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Chinese honorifics

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Polite everyday

  1. nín您

    (polite) you

  2. xiān先sheng生

    Mr.; sir

  3. nǚ女shì士

    lady; madam

  4. xiǎo小jie姐

    Miss; young lady

  5. tài太tai太

    wife; Mrs. (form of address)

  6. lǎo老shī师

    teacher

  7. shī师fu傅

    (polite) form of address for a driver or tradesman

  8. lǎo老bǎn板

    boss; owner (of a shop or business)

  9. tóng同xué学

    student (form of address)

  10. shuài帅gē哥

    handsome guy

  11. měi美nǚ女

    miss (to address a young woman)

  12. xiǎo小jiě姐jiě姐

    young lady; miss (friendly term for a young woman)

  13. xiǎo小gē哥ge哥

    young guy; cute young man

  14. qīn亲

    (internet) dear (form of address)

Family words for anyone

  1. ā阿yí姨

    aunt (term of address for a woman of one's mother's generation)

  2. shū叔shu叔

    (polite) uncle; mister (used by children)

  3. dà大yé爷

    (polite) grandpa; old sir (to an older man)

  4. dà大mā妈

    auntie (polite address for an older woman)

  5. dà大gē哥

    (polite) elder brother (form of address for a man about one's age)

  6. dà大jiě姐

    big sister (polite address for a woman a bit older)

  7. gē哥ge哥

    guy (form of address for a young man)

  8. jiě姐jie姐

    miss; sister (form of address for a young woman)

  9. sǎo嫂zi子

    (polite) form of address for a married woman

  10. xiǎo小péng朋yǒu友

    little friend (to address a child)

Before and after a name

  1. lǎo老

    (prefix) used before family names or ranks

  2. xiǎo小

    (prefix) used before names: little; young

  3. ā阿

    (prefix) used before names and kinship terms

  4. zǒng总

    boss (title after a surname)

  5. jīng经lǐ理

    manager; director

  6. zhǔ主rèn任

    director; head

  7. yī医shēng生

    doctor

  8. dài大fu夫

    doctor; physician

  9. jiào教shòu授

    professor

  10. lǐng领dǎo导

    leader; boss

At school

  1. xué学zhǎng长

    senior schoolmate (male)

  2. xué学jiě姐

    senior female schoolmate

  3. xué学dì弟

    junior male schoolmate

  4. xué学mèi妹

    junior female student; younger female schoolmate

Martial arts and novels

  1. shī师fu父

    master; teacher (in a craft, martial art, or religion)

  2. shī师zūn尊

    master (respectful term for one's teacher)

  3. shī师xiōng兄

    senior fellow student or disciple (male)

  4. shī师jiě姐

    senior female fellow student or apprentice

  5. shī师dì弟

    junior male fellow student or apprentice

  6. shī师mèi妹

    junior female fellow student or apprentice

  7. qián前bèi辈

    senior; elder

  8. wǎn晚bèi辈

    younger generation; junior

  9. zài在xià下

    (humble) I; me

  10. dà大xiá侠

    great hero; knight-errant

  11. gōng公zǐ子

    young gentleman

  12. gū姑niang娘

    girl; young woman

  13. zhǎng掌mén门

    head of a martial arts school or sect

  14. dào道zhǎng长

    Taoist priest (respectful form of address)

The court and the palace

  1. bì陛xià下

    Your Majesty; His or Her Majesty

  2. diàn殿xià下

    Your Highness; His or Her Highness

  3. huáng皇shang上

    the emperor; Your Majesty

  4. huáng皇hòu后

    empress; queen consort

  5. tài太zǐ子

    crown prince

  6. gōng公zhǔ主

    princess

  7. wáng王ye爷

    prince; lord (title in imperial China)

  8. niáng娘niang娘

    empress; imperial concubine

  9. guì贵fēi妃

    imperial concubine of the highest rank

  10. gé格ge格

    princess (Manchu title for daughters of nobility)

  11. ā阿gē哥

    prince (in the Qing court)

  12. dà大rén人

    (polite) Your Excellency; lord (form of address for officials or elders)

  13. fū夫rén人

    wife; madame

  14. lǎo老ye爷

    master; lord

  15. shào少ye爷

    young master (son of a rich family)

How do you address someone politely in Chinese?

Say 您 (nín, you) for you, and put the title after the surname: 王先生 (Wáng xiānsheng), Mr Wang; 李女士 (Lǐ nǚshì), Ms Li; 张老师 (Zhāng lǎoshī) for a teacher. Call a driver or workman 师傅 (shīfu, form of address for a driver or tradesman), and a shop owner 老板 (lǎobǎn, boss).

Why do Chinese people call strangers auntie and uncle?

Family words are used for anyone, by age. A woman your mother’s age is 阿姨 (āyí, aunt) and a man your father’s age 叔叔 (shūshu, uncle); an older man is 大爷 (dàyé, grandpa) and an older woman 大妈 (dàmā, auntie); someone a little older than you is 大哥 (dàgē, elder brother) or 大姐 (dàjiě, big sister).

What do 老 and 小 before a name mean?

老 (lǎo) before a surname is for a friend or colleague your age or older: 老王. 小 (xiǎo) is for someone younger: 小王. A boss is called by surname and 总 (zǒng): 王总. 阿 (ā) before a name is friendly, more in the south: 阿明.

What does gege mean?

哥哥 (gēge) is an older brother, and also a friendly word for a young man; in dramas and fandom it is what fans call a male star. 姐姐 (jiějie) works the same way for a young woman.

Is it rude to call a woman 小姐?

After a surname, 王小姐 (Wáng xiǎojiě) is the polite Miss Wang. On its own, to call a waitress, it can sound rude in mainland China, where it was slang for a hostess; people say 服务员 (fúwùyuán) or 美女 (měinǚ) instead. In Taiwan and Hong Kong it is still fine.

What do the honorifics in wuxia and xianxia novels mean?

师父 (shīfu) is your master. Those who joined the school before you are 师兄 (shīxiōng) and 师姐 (shījiě), after you 师弟 (shīdì) and 师妹 (shīmèi). Anyone senior in the martial world is 前辈 (qiánbèi), you are their 晚辈 (wǎnbèi), and a polite hero calls himself 在下 (zàixià), “the one below”. 师父 and 师傅 sound the same: 师父 is your own master, 师傅 a skilled worker.

How do you address royalty in Chinese?

The emperor is 陛下 (bìxià), Your Majesty, or 皇上 (huángshang); a prince or princess is 殿下 (diànxià), Your Highness; an empress or consort is 娘娘 (niángniang); an official was called 大人 (dàrén), Your Excellency.

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More on what to call people

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