What is Ms. in Mandarin?

[Stefani]

OK, so I know that Miss is xiao jie, and Mrs. is tai tai, but what is Ms.?

Like, how do you address someone who is married, but not using her husband's last name? Or you don't know their marital status, but you know their name.

Xie xie!

[yonglin]

女士 (nǚ shì)

[Stefani]

Yonglin, xie xie.

I think that means Lady, correct?

Just to clarify, if I want to address someone with surname of Huang, would it be "Huang nu shi" then?

Thank you again.

[elina]

I think it can be "Huang nu shi/黄女士", if you don’t know if she is married or not.

http://www.baidu.com/s?ct=0&ie=gb2312&bs=%C5%AE%CA%BF&sr=&z=&cl=3&f=8&wd=%BB%C6%C5%AE%CA%BF

[rezaf]

i know that 太太means 1-wife 2-Mrs.

is it also possible to use 妻子 for both of these two words?

[againstwind]

i know that 太太means 1-wife 2-Mrs.

is it also possible to use 妻子 for both of these two words?

I'm afraid not.

妻子 is just for wife.

[William Guan]

It is correct to address her 'huang nǚ shì(黄女士)' if you don't know her marital status.

'妻子' only means 'wife'.

[Stefani]

It is correct to address her 'huang nǚ shì(黄女士)' if you don't know her marital status.

Considering that Chinese women do not change their surname when they get married, even if you know one's marital status, is it better to address a woman as XXX tai tai or as YYY nushi?

For example, a woman whose surname is Huang, married to a man whose surname is Lin, is it more proper to call her Huang nushi or Lin tai tai?

Xie Xie!

edited to add: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_titles

[elina]

For example, a woman whose surname is Huang, married to a man whose surname is Lin, is it more proper to call her Huang nushi or Lin tai tai?

I’d like to call her Huang nushi, and I think most Beijingers probably would like to call her Huang nushi. I have a FEELING but don’t know if it’s right, people living in the south would like to call her Lin tai tai.

[HashiriKata]

I’d like to call her Huang nushi, and I think most Beijingers probably would like to call her Huang nushi. I have a FEELING but don’t know if it’s right, people living in the south would like to call her Lin tai tai.

What about levels of formality? If you know this person herself quite well, would you still call her "Huang nushi" ? And if you know her husband well, do you still call her "Huang nushi" ?

[elina]

If you know this person herself quite well, would you still call her "Huang nushi" ?

No, I’ll 直呼其名/ directly call her name or 给她起外号/ call her moniker.

And if you know her husband well, do you still call her "Huang nushi" ?

If I at first know her husband, and then through him I know this lady, I’ll also call her name, instead of Huang nushi.

I think either Huang nushi or Lin tai tai is for kinda of strangers, not for friends who you know quite well.

[HashiriKata]

Thank you elina! With your reply, I realized how stupid my questions were.

[GreatFrank]

hey, that was not really stupid as there are so many ways that to call a well-kown person,

it basically depends on how and where did you know this person.

give you a example, if you she's one of your colleaques,you can call her straight by her name/ or you can call "xiao+last name"e.g: 小黃（xiao huang）,小李(xiao li)。however it is ok to use this way but it's a little old fashioned.

if you got in touch with this person privately, then you can call her/him anything resonable.

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one more thing need to pay a close attention on that sumtime it's rude and unacceptable callin a adult by his/her nickname, specially when introducing to the others or on sum formal occasions.(sh)