What is the difference between courtesy and politeness

I guess the "courtesy" has the meaning of politeness and other broadly meaning than "politeness",right? Hi purecopper I looked around and I think the best answer I found is that courtesy generally refers to behaviour, while politeness refers to speech. So I'd say you are correct, in that speech is one type of behaviour. Just to let you know, you can often get an answer to questions like this by simply searching on your thread title, either in a forum like this or in a search engine. Of course, a site like WordReference will always give you the best answer because of the opportunity to communicate directly with people who are linguists, grammarians, editors, etc.

Thanks for your reply and advise. Yes, I do. This website is the one I always check first for answers of my questions. I love people here for helping others. Being courteous also includes offering your seat on public transportation to another person who needs it more than you do. It is also more enjoyable to be around people who are kind and polite.

The difference in these words is this:. A courteous person has good manners and follows the hidden social rules each society has. So, a courteous person does not offend anyone and is rather defensive. A polite person has the same character traits as a courteous person AND is in addition also solicitous about the well-being of the people around them. Being polite is reflected in the language someone uses to express themselves.

Here are some of the most common phrases you can use to talk in a polite manner:. A polite greeting is one of the most important parts of a conversation. It sets the tone for your whole interaction and can make or break how well you get along with someone. Here are some example phrases you can use to politely greet somebody :.

When you do something kind for someone, it can brighten their whole attitude and show them that not everyone in the world is nasty or mean. Being nice to others will help you be seen in the best light possible, and this is something that we all want to happen! Even if you are a foreigner, Japanese people will be very welcoming and treat you with respect. Giri is the obligation to do something for someone else. The Japanese culture is, in many ways, very different from that of the United States.

For example, while Americans are generally fairly informal with one another i. Courteous detachment is the ability to be polite and detached when speaking with others.

It means to deal with people in a polite way without being too close to them. As we grow up, we gain respect for our colleagues, superiors, and even people that we do not know personally, such as entrepreneurs , famous personalities, etc. Unlike in the case of courtesy where we become polite for almost anyone, respect does not function in that manner. Respect comes from within us as we view the positive aspects and the amazing traits of other people.

It is these traits that make us respect them. When we are courteous, we are not bothered about the character or qualities or achievements of the individual, but in respect it is these features that make us respect that individual. These are the differences between courtesy and respect.

Respect: Respect refers to admiration for someone because of their qualities or achievements. Respect: To be respected the individual needs to possess some uniqueness, it can be qualities, achievements, personality, etc. Courtesy: To be courteous we do not have to honor that person.

We can even be courteous to someone we dislike. Courtesy: Courtesy is a social protocol. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management.