Names: a Chinese conversation with pinyin and English

The conversation

Speakers: Haoran and Zhiyuan.

1. Haoran

   打(dǎ)车(chē)的(de)时(shí)候(hou)怎(zěn)么(me)知(zhī)道(dào)该(gāi)叫(jiào)人(rén)家(jiā)什(shén)么(me)？

   How do you know what to call your driver when you grab a cab?

2. Zhiyuan

   叫(jiào)师(shī)傅(fu)呗(bei)！司(sī)机(jī)、大(dà)厨(chú)、修(xiū)车(chē)工(gōng)，只(zhǐ)要(yào)有(yǒu)手(shǒu)艺(yì)的(de)都(dōu)能(néng)这(zhè)么(me)叫(jiào)。

   Just call them shifu! Drivers, chefs, mechanics—anyone with a trade goes by that.

3. Haoran

   那(nà)卖(mài)早(zǎo)点(diǎn)摊(tān)位(wèi)的(de)大(dà)姐(jiě)呢(ne)？

   What about the woman running a breakfast stall?

4. Zhiyuan

   叫(jiào)阿(ā)姨(yí)。亲(qīn)切(qiè)又(yòu)客(kè)气(qi)，嘴(zuǐ)甜(tián)点(diǎn)儿(r)还(hái)能(néng)多(duō)给(gěi)你(nǐ)撒(sā)点(diǎn)儿(r)葱(cōng)花(huā)。

   Call her ayi. It's warm and polite, and if you sweet-talk her, she'll throw in extra chopped scallions.

5. Haoran

   这(zhè)是(shì)什(shén)么(me)硬(yìng)性(xìng)规(guī)定(dìng)吗(ma)？

   Is that some kind of hard rule?

6. Zhiyuan

   这(zhè)是(shì)我(wǒ)多(duō)年(nián)走(zǒu)街(jiē)串(chuàn)巷(xiàng)总(zǒng)结(jié)出(chu)来(lai)的(de)经(jīng)验(yàn)。

   It's just wisdom I've picked up from years of wandering the hutongs.

7. Haoran

   那(nà)对(duì)学(xué)校(xiào)老(lǎo)师(shī)，或(huò)者(zhě)某(mǒu)个(gè)领(lǐng)域(yù)的(de)专(zhuān)家(jiā)该(gāi)怎(zěn)么(me)称(chēng)呼(hu)？

   What about schoolteachers, or experts in a particular field? How do you address them?

   1. 姓(xìng)氏(shì)加(jiā)老(lǎo)师(shī) Their surname plus laoshi
   2. 名(míng)字(zi)加(jiā)师(shī)傅(fu) Their given name plus shifu
   3. 叫(jiào)阿(ā)姨(yí) Call her ayi

   Answer

   姓(xìng)氏(shì)加(jiā)老(lǎo)师(shī) Their surname plus laoshi

8. Zhiyuan

   冠(guān)上(shàng)姓(xìng)氏(shì)叫(jiào)老(lǎo)师(shī)准(zhǔn)没(méi)错(cuò)。而(ér)且(qiě)咱(zán)中(zhōng)国(guó)的(de)姓(xìng)氏(shì)都(dōu)在(zài)前(qián)头(tou)，基(jī)本(běn)都(dōu)是(shì)单(dān)字(zì)。

   Slacking a laoshi on the end of their surname is always a safe bet. Plus, Chinese surnames always come first, and most are just one syllable.

9. Haoran

   这(zhè)么(me)说(shuō)我(wǒ)带(dài)的(de)实(shí)习(xí)生(shēng)也(yě)得(děi)叫(jiào)我(wǒ)李(lǐ)老(lǎo)师(shī)了(le)？

   So does that mean the interns I mentor have to call me Teacher Li?

10. Zhiyuan

    人(rén)家(jiā)要(yào)是(shi)跟(gēn)你(nǐ)熟(shú)，私(sī)下(xià)里(lǐ)可(kě)都(dōu)叫(jiào)你(nǐ)大(dà)哥(gē)。

    If they know you well, they're probably calling you big brother behind your back.

11. Haoran

    大(dà)哥(gē)！这(zhè)不(bú)是(shì)叫(jiào)稍(shāo)微(wēi)年(nián)长(zhǎng)点(diǎn)儿(r)的(de)男(nán)士(shì)吗(ma)，我(wǒ)又(yòu)没(méi)那(nà)么(me)老(lǎo)。

    Big brother! Isn't that what you call older guys? I'm not that old.

12. Zhiyuan

    照(zhào)你(nǐ)这(zhè)年(nián)纪(jì)，现(xiàn)在(zài)路(lù)上(shang)小(xiǎo)孩(hái)看(kàn)见(jiàn)你(nǐ)都(dōu)得(děi)叫(jiào)叔(shū)叔(shu)了(le)。

    At your age, kids on the street would call you uncle straight to your face.

13. Haoran

    昨(zuó)天(tiān)真(zhēn)有(yǒu)个(gè)小(xiǎo)孩(hái)管(guǎn)我(wǒ)叫(jiào)叔(shū)叔(shu)，我(wǒ)一(yì)高(gāo)兴(xìng)还(hái)顺(shùn)手(shǒu)给(gěi)他(tā)买(mǎi)了(le)个(gè)包(bāo)子(zi)。

    A kid actually called me uncle yesterday, and I was so pleased I bought him a steamed bun on the spot.

14. Zhiyuan

    你(nǐ)要(yào)是(shi)当(dāng)时(shí)听(tīng)见(jiàn)人(rén)家(jiā)喊(hǎn)你(nǐ)一(yì)声(shēng)大(dà)哥(gē)，估(gū)计(jì)连(lián)午(wǔ)饭(fàn)都(dōu)一(yí)块(kuài)儿(r)请(qǐng)了(le)。

    If he'd called you big brother instead, you probably would've bought him lunch too.

Hear it read aloud in the app