How do you call an adult man in china?

[RobertKusuma]

When you want to talk to an adult man (age 30-50s), what do you call them to start a conversation?

[renzhe]

先生 xiān sheng (mister, sir)

or, if there is some familiarity (you know the person, or it's a parent of a friend of yours), and the person is older than you (your parents' generation), you could also use

叔叔 shū shu (uncle)

[jbradfor]

師傅 is used too, but less common and I'm not exactly sure when to use it.

[renzhe]

師傅 is used too, but less common and I'm not exactly sure when to use it.

A taxi driver, or a shop seller, or a technician, for example. It refers to their profession, AFAIK.

[Lugubert]

Most persons I address will be younger than me, so it seems that 先生 works fine for men. OTOH, there will normally be a reason for getting attention, so instead of a direct address, 请说 'pray tell' or 请问 'excuse me; may I ask' have worked for me.

[mr.stinky]

老板 will work also.

[Lugubert]

老板 will work also.

??? WenLin gives 老板 = "shopkeeper; proprietor; boss". I had previously only met 板 in a context where "〈mus.〉 clappers" made sense.

Translating works for me. I have to improve my speaking and listening capacities. For dubious reasons, I'm primarily investigating Xi'an and Chengdu. But don't feel safe in Kunming!

ETA: You moved to Guangxi?! Details, please!

[leeyah]

師傅 is used too, but less common and I'm not exactly sure when to use it.

A taxi driver, or a shop seller, or a technician, for example. It refers to their profession, AFAIK

.

Depends on their age and there's also this regional difference; it's true 师傅 is used for various professions, especially taxi or bus-drivers, but I heard that in the North especially Beijing, 师傅 is quite common for men of any profession and age, but 老师傅 for elderly men, not 先生

In Guangdong of course they all prefer to be gentlemen so 先生 is your best choice, even though in GZ I've heard the Cantonese use 司机 (sigei) used for bus drivers, but it was still 师傅 by Mandarin speakers

For teachers you can use this pattern: name+老师，教授 and then ask questions with either: 请问。。。or 请教一下。。。or 请打扰一下。。。or 借光。。。

服务员 is used for all sorts of receptionists and clerks & 老板 for businessmen (?) especially shop-owners

The Chinese address each other as 兄弟，大哥，兄弟们，哥们 for plural etc, but I guess it wouldn't do much good for you to use it

[mr.stinky]

老板 is appropriate in small restaurants/food stalls to get the owner's attention when you

want to order or pay your bill. i suppose any small shop where you're dealing with the

owner rather than 服务员 000136.

师傅 for working stiffs with some knowledge or skill: taxi/bus drivers, plumbers,

electricians, fix-it guys, etc.

guangxi? details? whatayaneedtaknow? small town (350k), hot weather, mangoes

and bananas. giant roaches and the occasional tarantula.

kunming was/is perfectly safe. you'll have no problems there.

[davidzq]

What I try to keep in mind, as a western, is that I want to address others as appropriately as possible based on their job, age relative to me, and the closeness of the relationship.

If the person is a complete stranger and I simply want to ask a question or talk, then 请问 (please, may I ask a question) is what I might use at first. If the person was the owner or apparent operator of something I might very well say 老板 (boss), even if a woman).

If I am somewhat familiar with the person, 大哥 (elder brother).

If I am more familiar or somewhat close, then 兄弟 (brother) or 老 "lao" in front of their family name.

Local dialect is useful to know... in my wife's hometown, it would be common to say to an older stranger 师傅 (master) since the person is older and most likely more wisdom with which they could teach you something about life... so this is very respectful to say.

On the other hand, although 小姐 (is normally 'miss' for a lady), in my wife's hometown you don't really say this since it's slang for that unsavory vocation of old by ladies in waiting...

[qq51186988]

師傅 is used too, but less common and I'm not exactly sure when to use it.

In Ji'nan, the provincial capital of Shandong province, 师傅 is used very often.

[Lugubert]

In which regions should 小姐 be avoided? I'm 65. Could I use 妹妹, and if yes, for which age bracket?

[leeyah]

In which regions should 小姐 be avoided? I'm 65. Could I use 妹妹, and if yes, for which age bracket?

From what I've heard, better not use it at all. Use 服务员，老师，and such... even 女士 is better than 小姐 , I suppose 小妹妹 isn't all that bad (?!) Also I've heard 靓妹 (lengmui) used for young girls in Guangdong, so if you ever happen to get there I think it'd be OK

There's an interesting article on this （小姐，美女，小妹 included) @http://blog.newssc.org/u/11228/archives/2008/45639.html

[skylee]

Also I've heard 靓妹 (lengmui) used for young girls in Guangdong, so if you ever happen to get there I think it'd be OK

Please don't.

In which regions should 小姐 be avoided?

You need not avoid using it if you are in HK.

[zhxlier]

To address a man in his 30-50s, northern China ---

In professional/business situations, use 先生

Addressing government employees, you can use 同志

Addressing blue collar workers, use 师傅

In very casual occasions and when you want to be extra friendly, if you're younger than the person to be addressed, use 大哥；if you are older, use 兄弟。

[skylee]

Addressing government employees, you can use 同志

do people still use 同志 nowadays?

[imron]

It's still used a reasonable amount - I might hear it used a couple of times a week. Often in a joking way, or to officials or other people in authority (policemen, military personnel etc). Despite what some people say, I also never hear it used to mean homosexual.

[roddy]

If it's good enough for 小平同志， it's good enough for anyone else. . . .

You couldn't really call it common, but you do hear it, usually from / among older people, who will have used it constantly for a large chunk of their lives. It's used jokingly quite often. I don't think I've ever used it in earnest - not because I'm worried about calling anyone's sexual orientation into question, as that's a non-issue everywhere I've lived at least - the only people I've ever heard worry about that are foreigners who read it in the Lonely Planet or something. But because as a less common use it's harder to use appropriately and as a foreigner speaking to anyone Chinese, I'm not sure exactly what would be 同 about our 志s anyway.

I know one former member on here was addressed as 老外同志 by a bus driver once.

[albert.wzk]

Hi all, i am a local chinese and would like to give you some information.

Nowadays, some chinese words changed their original meaning, such as:

小姐: The original meaning is "Miss", but currently, people always call a prostitute 小姐, so it's not good to call a girl 小姐 in chin.

同志: It's a popular calling for CPC memeber is the past (on/before 1980's), but now, 同志gets a new meaning of the GAY .

PS: 老板: In guangdong province, you can call every adult man 老板, because 老板 means rich person and Guangdong people like to call a man 老板

[roddy]

Hmmm, that means in the last week I've heard a man in a supermarket call a female assistant gay, and a waitress call a customer a prostitute. Yet no fights started.