服務生

[Kenny同志]

 

I hear a lot of 美女 and 帅哥 in Beijing these days, especially in bars/cafes.

I still hear plenty of 服务员 with plenty of erhua in restaurants.

 

I have never once heard a 小姐 since I lived in Singapore.

 

 

Fair enough.

 

But everybody should have the right to address people in the way they like as long as it is acceptable.

 

Personally I don't use 美女, 帥哥, 某總, or 某導 unless I really have to. I reserve 美女 for real beauties and 師傅 for artisans, plumbers, and blue-collar workers. And I address a bus/cab/van/lorry driver as 司機, instead of 師傅, or 司機師傅; these last two I reserve for motorbike/tricycle drivers.

 

Edit: If the tricycle driver is a woman of my mother's age or slightly younger, I may use 阿姨.

[Kenny同志]

http://www.tudou.com/albumplay/2MPKNUIyyFs/-YjyKz02pcc.html

 

撥到6:15看，一直看到6:34。

 

If you keep watching, you will hear a lot of 小姐 and 先生, and two or three 師傅. 

[Guest realmayo]

Is 小伙子 in widespread use (as, say, a male equivalent of  小姐  in a restaurant)?

[Kenny同志]

Is 小伙子 in widespread use (as, say, a male equivalent of  小姐  in a restaurant)?

 

No, it is not. But if the waiter is very young and you are much older, you may address him as 小夥子.

 

Don't use 小姐 in a cheap restaurant or you will come across as 做作 or 故扮高級. Still use 服務員 instead - don't use 服務生though unless you are in a fancy restaurant.