How to Properly Address People You Meet in China
If you’re learning Chinese as a second language, you probably already know the words 老师( lǎoshī), 先生( xiānsheng), 女士( nǚshì), and 小姐( xiǎojiě) because they are commonly taught in introductory courses. However, only using these honorifics won’t help you much when interacting with Chinese people in real life. This is because, in China, different honorifics are used in different social situations.
Choosing the appropriate term not only demonstrates your politeness and respect for others, but also your cross-cultural awareness and enthusiasm.In this article, we will briefly introduce some of the honorifics commonly used in day-to-day life in China.
#1 Addressing strangers
When visiting public areas like supermarkets, parks, airports, or railway stations, you’ll come across a variety of people who you don’t know. Even if you’re not seeking out in-depth conversations with strangers, you may need to ask for help, or in some cases, they might even approach you. In China, when meeting someone for the first time, how do people address each other?
Addressing older or elderly strangers
To address an elderly person in China, such as someone as old as your grandparents, you can use 大爷( dà yé) or 老爷爷(lǎo yéye) for a man, and 大妈(dà mā) or 老奶奶(lǎo nǎinai) for a woman. For a gender-neutral form, use 老人家(lǎo rén jiā). If someone’s age is more similar to your parents, you can address them as 叔叔( shū shu) or 大叔(dà shū) for a man, or 阿姨( ā’yí) for a woman. Sometimes, you can use 大哥(dà gē)/ 哥(gē) or 大姐(dà jiě)/ 姐( jiě) for people who are not much older than you to show respect or establish a more friendly tone.
It’s important to note that some women may find the term 大妈(dà mā) offensive, as it can be considered derogatory. So, use it with care.

Addressing younger strangers
To address a young man, you can use 小伙子 (xiǎo huǒzi), and for a young girl, 小姑娘(xiǎo gūniang) or 小妹妹 (xiǎo mèimei). If you are in the same generation, you can use informal but popular terms like 帅哥(shuài gē) or 美女(měi nǚ), as well as 小哥哥(xiǎo gē ge) or 小姐姐(xiǎo jiějie), which can make the conversation less awkward and uncomfortable. These terms also connote youth and beauty.
#2 Addressing acquaintances
When talking about acquaintances, there are a few different terms that can be used depending on their relationship to you.
Addressing family members
For older relatives, Chinese people will address them according to their position in the family tree. For example, you would address your father’s parents as 爷爷 (yéye) and 奶奶 (nǎinai), and your mother’s parents as 外公 (wài gōng) and 外婆 (wài pó). Your mother’s brother and his wife are addressed as 舅舅 (jiùjiu) and 舅妈 (jiù mā), while your mother’s sister and her husband are addressed as 姨 (yí) and 姨夫 (yí fù). There are many other specific terms used to address people in a Chinese family, and you can check out the Chinese family tree for more examples.
There are also terms for people who are not directly related to you but are still close with your family. You can address them with the form “family name + 爷爷/奶奶” or “family name + 叔叔/阿姨”, such as 李爷爷 (Lǐ yéye), 赵奶奶 (Zhào nǎinai), 马叔叔 (Mǎ shūshu), and 郭阿姨 (Guō ā’yí), among others.

Addressing younger acquaintances
When greeting people in your own generation, it’s common to use more relaxed and informal forms of address. You can refer to someone by their given name or a nickname that they’ve previously used. For example, if you’re friends with 张六一(Zhāng Liùyī), you could call him 六一,小一,一一,小六 or any other name that he’s comfortable with. However, if you’re speaking to someone younger than you, it’s best to address them using their full name or a nickname. It’s important to note that for some Chinese people, using their full name could imply that something serious has happened. For English speakers, this is similar to having a parent call you by your first, middle, and last name. It often implies that you may be in trouble.
#3 Addressing people at work
Addressing people in Chinese based on their job title
Certain jobs in China carry a higher social status, and people often address these workers by their job titles. Simply place their surname before their title. For example, you might address someone as 吴经理 (Wú jīnglǐ) for Manager Wu, 张老师 (Zhāng lǎoshī) for Teacher Zhang, 刘主任 (Liú zhǔrèn) for Director Liu, 王医生 (Wáng yīsheng) for Doctor Wang, 李警官 (Lǐ jǐngguān) for Sir Li, 杨博士 (Yáng bóshì) for Dr. Yang, and so on.
It’s worth noting that the term 老师 (lǎoshī) has expanded beyond its original meaning of “teacher” in recent years. Nowadays, it’s commonly used to respectfully address someone who is knowledgeable or has expertise in a certain field, such as a movie director or school administrator.
In work settings
In China, individuals working for the government or commercial businesses are typically addressed by their rank, such as 市长 (shì zhǎng) for mayor, 校长 (xiàozhǎng) for school principal, and 经理 (jīng lǐ) for manager. As previously mentioned, simply add the person’s surname before their rank.
A popular term that has emerged in recent years is 总 (zǒng), which means “chief” and was originally an abbreviation for 总经理 (zǒng jīng lǐ) for general manager or 总裁 (zǒng cái) for chairman or president. Respectful address for such a person would be “surname + 总 (zǒng)” such as 王总 (Wáng Zǒng) and 徐总 (Xú Zǒng).
The use of 总 (zǒng) has also expanded beyond its original meaning and is now commonly used to address anyone who holds a relatively high rank in government offices, state-owned enterprises, or commercial businesses. However, depending on the atmosphere and culture of the company, some employees at small businesses may call their boss 老大 (lǎodà) to create a more amicable relationship between the bosses and employees.
In many financial or high-tech companies, staff are accustomed to addressing each other by their English names to avoid emphasizing hierarchical relationships and create a more egalitarian company culture.
Addressing service workers in Chinese
In Chinese culture, it is important to show respect towards service workers. The most common term used for waiters and waitresses is 服务员(Fúwù yuán). Delivery drivers are referred to as 快递小哥(Kuàidì xiǎo gē) for packages and 外卖小哥(Wàimài xiǎo gē) for food delivery. However, these terms should not be used to directly address them when you speak to them. Instead, it is best to use one of the other ways to address strangers mentioned earlier.

Another informal term that can be used is 老板(Lǎobǎn), meaning boss”. This term can be used both in office settings and as a respectful term for a shopkeeper or restaurant owner. The wife of the owner or female proprietor is called 老板娘(Lǎobǎnniáng)”.
师傅(shīfù) is a term used to respectfully address someone who is skilled in a certain craft or technique, such as cooking, martial arts, or carpentry. It can also be used for blue-collar workers like taxi drivers, factory workers, and delivery clerks.
Closing Thoughts
Honorifics differ all across the world, and in China, they have evolved with the times. Addressing people in China can be challenging, even for locals. It’s important to follow local customs and always show respect to the person being addressed.
By using the appropriate terms in different social contexts, you can assimilate better into Chinese culture and form better relationships with the people you interact with.
I hope this brief guide will assist you in your Chinese language studies or your future trip to China.
Further reading:
Very clear info. Thank you!