<![CDATA[Comments on: What's Your Surname?]]> 2009-06-11 18:00:00 <![CDATA[By: alexyzye]]> I have a question about addressing someone older than me. I'm meeting up with an older couple when I visit Shanghai soon, and would like to know how to properly greet them. If the man's surname is X, do I simply call him X 先生, and his wife X 太太? Thanks.

Note: These people are NOT related to me. They are actually my wife's brother's fiancee's parents (that's 4 degrees of separation), so I just treat them as friends.

]]> I have a question about addressing someone older than me. I'm meeting up with an older couple when I visit Shanghai soon, and would like to know how to properly greet them. If the man's surname is X, do I simply call him X 先生, and his wife X 太太? Thanks.

Note: These people are NOT related to me. They are actually my wife's brother's fiancee's parents (that's 4 degrees of separation), so I just treat them as friends.

]]> <![CDATA[By: helenshen_counselor]]> @alexyzye, it's better and common to address them 叔叔shū shu，阿姨 ā yí, just to show some respect. One thing, even if these senior people are not related to you, you still need to call them 叔叔shū shu and 阿姨 ā yí, literally uncle and aunt in English.

]]> @alexyzye, it's better and common to address them 叔叔shū shu，阿姨 ā yí, just to show some respect. One thing, even if these senior people are not related to you, you still need to call them 叔叔shū shu and 阿姨 ā yí, literally uncle and aunt in English.

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]>

alexyzye,

I might start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你?  Wǒ gāi zěn yàng chēng hū nǐ? I should how address you? Maybe with an apology for not knowing the proper address, which could be a nice icebreaker even if you do know the correct words. 

Have fun on your trip! I am so jealous... 

]]>

alexyzye,

I might start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你?  Wǒ gāi zěn yàng chēng hū nǐ? I should how address you? Maybe with an apology for not knowing the proper address, which could be a nice icebreaker even if you do know the correct words. 

Have fun on your trip! I am so jealous... 

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]>  

alexyzye,

I might start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你?  Wǒ gāi zěn yàng chēng hū nǐ? I should how address you? Maybe with an apology for not knowing the proper address, which could be a nice icebreaker even if you do know the correct words. 

Have fun on your trip! I am so jealous... 

 

Or, you know, just listen to shenyajin.  I actually have a similar question, now that I think of it... Would you address a much older person as 爷爷 or 奶奶 if you have just met them?  It seems so informal and familiar to my western brain.

 

 

]]>  

alexyzye,

I might start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你?  Wǒ gāi zěn yàng chēng hū nǐ? I should how address you? Maybe with an apology for not knowing the proper address, which could be a nice icebreaker even if you do know the correct words. 

Have fun on your trip! I am so jealous... 

 

Or, you know, just listen to shenyajin.  I actually have a similar question, now that I think of it... Would you address a much older person as 爷爷 or 奶奶 if you have just met them?  It seems so informal and familiar to my western brain.

 

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: xueny]]> shenyajin,

What if addressing complete strangers?  Would I address them as 叔叔 and 阿姨, or would 先生 and 太太 be more appropriate in that instance?

As orangina says, it seems too informal to use 'uncle' and 'aunt' for strangers.  In alexyzye's case, he's being introduced through his in-laws so the couple wouldn't be complete strangers.

]]> shenyajin,

What if addressing complete strangers?  Would I address them as 叔叔 and 阿姨, or would 先生 and 太太 be more appropriate in that instance?

As orangina says, it seems too informal to use 'uncle' and 'aunt' for strangers.  In alexyzye's case, he's being introduced through his in-laws so the couple wouldn't be complete strangers.

]]> <![CDATA[By: alexyzye]]> Back to the main theme of this lesson, what is the point then of telling people your surname anyway, if younger people call you 叔叔/阿姨, and older/same age people call you by your given name.

It looks like surname is only used in the form of X 先生/经理/etc in a business or professional setting.

And I prefer not to refer to someone as 爷爷 or 奶奶, because they might think I think they're old.

Note: Why is the CPOD text editing a bit screwy today?

]]> Back to the main theme of this lesson, what is the point then of telling people your surname anyway, if younger people call you 叔叔/阿姨, and older/same age people call you by your given name.

It looks like surname is only used in the form of X 先生/经理/etc in a business or professional setting.

And I prefer not to refer to someone as 爷爷 or 奶奶, because they might think I think they're old.

Note: Why is the CPOD text editing a bit screwy today?

]]> <![CDATA[By: helenshen_counselor]]> @xueny, if they are complete strangers, say,  middled aged men and senior men we'll address them shīfu 师傅 or 先生 xiānsheng，but for young man, of course 先生 xiānsheng. For ladies, 小姐xiǎojie is the word for young ladies, and 女士 nǚshì or 阿姨 āyí for middled aged! There is a trend not to address senior women 奶奶 nǎinai，pls do call them 阿姨 āyí，or they'll be really, really unhappy!

@alexyzye, I checked and found nothing wrong with the text! Could you pls tell me why it's screwy? I'm curious! And it's a part of Chinese culture not to ask others "what's your name" or "May I have your name?" It's a little bit not so polite to ask somebody's full name. So we'll just ask "您贵姓?" What's your surname?

]]> @xueny, if they are complete strangers, say,  middled aged men and senior men we'll address them shīfu 师傅 or 先生 xiānsheng，but for young man, of course 先生 xiānsheng. For ladies, 小姐xiǎojie is the word for young ladies, and 女士 nǚshì or 阿姨 āyí for middled aged! There is a trend not to address senior women 奶奶 nǎinai，pls do call them 阿姨 āyí，or they'll be really, really unhappy!

@alexyzye, I checked and found nothing wrong with the text! Could you pls tell me why it's screwy? I'm curious! And it's a part of Chinese culture not to ask others "what's your name" or "May I have your name?" It's a little bit not so polite to ask somebody's full name. So we'll just ask "您贵姓?" What's your surname?

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> 谢谢 shenyajin!  Very helpful.

As to why ask for their surname at all, I usually use the names and titles in conjunction: 王先生， 王阿姨。 

]]> 谢谢 shenyajin!  Very helpful.

As to why ask for their surname at all, I usually use the names and titles in conjunction: 王先生， 王阿姨。 

]]> <![CDATA[By: helenshen_counselor]]> @orangina, it's a good idea to start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你? natural and polite!

 

]]> @orangina, it's a good idea to start with X先生 and X太太, then ask 我该怎样称呼你? natural and polite!

 

]]> <![CDATA[By: orangina]]> thanks! now if I could just remember to say it when I need it and not just when I am sitting in front of my computer! ;-）

]]> thanks! now if I could just remember to say it when I need it and not just when I am sitting in front of my computer! ;-）

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