The word "客气" is formed by combining two concepts: "客", meaning "guest" or "visitor", and "气", meaning "air", "energy", or "manner". It conceptually fuses the idea of behaving with the cautious, formal, and deferential energy one typically adopts as a guest in someone else's home, mindful of not overstepping, being overly familiar, or causing inconvenience. Thus, the term evokes the entire cultivated demeanor of polite restraint and considerate formality expected in social interactions, moving beyond mere politeness to a performative, almost ritualistic, exchange of humility.