tā shì shéi? Titles in addressing others

他是谁？

Titles

先生 Xīansheng Mr.

太太 Tàitai Mrs.

小姐 X aojie*ǐ Miss

女士 N shìǚ Ms.

In addressing adults--formal

这位是 Zhèi wèi shì…This (person) is…

Miss America 2009 Katie Stam

What’s the difference

between Miss and Ms.?

Culture Notes In Taiwan and oversea Chinese communities, the titles

Xīansheng, Tàtai, X aojie and N shì ǐ ǚ are more or less the equivalents of Mr., Mrs., Miss and Ms.

In China, since the early 19th century, they began the “equalitarian” movement and the word “Tóngzhì” is used. (Tongzhì meaning “Comrade”)

An exception was often made, however, in dealing with foreigners.

With the advent of liberalization and globalization in the PRC, Xīansheng, Tàitai, X aojie, and N shì ǐ ǚ are reappearing, more commonly in the large metropolises. Tóngzhì on the other hand, while used, is growing less popular.

同志

In addressing adults--informalThis (person) is…

Carl Fredricksen

卡爾費迪遜

Russell

小罗

这位是 Zhèi wèi shì…

Titles

老 L o ______ǎ “Old ___”

小 X ao ______ǐ “Young ____”

5

Culture Notes L o and X ao are popular informal terms used bǎ ǐ

etween friends, L o generally with older people ǎand X ao with younger people.ǐ

Males are more likely than females to be called L o.ǎ

In fact, never use L o to describe a women. ǎ Second fact, when a woman says she is “L o”, yoǎ

u should automatically say “ 你不 L o!ǎ ”

Titles

小妹妹 X aoǐ mèimei

Girl

小弟弟 X aoǐ dìdi Boy

小朋友 X aoǐ péngyou

Child

Pinyin Vocabulary

In addressing children

Zhèi wèi shì…This (person) is…

Activity One:

Zhè Shì Shéi? In teams.

Each member in the team will take turn answering T. question.

Correct response will win your team a point.

Other teams need to pay attention, since if the spokesperson makes a mistake, whoever can correct it will earn their team a point.

Winning team gets extra credit!

Example:Zhè wèi shì Smith xīangshen.This is Mr. Smith.

If you don’t know who that person is, ask your teammate

for help!!

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Example:Zhè shì shéi?

Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Xi oǎ Rúo.This is young Russel.

Carl Fredricksen

卡爾費迪遜

Russell

小罗Zhè wèi shì L oǎ Fèi.This is old Fred.

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì GriffinXīanshēng 先生 .This is Mr. Griffin.

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Simpson X aojie ǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Griffin.

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Griffin Tàitai/N shìǚ .This is Mrs. Griffin.

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Lin Xīanshēng先生 .This is Mr. Lin

14

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Tebow Xīanshēng先生 .This is Mr. Tebow

15

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Messi Xīansheng 先生 .This is Mr. Messi

16

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì DjokovicXīansheng 先生 .This is Mr. Djokovic

17

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì CK Xīanshēng 先生 .This is Mr. CK

18

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì 这位是Rubio Xīanshēng 先生 .This is Mr. Rubio

19

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Buffett Xīanshēng先生 .This is Mr. Buffett

20

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Cook Xīanshēng 先生 .This is Mr. Cook

21

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Obama Xīanshēng先生 /Zh ngt ngǒ ǒThis is Mr. Obama / President Obana

22

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì KimXīanshēng先生This is Mr. Kim

23

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Xi Xīanshēng 先生 /Zh ngt ngǒ ǒThis is Mr. Xi

24

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Pistorius Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Pistorius

25

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Homer Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Homer

26

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Newton Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Newton

27

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Beethoven Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Beethoven

28

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Shakespear Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Shakespear

29

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Washington Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Washington

30

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Lincoln Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Lincoln

31

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Roosevelt Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Roosevelt

32

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Huang Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Huang

33

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Kong Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Kong

34

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Zuckerberg Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Zuckerberg

35

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Da Vinci Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Da Vinci

36

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Darwin Xīanshēng先生This is Mr. Darwin

37

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Rihanna X aojie ǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Rihanna.

38

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì AdkinsX aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Adkins [Adele Laurie Blue Adkins].

39

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Tseng X aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Tseng.

40

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Wiig X aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Wiig.

41

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Swinton X aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Swinton.

42

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

她们 shì Middleton X aojieǐ 小姐们 .This is Miss Middleton.

43

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Chastain X aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Chastain

44

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Danes X aojieǐ 小姐 .This is Miss Chastain

45

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Zhè wèi shì Clinton Tàitai/N shì.ǚThis is Mrs. Clinton

46

Zhè shì shéi?Who is this?

Credits:Most of this activity’s photos are from “ Time’s 100 Most Influential People”.

Game Over!