PMT Advanced #92: Practicing Address Terms

🌀 Pearls of Mandarin: Translation (Advanced) #92

Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟

This worksheet you’re reading right now is the 🌳 Advanced version, specifically designed for learners around HSK levels 4–5-6.

If you’re looking for something simpler to practice first, check your inbox for the Easy version or click here!

This week in CGG #92, we explored how to address different people in Mandarin, from service staff to elderly strangers to authority figures.

Today’s exercises will help you practice choosing the right address term for different social situations. Each context requires its own appropriate form of address, and picking the right one makes your interactions smooth and respectful.

With practice, these address forms will become second nature, so let’s practice!

Recap of CGG #92 lesson

• Using 服务员 (fúwùyuán): A practical and polite term for addressing any service staff (restaurant servers, store clerks, or attendants). It works for any gender and is the standard safe choice when you need assistance in service settings.

• Using 师傅 (shīfu): A respectful address for anyone performing skilled work or providing services, including taxi drivers, repair technicians, and manual laborers. It acknowledges their expertise and creates a warm, respectful tone regardless of gender.

• Using 老板 (lǎobǎn): A friendly term meaning “boss” used to address shop owners or workers at small businesses and markets. It creates a genial atmosphere and doesn’t require the person to actually be the owner.

• Using 老师 (lǎoshī): Originally means “teacher” but extends beyond classrooms as a versatile respectful title for anyone with expertise or authority in a field.

• Using surname + title: A formal pattern for professional settings where you acknowledge someone’s position (e.g., 王医生 “Doctor Wang,” 李经理 “Manager Li”). This structure shows respect for their role and is standard in business contexts.

• Using 老 (lǎo) / 小 (xiǎo) + surname: A workplace pattern for addressing colleagues at similar levels: 老 for older or more senior peers, 小 for younger ones. It shows familiarity while maintaining respect, but never use it for superiors.

• Using 同学 (tóngxué): Means “classmate” but also functions as a polite way to address any young person on campus, even strangers. Teachers use the plural form 同学们 to address students collectively.

• Using 学长 (xuézhǎng) / 学姐 (xuéjiě) / 学弟 (xuédì) / 学妹 (xuèmèi): School-specific terms indicating seniority: 学长/学姐 for senior students in higher grades, 学弟/学妹 for junior students in lower grades.

• Using 大哥 (dàgē) / 大姐 (dàjiě): Family terms meaning “big brother” and “big sister” used to address strangers slightly older than you. They create a friendly, respectful atmosphere without implying actual family relationship.

• Using 叔叔 (shūshu) / 阿姨 (āyí): Terms meaning “uncle” and “aunt” for addressing people around your parents’ age. They convey respect and friendliness, though be mindful not to make younger people feel old by using them prematurely.

• Using 爷爷 (yéye) / 奶奶 (nǎinai): Terms meaning “grandpa” and “grandma” for addressing elderly people with warmth and high respect. They create a caring, familial tone appropriate for seniors old enough to be your grandparents.

• Using 小朋友 (xiǎopéngyǒu): A sweet, polite term meaning “little friend” for addressing children. It’s affectionate without being condescending and works as the default polite term for any child up to early teens.

• Using 先生 (xiānsheng) / 女士 (nǚshì): Formal titles equivalent to “Mr./Sir” and “Ms./Madam” for polite address in unfamiliar situations. These are safe, respectful choices for adult strangers, especially in formal contexts.

• Using 各位 (gèwèi): A formal term meaning “everyone” or “ladies and gentlemen” for addressing groups. Essential for speeches, announcements, and formal meetings, often combined with other terms like 各位来宾 “distinguished guests.”

• Using 陛下 (bìxià) / 殿下 (diànxià) / 阁下 (géxià): Ultra-formal historical titles meaning “Your Majesty,” “Your Highness,” and “Your Excellency” respectively. These represent the highest level of respectful address for emperors, royalty, and high-ranking officials. While rarely used in everyday life, they appear in ceremonial contexts, formal diplomatic settings, and historical dramas.

• Using 帅哥 (shuàigē) / 美女 (měinǚ): Casual contemporary terms meaning “handsome guy” and “beautiful woman” used playfully among peers in informal contexts. While they sound like compliments, they function as friendly ice-breakers and are very normal in everyday casual interactions among young adults.

🌳 Today’s Advanced Exercises

Translate these English sentences into Mandarin:

1. (regular customer at a small restaurant) The usual, give me a fried rice with extra scallions.

2. (colleague talking to an older coworker named Zhang) Going fishing this weekend? Take me with you!

3. (young person offering seat to elderly man on bus) Please sit here, I’m getting off soon.

4. (minister reporting urgent news to emperor in historical drama) The enemy forces are already at the city gates!

Take your time, and remember: practicing will help you sound more natural and confident in your Mandarin conversations. You’ve got this! 💫

🌳 Translation #1

(regular customer at a small restaurant) The usual, give me a fried rice with extra scallions.

You’re a regular at this small neighborhood restaurant, and you’re ordering what you always get. In this familiar context, you want to be friendly and show you’re a valued regular customer. When addressing owners at small businesses and markets in Mandarin, 老板 [老闆] (lǎobǎn) creates exactly this warm atmosphere. It literally means “boss” but functions as a friendly greeting that works even if the person isn’t actually the owner.

📚 Structure: 老板 [老闆] + ，+ [Order]

Let’s break down the translation step by step:

• 老板 [老闆] (lǎobǎn) means “boss” or is used to address shop owners/workers.

• 还是 [還是] (háishì) means “still” or “as before.”

• 老样子 [老樣子] (lǎoyàngzi) means “the usual” (literally “old appearance”).

  • 老 (lǎo) means “old.”

  • 样子 [樣子] (yàngzi) means “appearance” or “way.”

  • Together they create the fixed expression for “the usual.”

• 给 [給] (gěi) means “to give.”

• 我 (wǒ) means “me.”

• 来 [來] (lái) literally means “to come” but here adds colloquial flow to orders.

• 份 (fèn) is the measure word for portions or servings.

• 炒饭 [炒飯] (chǎofàn) means “fried rice.”

  • 炒 (chǎo) means “to stir-fry.”

  • 饭 [飯] (fàn) means “rice.”

• 多 (duō) means “more” or “extra.”

• 加 (jiā) means “to add.”

• 点 [點] (diǎn) means “a little” or “some.”

• 葱 [蔥] (cōng) means “scallions” or “green onions.”

Notes

• Don’t use 服务员 [服務員] (fúwùyuán) here, as it’s too formal and creates distance between you and the staff at a small restaurant where you’re a regular.

• The expression 还是老样子 [還是老樣子] (háishì lǎoyàngzi) is a fixed phrase that can’t be altered or reordered.

• 给我来 [給我來] (gěi wǒ lái) is the standard colloquial pattern for ordering food, more natural than just 给我 [給我] (gěi wǒ) alone.

• 多加点 [多加點] (duō jiā diǎn) uses 多 (duō) before the verb to mean “more” or “extra,” creating a casual request tone.

Recap

• 老板，还是老样子，给我来份炒饭，多加点葱。

• 老闆，還是老樣子，給我來份炒飯，多加點蔥。

• 老板 / ，/ 还是 / 老样子 / ，/ 给 / 我 / 来 / 份 / 炒饭 / ，/ 多 / 加 / 点 / 葱 / 。

• lǎobǎn, háishì lǎoyàngzi, gěi wǒ lái fèn chǎofàn, duō jiā diǎn cōng.

• The usual, give me a fried rice with extra scallions.

• boss / still / the usual / give / me / come / (measure word 份) / fried rice / more / add / a little / scallions.

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🌳 Translation #2

(colleague talking to an older coworker named Zhang) Going fishing this weekend? Take me with you!