Chinese honorifics

Chinese honorifics are words and phrases that indicate social respect or deference in the spoken or written language. Especially before the twentieth century, the language used among friends would be very different from that used among strangers such as merchants. Although most Chinese honorifics have fallen out of street use since the end of Imperial China, they can still be understood, and indeed occasionally used, by most contemporary Chinese speakers. This is partly attributable to the popularity of Chinese historical novels and television dramas, which often employ language from the classical periods. In general, language referring to oneself exhibits self-deprecating humbleness, while language referring to others shows approval and respect. Honorific language in Chinese was often achieved by using honorific alternatives, prefixing or suffixing a word with a polite complement, or simply by dropping casual-sounding words.

Example

你(nǐ) 姓(xìng) 什么(shénme) ？

"What family name do you have?"

The sentence above is a perfectly acceptable question when addressing others of equal or lower status. In normal conversation, the extent of making it more polite might be to preface it with a 请 (qǐng, "please"), accommodated by a 问 (wèn, "ask") as it is a question. However, if the addressee is of higher status or the person asking the question wants to show more respect, several changes may occur:

1. The sentence begins with 请 (lit. "invite", "request")
2. The sentence includes the interrogative verb 問 or 问 (wèn, "ask") to accommodate this more formal sense of qǐng
3. The regular second-person pronoun 你 (nǐ, "you") is replaced by the honorific second-person pronoun 您 (nín, "you" [cherished])
4. The honorific adjective or prefix 貴 or 贵 (guì, lit. "expensive", "valuable") is added before 姓 (xìng, "last name") to compliment the addressee
5. The interrogative pronoun 甚麼 or 什么 (shénme, "what") is dropped entirely as the structure of the sentence changes

The resulting sentence

请(qǐng) 问(wèn) 您(nín) 贵姓(guìxìng) ？

"May I (respectfully) request to ask you, whom I cherish, for your honorable surname?"

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. Note that many of these terms became obsolete after the end of the Qing dynasty or were deprecated during the Cultural Revolution and are no longer used.

Referring to oneself

When referring to oneself, the first-person pronoun was to be avoided in most situations. Persons of lower status—including slaves, children, and youths—were not to use it when speaking to those of higher status, while those of higher status—including lords, parents, and elders—frequently avoided it as a display of humility and virtue. Instead, a third-person descriptor was used, which varied according to the situation.

Referring to oneself in the third-person could be used arrogantly as well, to assert one's superiority or even dominance over one's audience. This was most common in the imperial middle management – the imperial consorts, the army, and the imperial bureaucracy – with the emperor instead often describing himself in sorrowful terms out of respect for his deceased father.

Addressing or referring to others

The same concept of hierarchical speech and etiquette affects terms of address towards others as well as oneself. In most cases in modern Chinese, politeness can be expressed by replacing the standard second-person pronoun 你 (nǐ, "you") with its polite form 您 (nǐn, "you" [cherished]).

In a historical context (and in some modern contexts), the audience's title or profession is used in place of the historic second-person pronouns 爾 and 尔 (ěr, "you") or the modern 你. In other cases, there might be specific alternatives to be employed instead. Below are examples of proper substitutes:

Other prefixes and suffixes

Salutations

Salutation is used at the beginning of a speech or a letter to address the audience or recipient(s). 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...·亲爱的... (qīn'aì de): Dear (beloved)
• 尊敬的... (zūnjìng de): Revered ...
• 敬愛的...·敬爱的... (jìng'aì de): Dear esteemed ...

Pejorative slang

It has been a tradition for many years in China to address oneself colloquially using these pronouns in place of "I" to indicate contempt for the listener, to assert the superiority of oneself, or when teasing:

• 老子 (Lǎozi, not to be confused with Laozi the philosopher, written the same way): I, your dad (referring to oneself as superior)
• 爺·爷 (Yé): I, your lord. Used in parts of Northern China
• 恁父 (Hokkien: lín-pē): I, your dad (referring to oneself as superior).

When used towards a person less well known or on formal occasions, both terms are considered to be incredibly rude, and are usually used to purposely disgrace the addressee; however, it is less of an issue when spoken among close friends, though even some friends might still be offended by their use.

See also

• Chinese titles
• Chinese pronouns

References