What do you call someone older than you in Chinese

It will only take 8 minutes to read this post!

If you dont have time to read this now, just get your What Should We Call Friends and Family Members in Chinese? PDF and read it later!

Cultures all over the world have different ways to address family members, friends, and new acquaintances. In some countries, how people address each other can be paramount to showing respect. In Korea, many people maintain the use of titles when addressing one anotherin order to be polite. Using the wrong name could cause offense, and so it is extremely important within Korean culture to learn and use correct titles. Although not as traditional as Korea, there are similar expectations within Chinese culture, based on a persons age, status and job.

Below is a list of Chinese family names from father to great-granddaughter and also a list of terms that we, as foreigners might use to address certain people in China. You will also find some useful questions for asking a persons name and how to respond.

Asking Someones Name

These are the commonly used words for name in Chinese.

姓名(xìngmíng) Full name

姓(xìng)Family name

名字(míngzi) Name

Informal:你叫什么名字？(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi)What are you called?

Informal: 我叫。。。(wǒ jiào)Im called

This is the most common and polite way to ask someones family name in Chinese, however, in general it is not customary to simply ask for the family name:

Polite: 你贵姓？(nǐ guìxìng)What is your family name?

Polite: 敝姓王。((bì) xìng wáng)My humble family name is Wang.

怎么称呼你？ (zěnme chēnghu nǐ) What should I call you?

Chinese Names

Traditionally, in Chinese, the family name, which can also be one or two characters, comes first, followed by one of two characters for the given name.

There are over 3500 Chinese family names, but only 100 are widely used. The most common family names can be found in the book named 百家姓(bǎijiāxìng)The Book of Family Names. The three most commonly used Chinese surnames are 李(lǐ), 王(wáng)and 张(zhāng).

Chinese given names often have a special meaning for the family, or express characteristics the parents wish their child to have. In ancient China, the first character of a given name would be the generational name. This means that all children in a family of the same gender and born in the same generation share the same first character. The second character would be a personality trait. Given names are quite personal, and are only used by good friends and within a setting such as a family, class or office, where there is a well-defined group.

Immediate Family Names

Most of the time, people use kinship terms instead of names when talking to each other.

父亲(fùqīn)Father

爸爸(bàba)Dad

哥哥(gēge)Older brother

弟弟(dìdi)Younger brother

母亲(mǔqīn) Mother

妈妈(māma) Mum

姐姐(jiějie) Older Sister

妹妹(mèimei)Younger sister

老婆(lǎopó) Wife

老公(lǎogōng) Husband

未婚夫(wèihūnfū) Fiancé (man who will be married)

未婚妻(wèihūnqī) Fiancée (woman who will be married)

男朋友(nánpéngyou) Boyfriend

女朋友(nǚpéngyou) Girlfriend

婆婆(pópo)Mother-in-law (husbands mother)

公公(gōnggong) Father-in-law (husbands mother)

岳母(yuèmǔ) Mother-in-law (wifes mother)

岳父(yuèfù)Father-in-law (wifes father)

儿子(érzi) Son

女儿(nǚér) Daughter

侄女(zhí nǚ) Niece (brothers daughter)

甥女(shēngnǚ) Niece (sisters daughter)

侄子(zhízi) Nephew (brothers son)

外甥(wàishēng) Nephew (sisters son)

孙子(sūnzi) Grandson (sons son)

外孙(wàisūn) Grandson (daughters son)

曾孙(zēngsūn) Great-grandson

孙女(sūnnǚ) Granddaughter (sons daughter)

外孙女(wàisūnnǚ) Granddaughter (daughters daughter)

曾孙女(zēngsūnnǚ) Great-granddaughter

Paternal Family

爷爷(yéye)Paternal Grandfather

奶奶(nǎinai) Paternal Grandmother

伯伯(bóbo) Uncle (older brother of father)

伯母(bómǔ) Aunt (older brother of fathers wife)

叔叔(shūshu)Uncle (younger brother of father)

婶婶(shěnshen)Aunt (younger brother of fathers wife)

姑姑(gūgu)Aunt (fathers side)

姑父(gūfu)Uncle (fathers sisters husband)

堂哥(tánggē)Older Male Cousin (fathers side)

堂弟(tángdì) Younger Male Cousin (fathers side)

堂姐(tángjiě)Older Female Cousin (fathers side)

堂妹(tángmèi)Younger Female Cousin (fathers side)

Maternal Family

外公(wàigōng)Maternal Grandfather

外婆(wàipó)Maternal Grandmother

舅舅(jiùjiu)Uncle (mothers side)

舅妈(jiùmā)Aunt (mothers brothers wife)

姨妈(yímā)Aunt (mothers side)

姨父(yífu)Uncle (mothers sisters husband)

表哥(biǎogē)Older Male Cousin (mothers side)

表弟(biǎodì) Younger Male Cousin (mothers side)

表姐(biǎojiě)Older Female Cousin (mothers side)

表妹(biǎomèi) Younger Female Cousin (mothers side)

If there is more than one uncle who is older or younger in the family, they become 大 (dà)+ uncle.

For example, if your father has two older brothers, you would call the eldest brother 大伯(dàbó), big uncle and the next eldest 二伯(èr bó)2nd uncle.

Titles

Titles refer to gender, marital status, education, and profession. You would use these titles when introducing your husband or wife at a formal event.

Family name + given name + title

先生(xiānsheng)Mr.

太太(tàitai) Mrs.

小姐(xiǎojie) Miss

Professional Titles

医生(yīshēng)Doctor

大夫(dàifu)Doctor

护士(hùshi)Nurse

师傅(shīfu)Master (skilled worker)

老师(lǎoshī)Teacher

教授(jiàoshòu)Professor

律师(lǜshī)Lawyer

法官(fǎguān)Judge

主席(zhǔxí) Chairperson

校长(xiàozhǎng)Principal

警察(jǐngchá)Police officer

秘书(mìshū)Secretary

主任(zhǔrèn)Director of a government department

司机(sījī)Driver

总统(zǒngtǒng)President

经理(jīnglǐ)Manager

总经理(zǒngjīnglǐ)General Manager (shortened to 总(zǒng))

博士(bóshì)Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

Addressing People

Friends and Acquaintances

Close friends would address each other using given names:

[given name], 最近怎么样? (zuìjìn zěnme yàng)Howre you doing?

Within a family, given names are sometimes replaced with kinship terms, but these can also be used with people who are not relatives.

大哥(dàgē)Older brother (close to your age, but older)

大姐(dàjiě)Older sister (close to your age, but older)

叔叔(shūshu)Uncle (title for a man of around your fathers age)

阿姨(āyí)Aunt (title for a woman who is around you mothers age)

爷爷(yéye)Grandfather (title for a man who is around your grandfathers age)

奶奶(nǎinai)Grandmother (title for a woman who is around your grandmothers age)

Addressing Strangers

Titles are a common way to address people and can be used along without knowing the persons family name. 先生(xiānsheng), 太太(tàitai), 小姐(xiǎojie),阿姨(āyí), 大爷(dàye)and 师傅(shīfu)can be used to address a stranger.

师傅 (shīfu)and 大爷 (dàye)are informal terms and can be used in many different contexts, including taxi drivers and maintenance workers. 小姐(xiǎojie) would be used to address a young woman in a service joband 阿姨 (āyí)would be used to address an older one.

It is becoming more common for customers to refer to their servers as 美女(měinǚ), meaning beautiful woman and occasionally 帅哥(shuài ge), for handsome guy to get the attention of a waiter or shop assistant. In a restaurant, you can also use the term for waiter, 服务员(fú wù yuán).