Talking to Old People

[Altair]

What are appropriate ways to address an elderly stranger on the street? Is there much difference between the terms I have listed below? In American English, I would simply say "sir" or "ma'am."

老人家?

老人? (Does this imply the person addressed is elderly, just older than the speaker, or something else?)

老爷爷? (Can a middle-aged adult say this to an elderly person?)

Any other common options?

[Quest]

"老人家" can substitute the pronoun "你"，"老人" can't. ”老人“ is not used (and impolite) to address people. 老人家 can be used together with 您 -> 您老人家 or 老人家您。

"老爷爷" is usually used by children, but can occasionally be used by adults to show humbleness.

Others: 老先生，伯伯，爷爷，老爷子，老公公，老伯，叔叔 etc..

Usually, using 老人家，伯伯，or 老先生 can't be wrong. 叔叔 shows humbleness, and is also never wrong.

For old women: 婆婆，奶奶，阿姨，老夫人 etc.

Using "阿姨" would make most old people happy.

[randall_flagg]

But just like in English, you want to be careful not to say, e.g. 阿姨 to a lady who is, say, in her early 30s. She probably wouldn't be too happy, unless you are a LOT younger than she is. But I guess that's just common sense.

[liande]

Guess also here we have a lot of regional differences. Here in Shanghai speaking Putonghua I would adress an old man in the street as xiansheng or lao xiansheng and an old lady I would adress as taitai or Lao taitai. I have however overheard about any women being adressed as ayi, especially all young ones if people speak shanghaihua.