Table Manners

About names and greetings

(gz.gov.cn)
Updated: 2010-11-10 18:57

The order of Chinese names is family name first, then given name. Among some 440 family names, the 100 most common ones account for 90% of the total population. Brides in China do not adopt their husband's surnames.

Among Chinese, a popular way to address each other, regardless of gender, is to add an age-related term of honor before the family name. These include: lao (honorable old one), xiao (honorable young one) or occasionally da (honorable middle-aged one).