Chinese word

小姐

Pronunciation

Pinyinxiǎo jiě

Meaning

  • nounmiss

Example

小姐，你怎么了？xiáo jiě nǐ zěn me le

Miss, what's wrong?

Illustration for 小姐 (miss)

More examples

他和小姐一起吃饭。tā hé xiáo jiě yì qǐ chī fàn

He eats with a young lady.

Core concept

A social title for a young woman that can mark politeness, familiarity, or a service role, depending on context.

Common phrases

  • 和小姐一起hé xiáo jiě yì qǐ

    with a young lady

Similar words

女士nǚ shì: A formal and respectful way to address a woman.
姑娘gū niáng: A familiar name for a young woman, used when speaking to or about her.

Definition in Chinese

作为对年轻女性的称呼，既可表示礼貌或亲切，也可在不同地区和语境中带有轻蔑或暗示性的含义。zuò wéi duì nián qīng nǚ xìng de chēng hū jì kě biǎo shì lǐ mào huò qīn qiè yě kě zài bù tóng dì qū hé yǔ jìng zhōng dài yǒu qīng miè huò àn shì xìng de hán yì

Word origin

小姐 (xiǎojiě, "miss") combines 小 (xiǎo, "small") and 姐 (jiě, "older sister"), forming a title for a young woman that later extended to some service workers.

Usage tips

  • Regional context matters: 小姐 (xiǎojiě, "miss") is a normal polite form of address in Taiwan, while the same word can sound uncomfortable in mainland China.

Opposites

Word lists with this word