The formal way to address a Chinese man: xiān  sheng (先生), literally Mr. Can be combined with the person’s family name, e.g. Chén  xiān  sheng  (陈先生), meaning Mr. Chen.

Informal ways to greet a Chinese man:

• gē  gē (哥哥), literally brother; or gě  gé (written as GG, cute way of saying brother).  Used by girls. Can be flirtitious.
• dà  gē (大哥), meaning big brother, sometimes implying the leader of a group (such as a gang). Can be used when the age gap is small and you want to show some resepct.
• péng  yǒu (朋友), literally friend. It is a widely accepted salutation from a foreigner.
• shī  fu (师父/师傅), literally teacher with emphasis on coaching rather than schooling. Drivers, cooks, and street vendors can be greeted as shī  fu.

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Never greet a Chinese woman as xiáo  jiě (小姐). It is literally miss, but implies prostitute.

The most fashionable way to greet a Chinese woman is: měi  méi (often written as MM, literally pretty).

A flattering way to address a woman is: méi  nǚ (美女, literally pretty woman).

A polite way to address an elder woman is: nǚ  shì (女士, literally lady), which can be combined with her family name, for example lǐ  nǚ  shì.

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