Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:15:15 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

   I don't know if this is common in most Chinese families but in my family, my siblings address me as 大姐 (da jie or in Hokkien, tua chee), which literally means "eldest sister". Meanwhile I have the privilege of addressing them by name.
   This feels very historical #CDrama to me haha

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:31:46 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Nick's world

     @gocu54 Forms of address is such a thing with the Chinese, so much so we have multiple names for aunts and uncles depending on seniority or whether they are on the paternal or maternal side. It gives me a headache but I guess it is nice that we have retained this for literally 1000s of years. @modulux

   • Embed this notice
     Nick's world (gocu54@tweesecake.social)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:31:47 JST Nick's world

     in reply to

     @modulux @liztai It's common in other asian countries. In the Philippines, the older brother is traditionally called Kuya while the older sister is called atte, except in my family because I'm the exact same age as 2 of my brothers. It's interesting that they have the same sort of structure in China.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:32:28 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Hteph

     @GoblinQuester yea I notice this is the case in most Western nations. Our honorifics must seem quaint.

   • Embed this notice
     Hteph (goblinquester@dice.camp)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:32:30 JST Hteph

     in reply to

     @liztai Growing up in Sweden I find titels and honorifics use fascinating. Here almost all of that is gone, using anything but the first name i normal situation is even feeling rude. If someone is using a last name it is usually as a nickname (lots of nicknames going around here) due to there is two persons with the same name.
     There was a bit is a movement among the youngsters to take back some of the older addresses, but it has gone away again as far as I see.

   • Embed this notice
     Ross McKay (webaware@fosstodon.org)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:32:34 JST Ross McKay

     in reply to

     @liztai in a New Zealand born fam, my brother calls eldest sister The Big Cheese and I can't see any reason not to adopt this broadly.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 06-Jan-2024 21:32:34 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Ross McKay

     @webaware heheh

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jan-2024 07:30:26 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • The Modesto Kid

     @themodestokid yes elder people generally can call you by name if you are younger, especially among relatives. However formalities like this is not usually practiced with non-relatives, so I can call people older by name if they prefer that. I usually find it awkward to do so with much older people so I usually say "Aunty" (name) or Ms/Mrs (name)

   • Embed this notice
     The Modesto Kid (themodestokid@zirk.us)'s status on Sunday, 07-Jan-2024 07:30:28 JST The Modesto Kid

     in reply to

     @liztai is there a similar dynamic among the rest of your siblings (i.e younger addresses elder by term of respect, elder addresses younger by name) or is it just eldest vs the rest?