Chinese phrases
How to say miss in Chinese
Miss in Chinese is 小姐 (xiǎo jie) after a surname: 王小姐 is Miss Wang. To address a woman you don’t know, say 女士 (nǚ shì) when you need to be formal and 美女 (měi nǚ) in shops and on the street.
小姐
Miss (after a surname)
The second syllable is light: xiǎo jie, not xiǎo jiě.
Ways to say miss
小姐
FormalMiss
After a surname, at work and in service: on a booking, at a bank, in an email. On its own as a form of address, many people avoid it today (see below).
女士
FormalMs; madam
Polite and safe for a woman of any age. Bank, airline and hotel staff use it, and it goes after a surname: 王女士.
美女
Everydayyoung lady (literally “beautiful woman”)
To a young woman you don’t know, to get her attention: a shop assistant, a waitress, a woman at a stall. It is a normal address, not flirting.
小姐姐
With friendsyoung lady (literally “little older sister”)
Young people say it to a young woman they don’t know, in person and online. Friendly and a bit cute.
阿姨
Everydayauntie
To a woman about your mother’s age: a neighbour, a cleaner, a woman at a market stall.
服务员
Everydaywaiter, waitress
To call staff in a restaurant, women and men alike.
With a name
王小姐
Miss Wang
Polite and normal for a younger woman, in service and at work.
王女士
Ms Wang
More formal. Right for an older woman, or when you don’t know her age.
Common mistakes
Calling a waitress 小姐
In mainland China, 小姐 on its own also became slang for a woman who works in the sex trade. So calling a stranger 小姐 can sound wrong. Say 服务员 or 美女. After a surname, 小姐 is still polite.
Calling a young woman 阿姨
阿姨 is for a woman about your mother’s age. A woman in her twenties may feel you think she looks old. Say 美女 or 小姐姐.
Using 女士 at a market stall
女士 belongs at a bank desk or in an announcement. At a stall or in a small shop it sounds stiff. Say 美女 or 阿姨.
At a restaurant
您好，几位？有预订吗？
Waiter: Hello, how many? Do you have a booking?
有，姓王，两位。
Guest: Yes, under Wang, for two.
王小姐，这边请。
Waiter: This way, Miss Wang.
好的，谢谢。
Guest: OK, thanks.
