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In this week’s lesson, we explored how to address different people in Mandarin, from service workers to family-like terms for strangers.
Today’s exercises will help you practice choosing the right address term for different situations. You’ll see how the right choice creates the perfect tone for each interaction.
With practice, these terms will feel natural and you’ll know exactly how to address anyone you meet. Let’s go!
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 Easy Exercises
Translate these English sentences into Mandarin:
(at a restaurant) Hey, can I get another bowl of rice?
(passenger to taxi driver) Turn left here.
(adult talking to a lost child in a mall) Where are your mom and dad?
(teenager asking a man around dad’s age who’s fixing a bike) Do you have any tools? My bike is broken too.
Take your time, and remember: practicing will help you sound more natural and confident in your Mandarin conversations. You’ve got this! 💫
🌱 Translation #1
(at a restaurant) Hey, can I get another bowl of rice?
In a restaurant, you need to get a server’s attention politely to request something. When you need to call service staff in Mandarin, 服务员 [服務員] (fúwùyuán) is your go-to word. It’s the standard, respectful way to address any service worker (waiters, store clerks, attendants etc) regardless of gender. Think of it as similar to saying “excuse me” to get someone’s attention, but specifically for service contexts. It sets a polite, professional tone that shows you respect their work while making clear you need assistance.
📚 Structure: 服务员 [服務員], [Request]
Let’s break down the translation step by step:
服务员 [服務員] (fúwùyuán) means “service staff” or “waiter.”
服务 [服務] (fúwù) means “service.”
员 [員] (yuán) means “person” or “staff member.”
This is the standard polite way to address any service worker.
再 (zài) means “again” or “more.”
来 [來] (lái) means “to come” but here means “to bring.”
再来 [再來] together means “bring another” in ordering contexts.
一 (yī) means “one.”
碗 (wǎn) is the measure word for bowls.
米饭 [米飯] (mǐfàn) means “rice.”
米 (mǐ) means “rice grain.”
饭 [飯] (fàn) means “cooked rice” or “meal.”
Notes
Don’t use 老板 [老闆] (lǎobǎn) here, as that’s specifically for small shop owners or market vendors, not restaurant servers.
Don’t say 给我 [給我] (gěi wǒ, “give me”) before the request, as it can sound demanding. The structure 再来 [再來] is more polite.
服务员 [服務員] (fúwùyuán) works for any gender and is the safest, most common choice in restaurants.
Recap
服务员，再来一碗米饭！
服務員，再來一碗米飯！
服务员 / ，/ 再 / 来 / 一 / 碗 / 米饭 / ！
fúwùyuán, zài lái yī wǎn mǐfàn!
Hey, can I get another bowl of rice?
service staff / again / bring / one / (measure word 碗) / rice.
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🌱 Translation #2
(passenger to taxi driver) Turn left here.
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