯免费咖啡。 (Jiǔdiàn zhāodài le kèrén yì bēi miǎnfèi kāfēi.)→ "The hotel served guests a free coffee."

Exercise

Choose 款待 or 招待:

  • 总统在国宴上____了外国贵宾。 (款待 – formal, VIP event)
  • 我家来了客人，我得去____他们。 (招待 – casual home hosting)
  • 这家餐厅以优质的服务____顾客。 (招待 – general customer service)

 

Translate:

  • "The company generously hosted the investors." → 公司____了投资者。 (款待)
  • "She entertained her friends with homemade cookies." → 她用自制饼干____朋友。 (招待)