<p>In china（中国）， don't ever use 小姐 to address them (sales girl, waiters, etc.).They will totally ignore you.</p>

<pre><code>Example :  'when you want to purchase something and ask for help from the shop assistance' - 对不起小姐,请问这多少钱？  
          -'even though we know that in English it is a polite sentence to call someone' - Sorry Miss, may i know how much does it cost?
</code></pre>

<p>Because for them(china ppl) 小姐 is represented as a <code>Bar Girl</code>. Therefore, you have to call them as '服务员' .</p>

<p>In other country, yes. You can address young women or middle aged woman by calling 小姐， for older ladies 大婶 / 阿姨，oldest ladies 奶奶. That would be more cordial</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T06:35:20.733Z
2014-09-24T06:35:20.733Z
user3835327
<p>you can call middle age women 阿姨, old ladies 大娘，really old ladies 奶奶，
and call middle age men 叔叔，old men 大爷，really old men 爷爷.</p>

<p>www.ycchangzhou.com </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T01:19:49.603Z
2014-09-24T01:19:49.603Z
EricaXu
<p>You can adress them as 小姐 and 小伙子 only if you are much more older than them. 
You can just call them as 老大娘 and 老爷子, this is a better way of saluting to unknown elders.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T00:48:47.007Z
2014-09-24T01:17:23.997Z
2014-09-24T01:17:23.997Z
user6365
<p>Use 女士 with her family name is always safest. e.g. 李女士</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T01:31:18.553Z
2014-09-24T01:31:18.553Z
Xiaoge Su
<p>太太，奶奶，大姐，阿姨，女士，and many other variations are commonly used to address older women. 小姐 is used to address young women. Would it be a complement or an insult to address a middle aged or elderly woman as "小姐"? I'm in Taiwan here, so we don't have to worry about people thinking we're calling them prostitutes.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T20:46:31.150Z
same question may be asked about addressing a 老先生（老头儿、老头子）as 小伙子，or a 小伙子 as 小朋友.
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-23T23:28:24.903Z
At my level of ability, which is not very high, I would avoid both complimenting and insulting women I do not know.  I would stick with the common forms of address.
Colin McLarty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-24T00:57:58.987Z
大姐 would do the trick because you really shouldn't be calling them *姐* shouldn't begin with.
Mou某
<word-choice><taiwan>
Refreshing or Rude: addressing an older woman as 小姐
# Refreshing or Rude: addressing an older woman as 小姐

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-23)

太太，奶奶，大姐，阿姨，女士，and many other variations are commonly used to address older women. 小姐 is used to address young women. Would it be a complement or an insult to address a middle aged or elderly woman as "小姐"? I'm in Taiwan here, so we don't have to worry about people thinking we're calling them prostitutes.

**Tags:** word-choice, taiwan

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: same question may be asked about addressing a 老先生（老头儿、老头子）as 小伙子，or a 小伙子 as 小朋友.  
> **username_2**: At my level of ability, which is not very high, I would avoid both complimenting and insulting women I do not know.  I would stick with the common forms of address.  
> **username_3**: 大姐 would do the trick because you really shouldn't be calling them *姐* shouldn't begin with.  

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## 4 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-09-24. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Use 女士 with her family name is always safest. e.g. 李女士


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### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-24. Score: 2

In china（中国）， don't ever use 小姐 to address them (sales girl, waiters, etc.).They will totally ignore you.
Example :  'when you want to purchase something and ask for help from the shop assistance' - 对不起小姐,请问这多少钱？  
          -'even though we know that in English it is a polite sentence to call someone' - Sorry Miss, may i know how much does it cost?

Because for them(china ppl) 小姐 is represented as a Bar Girl. Therefore, you have to call them as '服务员' .
In other country, yes. You can address young women or middle aged woman by calling 小姐， for older ladies 大婶 / 阿姨，oldest ladies 奶奶. That would be more cordial


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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-09-24. Score: 0

you can call middle age women 阿姨, old ladies 大娘，really old ladies 奶奶，
and call middle age men 叔叔，old men 大爷，really old men 爷爷.

www.ycchangzhou.com


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### Answer by username_6 on 2014-09-24. Score: 0

You can adress them as 小姐 and 小伙子 only if you are much more older than them.
You can just call them as 老大娘 and 老爷子, this is a better way of saluting to unknown elders.


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