Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sisok
Sisok is the sidai of the teacher in a martial art school. "Si" means teacher. "Sok" means an uncle who is younger than the father.
Sihing
Sihing or Shixiong means senior fellow students in a Chinese martial art school. Si means teacher. Hing means elder brother. The seniority is not based on the student's age or level of skill, but on the chronological order of following a particular sifu. The master's first student is always the most senior shihing . The less senior students are called sidai among their peers.
Today, at least in Hong Kong, students from the same school will informally refer to their peers in the years above them as sihing or sizhe , and peers in the lower years to their own as sidai or simui . This practise also extends to the Hong Kong Police and other certain uniformed groups.
Today, at least in Hong Kong, students from the same school will informally refer to their peers in the years above them as sihing or sizhe , and peers in the lower years to their own as sidai or simui . This practise also extends to the Hong Kong Police and other certain uniformed groups.
Sigung
Sigung or Shigong or "Si Kung" is the sifu's sifu in a Chinese martial art school. Si means teacher. Gung means grandfather.
Sidai
Sidai or Shidi means junior fellow students in a Chinese martial art school. Si means teacher. Dai means younger brother. The seniority is not based on the student's age or level of skill, but on the chronological order of following a particular sifu. The master's first student is always the most senior sihing. The less senior students are called shidai among their peers.
Sibak
Sibak is the sihing of one's teacher in a martial art school. Si means teacher. Bak means an uncle that is older than the father.
Gong (title)
Gong was the highest title of Chinese nobles during Zhou Dynasty and the second highest title, ranked below , from Han Dynasty onwards. ''Gong'' is usually translated as ''Duke''.
Chinese titles
In , Hong Kong, Macau, , Singapore, and other societies around the world, an honorific title is attached after the family name of an individual when addressing that person. Aside from addressing colleagues or family of equal or lesser rank, it is considered impolite to refer to others by their name only.
The most common honorific titles are similar to the English Mr, Sir, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Madam, etc. The Chinese titles, unlike in English, are also used to bring people closer rather than to keep distance between one another. They always follow the name of the person and can stand alone.
* Xiānshēng 先生 : This is a term commonly used as a respectful form of address for all men and male law enforcement officials. It can either follow the surname or the given names . In common speech, the former is more common , but in formal contexts, the given names are often used as if they were the two character courtesy name . This can be combined with formal titles to indicate even more respect . It is the same as ''sensei'' in Japanese, though its use is much less restrictive, more like how ''san'' would be used in Japanese. It is also used as a title for a man of respected stature.
*Gōng 公 : Today, this respectful honorific is mainly applied to deceased male relatives. In imperial times, it was a equivalent to duke . Whenever it is used, it always follows the surname of the person being referred to .
* Xiǎojiě 小姐 , Miss: This honorific is used to refer to young and unmarried women. It follows the surname of the woman or can be used alone as a title of address. Today, however, it is most associated as a slang term for "prostitute" or in restaurants addressing waitresses.
* Tàitai 太太 : This honorific is used to refer to married women. It is added after the surname of the husband or can be used alone as a title of address. It is used in familial and personal relations, but completely absent in formal business contexts since it emphasizes age and marital bond.
* Nǚshì 女士 : This title follows a woman's name. The use of this honorific has grown in popularity in the late 20th Century, since it is age and marital status independent and does not connote that women are inferior to men. It is always the preferred term in more formal contexts, especially if the age or marital status of the person being noted is not known.
* Fūrén 夫人 : Traditionally used to refer to a lady of high rank, the term has fallen into disuse since the late 20th Century except in formal contexts, , or to translate names of females in other languages derived from the surname of their husband . It is used following the husband's full name or surname, or can be used as title on its own . It can also be used to address female law enforcement officials.
Chinese people often address professionals in formal situations by their occupational titles. These titles can either follow the surname of the person in reference, or it can stand alone either as a form of address or if the person being referred to is unambiguous without the added surname.
* L?oshī 老師 , when addressing a teacher.
* Xiàozh?ng 校長 , when addressing the school headmaster or principal. Chinese does not have specific titles for heads of universities , so this term is applied in higher education as well. Generally, the word ''zh?ng'' is added to an institutional name to refer to the leader of that institution.
* Jiàoshòu 教授 , when addressing a professor.
The use of the term equivalent of "" is less common in Chinese as it is in English. The term ''boshi'' is used both as a honorific title and a name for the degree. Like in English, holders of a doctorate can have the title added to the end of their names, but use of the undistinguishing ''xiānshēng'' or ''nǚshì'' is much more prevalent.
* Tóngzhì 同志 : This term is commonly used by political party members to address each other. Its use expanded to all segments of society during the rule of Mao Zedong. It is still used by leaders of the Communist Party of China on formal occasions, and to a much lesser degree, leaders of the Kuomintang.
* Wěiyuán 委員 : This term can be used to refer to any member of a committee or council. This was especially prevalent in the system of party and state committees the Kuomintang used to govern China in the 1930s and 1940s. The Communist Party of China also operates under a system of parallel committees, but prefer the more proletarian term ''tóngzhì'' .
* Zhǔxí 主席 : Leaders of certain organizations such as political parties use this title. Notably, it applied to Chairman Mao who was referred to as ''Máo Zhǔxí'' as head of the Communist Party of China.
* Yīshēng 醫生 , most commonly used when addressing a doctor; used for practitioners of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine.
* Yīshī 醫師 , is a more formal title when addressing a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
* Dàifū 大夫 , an older title used to address high officials in ancient times, now used colloquially when addressing a doctor.
A list of titles when addressing a martial arts master . The titles below are listed by the Standard Mandarin pronunciation which is the national language in China. In the West, the titles are more commonly known by their pronunciation which are given in brackets.
* Shīfu 師父 , used when addressing one's own martial arts instructor. But can also be used for teacher/instructors of other kind.
* Shīgōng 師公 , used when addressing the teacher of one's Shifu.
* Shīmǔ 師母 , used when addressing the wife of Shifu.
* Zōngshī 宗師 , technically the founder of a discipline or branch , used when addressing a great master.
Honorific titles
The most common honorific titles are similar to the English Mr, Sir, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Madam, etc. The Chinese titles, unlike in English, are also used to bring people closer rather than to keep distance between one another. They always follow the name of the person and can stand alone.
Males
* Xiānshēng 先生 : This is a term commonly used as a respectful form of address for all men and male law enforcement officials. It can either follow the surname or the given names . In common speech, the former is more common , but in formal contexts, the given names are often used as if they were the two character courtesy name . This can be combined with formal titles to indicate even more respect . It is the same as ''sensei'' in Japanese, though its use is much less restrictive, more like how ''san'' would be used in Japanese. It is also used as a title for a man of respected stature.
*Gōng 公 : Today, this respectful honorific is mainly applied to deceased male relatives. In imperial times, it was a equivalent to duke . Whenever it is used, it always follows the surname of the person being referred to .
Females
* Xiǎojiě 小姐 , Miss: This honorific is used to refer to young and unmarried women. It follows the surname of the woman or can be used alone as a title of address. Today, however, it is most associated as a slang term for "prostitute" or in restaurants addressing waitresses.
* Tàitai 太太 : This honorific is used to refer to married women. It is added after the surname of the husband or can be used alone as a title of address. It is used in familial and personal relations, but completely absent in formal business contexts since it emphasizes age and marital bond.
* Nǚshì 女士 : This title follows a woman's name. The use of this honorific has grown in popularity in the late 20th Century, since it is age and marital status independent and does not connote that women are inferior to men. It is always the preferred term in more formal contexts, especially if the age or marital status of the person being noted is not known.
* Fūrén 夫人 : Traditionally used to refer to a lady of high rank, the term has fallen into disuse since the late 20th Century except in formal contexts, , or to translate names of females in other languages derived from the surname of their husband . It is used following the husband's full name or surname, or can be used as title on its own . It can also be used to address female law enforcement officials.
Occupational titles
Chinese people often address professionals in formal situations by their occupational titles. These titles can either follow the surname of the person in reference, or it can stand alone either as a form of address or if the person being referred to is unambiguous without the added surname.
Academia
* L?oshī 老師 , when addressing a teacher.
* Xiàozh?ng 校長 , when addressing the school headmaster or principal. Chinese does not have specific titles for heads of universities , so this term is applied in higher education as well. Generally, the word ''zh?ng'' is added to an institutional name to refer to the leader of that institution.
* Jiàoshòu 教授 , when addressing a professor.
The use of the term equivalent of "" is less common in Chinese as it is in English. The term ''boshi'' is used both as a honorific title and a name for the degree. Like in English, holders of a doctorate can have the title added to the end of their names, but use of the undistinguishing ''xiānshēng'' or ''nǚshì'' is much more prevalent.
Government and politics
* Tóngzhì 同志 : This term is commonly used by political party members to address each other. Its use expanded to all segments of society during the rule of Mao Zedong. It is still used by leaders of the Communist Party of China on formal occasions, and to a much lesser degree, leaders of the Kuomintang.
* Wěiyuán 委員 : This term can be used to refer to any member of a committee or council. This was especially prevalent in the system of party and state committees the Kuomintang used to govern China in the 1930s and 1940s. The Communist Party of China also operates under a system of parallel committees, but prefer the more proletarian term ''tóngzhì'' .
* Zhǔxí 主席 : Leaders of certain organizations such as political parties use this title. Notably, it applied to Chairman Mao who was referred to as ''Máo Zhǔxí'' as head of the Communist Party of China.
Medicine
* Yīshēng 醫生 , most commonly used when addressing a doctor; used for practitioners of both Western and traditional Chinese medicine.
* Yīshī 醫師 , is a more formal title when addressing a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
* Dàifū 大夫 , an older title used to address high officials in ancient times, now used colloquially when addressing a doctor.
Martial arts
A list of titles when addressing a martial arts master . The titles below are listed by the Standard Mandarin pronunciation which is the national language in China. In the West, the titles are more commonly known by their pronunciation which are given in brackets.
* Shīfu 師父 , used when addressing one's own martial arts instructor. But can also be used for teacher/instructors of other kind.
* Shīgōng 師公 , used when addressing the teacher of one's Shifu.
* Shīmǔ 師母 , used when addressing the wife of Shifu.
* Zōngshī 宗師 , technically the founder of a discipline or branch , used when addressing a great master.
Chinese honorifics
Class consciousness and Confucian principles of order and respect helped promote the development of an elaborate system of honorific language in Ancient and Imperial China. Chinese polite language is very similar to the Japanese system conceptually; both emphasized the idea of classes and in-group vs. out-group. So the language used among friends would be very different from that used among businesspeople. Although most Chinese honorifics have fallen out of use since the end of Imperial China, they can still be understood by many contemporary Chinese speakers. This is partly attributable to the popularity of Chinese historical novels and television dramas, which often employ languages from the classical periods. In general, language referring to oneself exhibits self-deprecating humbleness, while language referring to others shows approval and respect.
Because Chinese does not have inflections, i.e., there's no grammatical conjugation or declension, the Chinese honorifics system is not as complex as the conjugating Korean and Japanese systems. Politeness in Chinese is often achieved by using honorific alternatives, prefixing or suffixing a word with a polite complement, or simply by dropping casual-sounding words.
Example:
請問你姓甚麼？?请问你姓什么？: ''“May I ask for your surname?”
''
The sentence above is an acceptable question when used to people of equal or lower status. But if the addressee is of higher status, or if the person asking the question wants to show more respect, then several changes may occur:
1. The regular second person pronoun 你 is replaced by the honorific second person pronoun 您
2. The casual interrogative pronoun 甚麼?什么 is dropped
3. The honorific prefix 貴?贵 is added in front of 姓 to exalt the addressee
So the resulting sentence, 請問您貴姓？?请问您贵姓？: ''“May I ask for the honorable surname of the honorific you?”'' is much more polite and more commonly used among people in formal or careful situations.
Below is a collection of some of the better known honorifics and polite prefixes and suffixes that have been used at one time or another in the Chinese lexicon. Pronunciations given are those of today's Mandarin Chinese. Wherever the Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese scripts differ, both are given, separated with a dot and with Traditional first. Many are obsolete after the end of the Qing Dynasty and are no longer used.
* 愚 : I, the unintelligent
* 鄙 : I, the less educated
* 敝 : I, the unrefined
* 卑 : I, from a lower class
* 竊·窃 : I, who did not give you proper notice
* 僕·仆 : I, your servant
* 婢 : I, your servant
* 妾 : I, your concubine
* 在下 : I, who am humbler and lower than you
* 小人 : I, the insignificant
* 小女 : I, the insignificant and female
* 草民 : I, the worthless commoner
* 奴才 : I, your slave/servant
* 奴婢 : I, your slave/servant
* 奴家 : I, your wife
* 老~ , old
** 老朽 : I, who am old and unable
** 老夫 : I, who am old and respected
** 老漢·老汉 : I, who am an old man
** 老拙 : I, who am old and clumsy
** 老衲 : I, the old monk
** 老身 : I, this old body
* 孤 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 寡 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 寡人 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 不穀·不谷 : I, the ruler of a dissolute kingdom
* 朕 : I, the Emperor
* 本宫 : I, the empress/concubine
* 哀家 : I, the emperor's mother
* 臣妾 : I, your concubine
* 兒臣·儿臣 : I, your son official/subject
* 臣 : I, your subject
* 下官 : I, the low official
* 末官 : I, the lesser official
* 小吏 : I, the small scribe / official
* 卑職·卑职 : I, the humble position
* 末將·末将 : I, the lowest general
* 本官 : I, your superior
* 小生 : I, who am born / grown "smaller"
* 晚生 : I, who was born later
* 晚學·晚学 : I, who started studying later
* 不才 : I, who am without talent
* 不佞 : I, who am without talent
* 不肖 : I, who did not respect you
* 晚輩·晚辈 : I, who belong to a younger generation
* 貧僧·贫僧 : I, the poor monk
* 貧尼·贫尼 : I, the poor nun
* 家~ : prefix for elder family members
* 先~ : prefix for elder family members
* 舍~ : prefix for younger family members
* 小~ : small
** 小兒·小儿 : My son, who is small
** 小女 : My daughter, who is small
* 内~ : prefix for referring to one's wife - 内人，内子
* 愚~ : prefix for referring to one's self and one's family member; 愚夫婦, 愚父子、愚兄弟, etc
* 犬子 : My son, who is comparable to a puppy
* 拙夫·拙夫 : My husband, who is inferior
* 拙荆·拙荆 : My wife, who is inferior
* 賤内·贱内 : The one within , who is worthless
* 寒舍 : my home - literally my worthless residence
* 萬歲·万岁 : You, of ten thousand years. Here "ten-thousand" is a marker for a large number, much as "million" is used figuratively in English. "Years" here refers specifically to "years of age."
* 萬歲爺·万岁爷 : You, the lord of ten thousand years
* 聖~·圣~ : the holy, the sacred
** 聖上·圣上 : You, the holy up high
** 聖瘛な�: a prefix indicating holiness
* 令~ : The beautiful
** 令尊 or 令尊翁 : the beautiful and respectful
** 令堂 or 令壽堂 : the beautiful and dignified
** 令閫·令阃 : the beautiful door to the woman's room
** 令兄 : the beautiful elder brother
** 令郎 or 令公子 : the beautiful young lord
** 令愛·令爱 : the beautiful and beloved
** 令千金 : the beautiful of a thousand gold
* 尊~ : The respectful
** 尊上 : The respectful above
** 尊公 , 尊君 , 尊府 : The respectful lord
** 尊堂 : The respectful and dignified
** 尊親·尊亲 : The respectful related
** 尊駕·尊驾 : The respectful procession
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢喬梓: you
** 賢伉儷: you
** 賢昆仲: you
** 賢昆玉: you
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢妻 : you, my esteemed wife
** 賢棣·賢弟·贤弟 : you, my esteemed younger brother
** 賢侄·贤侄 : you, my esteemed nephew
* 夫人 : you, my wife
* 夫君 : you, my husband
* 郎君 : you, my husband
* 官人 : you, my husband
* 相公: you, my husband
* 仁兄 : you, my kind older brother
* 愛~ 爱~ : prefix for beloved family members, e.g. 愛妻，愛姬，愛妾，愛郎
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢家·贤家 : the virtuous house
** 賢郎·贤郎 : the virtuous young man
** 賢弟·贤弟 : the virtuous younger brother
* 仁~ : the kind
** 仁兄 : You, the kind older brother
** 仁公 : You, the kind lord
* 丈~ : prefix for old people
* 太~ , 大~ : prefix for elders
** 太后 : Dowager Empress
** 太父 : father
** 太母 : mother
* 先~ : prefix for deceased elder people
** 先帝 : dead emperor
** 先考 , 先父 : dead father
** 先慈 , 先妣 : dead mother
** 先賢·先贤 : dead knowledgeable person
* 亡~ : prefix for deceased younger people; 亡弟、亡兒 etc
Compare the above few with:
顯考 honorable deceased father
顯妣 honorable deceased mother
These last two are considered more elegant and literary than the two synonyms above, and are commonly found in spiritual tablets and gravestones in Taiwan and overseas Chinese who were not affected by the Cultural Revolution.
* 貴~·贵~ - the honorable
** 貴子弟·贵子弟 : your son
** 貴家長·贵家长 : your parent
** 貴公司·贵公司 , 貴寶號 : your company
** 貴國·贵国 : your country
** 貴姓·贵姓 : your surname
** 貴庚·贵庚 : your age
* 寶~·宝~ - precious, valuable
** 寶號 : your valuable business
* 相公 : term of address for any young gentleman
* 府上 : your home
* 阿~ : intimacy prefix; for example: 阿伯，阿妹，阿哥，阿爸
* 本~ : prefix. this
* 為~·为~ : prefix. I
* 敝~ : prefix. my, our; for example: 敝校，敝人
* ~君 : for a male friend or a respected person
* ~姬 , 姑娘 : for a female friend, maiden
* ~郎 : for an intimate male friend or husband
* ~子 , 夫子 : for a wise man
* ~兄 : for a friend
* ~公 : for a respected person
* ~足下 : for my friend
* ~先生 : for someone in a profession
* ~大人 : for a higher ranked official
* ~兒·儿 : for a young person
* ~哥 : for an elder male friend or relative
* ~弟 : for a younger male friend or relative
* ~姐 : for an elder female friend or relative
* ~妹 : for a younger female friend or relative
is used at the beginning of a speech or a letter to address the audience or recipient. In the English language, salutations are usually in the form "Dear...". However, the Chinese language has more variations for salutation, which are used in different situations. Here are a few examples in modern Chinese:
* 親愛的... : Dear ...
* 尊敬的... : Revered ...
* 敬愛的... : Dear esteemed ...
It has been a tradition for many years in China to address oneself colloquially using honorifics, or a pronoun in place for "I". These include:
* 老子 : I, your dad
* 爷 : I, your lord. Used in parts of Northern China
When used towards a person less well known or formal occasion, both terms are considered to be incredibly rude, and usually used to purposely disgrace the addressee. However it is less of an issue when spoken among close friends, though depending on person, some can still get offended.
Because Chinese does not have inflections, i.e., there's no grammatical conjugation or declension, the Chinese honorifics system is not as complex as the conjugating Korean and Japanese systems. Politeness in Chinese is often achieved by using honorific alternatives, prefixing or suffixing a word with a polite complement, or simply by dropping casual-sounding words.
Example:
請問你姓甚麼？?请问你姓什么？: ''“May I ask for your surname?”
''
The sentence above is an acceptable question when used to people of equal or lower status. But if the addressee is of higher status, or if the person asking the question wants to show more respect, then several changes may occur:
1. The regular second person pronoun 你 is replaced by the honorific second person pronoun 您
2. The casual interrogative pronoun 甚麼?什么 is dropped
3. The honorific prefix 貴?贵 is added in front of 姓 to exalt the addressee
So the resulting sentence, 請問您貴姓？?请问您贵姓？: ''“May I ask for the honorable surname of the honorific you?”'' is much more polite and more commonly used among people in formal or careful situations.
Below is a collection of some of the better known honorifics and polite prefixes and suffixes that have been used at one time or another in the Chinese lexicon. Pronunciations given are those of today's Mandarin Chinese. Wherever the Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese scripts differ, both are given, separated with a dot and with Traditional first. Many are obsolete after the end of the Qing Dynasty and are no longer used.
Referring to oneself
For self-deprecating humbleness, commoners or people with lower status
* 愚 : I, the unintelligent
* 鄙 : I, the less educated
* 敝 : I, the unrefined
* 卑 : I, from a lower class
* 竊·窃 : I, who did not give you proper notice
* 僕·仆 : I, your servant
* 婢 : I, your servant
* 妾 : I, your concubine
* 在下 : I, who am humbler and lower than you
* 小人 : I, the insignificant
* 小女 : I, the insignificant and female
* 草民 : I, the worthless commoner
* 奴才 : I, your slave/servant
* 奴婢 : I, your slave/servant
* 奴家 : I, your wife
Elders
* 老~ , old
** 老朽 : I, who am old and unable
** 老夫 : I, who am old and respected
** 老漢·老汉 : I, who am an old man
** 老拙 : I, who am old and clumsy
** 老衲 : I, the old monk
** 老身 : I, this old body
The royal family
* 孤 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 寡 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 寡人 : I, the ruler of a kingdom
* 不穀·不谷 : I, the ruler of a dissolute kingdom
* 朕 : I, the Emperor
* 本宫 : I, the empress/concubine
* 哀家 : I, the emperor's mother
* 臣妾 : I, your concubine
* 兒臣·儿臣 : I, your son official/subject
Government officials
* 臣 : I, your subject
* 下官 : I, the low official
* 末官 : I, the lesser official
* 小吏 : I, the small scribe / official
* 卑職·卑职 : I, the humble position
* 末將·末将 : I, the lowest general
* 本官 : I, your superior
Scholarly or religious professions
* 小生 : I, who am born / grown "smaller"
* 晚生 : I, who was born later
* 晚學·晚学 : I, who started studying later
* 不才 : I, who am without talent
* 不佞 : I, who am without talent
* 不肖 : I, who did not respect you
* 晚輩·晚辈 : I, who belong to a younger generation
* 貧僧·贫僧 : I, the poor monk
* 貧尼·贫尼 : I, the poor nun
The speaker's own family
* 家~ : prefix for elder family members
* 先~ : prefix for elder family members
* 舍~ : prefix for younger family members
* 小~ : small
** 小兒·小儿 : My son, who is small
** 小女 : My daughter, who is small
* 内~ : prefix for referring to one's wife - 内人，内子
* 愚~ : prefix for referring to one's self and one's family member; 愚夫婦, 愚父子、愚兄弟, etc
* 犬子 : My son, who is comparable to a puppy
* 拙夫·拙夫 : My husband, who is inferior
* 拙荆·拙荆 : My wife, who is inferior
* 賤内·贱内 : The one within , who is worthless
* 寒舍 : my home - literally my worthless residence
Addressing or referring to others
Emperors
* 萬歲·万岁 : You, of ten thousand years. Here "ten-thousand" is a marker for a large number, much as "million" is used figuratively in English. "Years" here refers specifically to "years of age."
* 萬歲爺·万岁爷 : You, the lord of ten thousand years
* 聖~·圣~ : the holy, the sacred
** 聖上·圣上 : You, the holy up high
** 聖瘛な�: a prefix indicating holiness
The addressee's family members
* 令~ : The beautiful
** 令尊 or 令尊翁 : the beautiful and respectful
** 令堂 or 令壽堂 : the beautiful and dignified
** 令閫·令阃 : the beautiful door to the woman's room
** 令兄 : the beautiful elder brother
** 令郎 or 令公子 : the beautiful young lord
** 令愛·令爱 : the beautiful and beloved
** 令千金 : the beautiful of a thousand gold
* 尊~ : The respectful
** 尊上 : The respectful above
** 尊公 , 尊君 , 尊府 : The respectful lord
** 尊堂 : The respectful and dignified
** 尊親·尊亲 : The respectful related
** 尊駕·尊驾 : The respectful procession
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢喬梓: you
** 賢伉儷: you
** 賢昆仲: you
** 賢昆玉: you
One's own family
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢妻 : you, my esteemed wife
** 賢棣·賢弟·贤弟 : you, my esteemed younger brother
** 賢侄·贤侄 : you, my esteemed nephew
* 夫人 : you, my wife
* 夫君 : you, my husband
* 郎君 : you, my husband
* 官人 : you, my husband
* 相公: you, my husband
* 仁兄 : you, my kind older brother
* 愛~ 爱~ : prefix for beloved family members, e.g. 愛妻，愛姬，愛妾，愛郎
Friends
* 賢~·贤~ : the virtuous
** 賢家·贤家 : the virtuous house
** 賢郎·贤郎 : the virtuous young man
** 賢弟·贤弟 : the virtuous younger brother
* 仁~ : the kind
** 仁兄 : You, the kind older brother
** 仁公 : You, the kind lord
Elders or the deceased
* 丈~ : prefix for old people
* 太~ , 大~ : prefix for elders
** 太后 : Dowager Empress
** 太父 : father
** 太母 : mother
* 先~ : prefix for deceased elder people
** 先帝 : dead emperor
** 先考 , 先父 : dead father
** 先慈 , 先妣 : dead mother
** 先賢·先贤 : dead knowledgeable person
* 亡~ : prefix for deceased younger people; 亡弟、亡兒 etc
Compare the above few with:
顯考 honorable deceased father
顯妣 honorable deceased mother
These last two are considered more elegant and literary than the two synonyms above, and are commonly found in spiritual tablets and gravestones in Taiwan and overseas Chinese who were not affected by the Cultural Revolution.
Strangers or social encounters
* 貴~·贵~ - the honorable
** 貴子弟·贵子弟 : your son
** 貴家長·贵家长 : your parent
** 貴公司·贵公司 , 貴寶號 : your company
** 貴國·贵国 : your country
** 貴姓·贵姓 : your surname
** 貴庚·贵庚 : your age
* 寶~·宝~ - precious, valuable
** 寶號 : your valuable business
* 相公 : term of address for any young gentleman
* 府上 : your home
Other prefixes and suffixes
* 阿~ : intimacy prefix; for example: 阿伯，阿妹，阿哥，阿爸
* 本~ : prefix. this
* 為~·为~ : prefix. I
* 敝~ : prefix. my, our; for example: 敝校，敝人
* ~君 : for a male friend or a respected person
* ~姬 , 姑娘 : for a female friend, maiden
* ~郎 : for an intimate male friend or husband
* ~子 , 夫子 : for a wise man
* ~兄 : for a friend
* ~公 : for a respected person
* ~足下 : for my friend
* ~先生 : for someone in a profession
* ~大人 : for a higher ranked official
* ~兒·儿 : for a young person
* ~哥 : for an elder male friend or relative
* ~弟 : for a younger male friend or relative
* ~姐 : for an elder female friend or relative
* ~妹 : for a younger female friend or relative
Salutations
is used at the beginning of a speech or a letter to address the audience or recipient. In the English language, salutations are usually in the form "Dear...". However, the Chinese language has more variations for salutation, which are used in different situations. Here are a few examples in modern Chinese:
* 親愛的... : Dear ...
* 尊敬的... : Revered ...
* 敬愛的... : Dear esteemed ...
Slang Honorifics
It has been a tradition for many years in China to address oneself colloquially using honorifics, or a pronoun in place for "I". These include:
* 老子 : I, your dad
* 爷 : I, your lord. Used in parts of Northern China
When used towards a person less well known or formal occasion, both terms are considered to be incredibly rude, and usually used to purposely disgrace the addressee. However it is less of an issue when spoken among close friends, though depending on person, some can still get offended.
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