Definition
小姐 (xiǎo jiě) is a polite term for 'young lady' or 'Miss', but in some contexts it has acquired a slang meaning of 'prostitute', so it is often avoided in favor of 女士 (nǚ shì) for a safe, respectful address. Compared to 少女 (shào nǚ), which specifically means 'young girl' (teenager), 小姐 is broader and can refer to any unmarried woman.
noun
young ladyMiss (polite term for a young woman)(slang, potentially offensive) prostitute
Measure word · 个, 位
Easily confused
- 小组xiǎo zǔlook-alikegroup (of people)
Examples
- 小姐。Nà wèi xiǎo jiě shì zhè jiā gōngsī de jīnglǐ.That young lady is the manager of this company.
- 小姐，？xiǎo jiě, qǐngwèn qù huǒchēzhàn zěnme zǒu?Miss, could you tell me how to get to the train station?
- 小姐，。Xiànzài yǒuxiē dìfang bù suíbiàn jiào xiǎo jiě le, pà yǐnqǐ wùhuì.Nowadays in some places people don't casually call others 'xiǎojiě' for fear of causing misunderstanding.
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