No More “Tongzhi” on Beijing Public Bus

No More “Tongzhi” on Beijing Public Bus
Jun 24, 2010 02:21
BL2022 Points: Join Date: Jun 2, 2010 Status: offline	It was reported that the Beijing Public Transport Group was introducing some changes to its rules on how its service people should address passengers. Men and women would be addressed as "Sir" and "Ma'am", and children would receive the less formal, gender-neutral salutation "Little Friends". The term "Tongzhi”, once widely used will no longer be used any more on public buses, except for rare cases, such as senior citizens. Nowadays, this word is more referred to official pomposity or gays. So remember this to your heart and try not to address people “Tongzhi”, neither on buses nor in other occasions. Otherwise it will be considered as disrespect.

Jun 24, 2010 02:21

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Join Date: Jun 2, 2010
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It was reported that the Beijing Public Transport Group was introducing some changes to its rules on how its service people should address passengers. Men and women would be addressed as "Sir" and "Ma'am", and children would receive the less formal, gender-neutral salutation "Little Friends".

The term "Tongzhi”, once widely used will no longer be used any more on public buses, except for rare cases, such as senior citizens.

Nowadays, this word is more referred to official pomposity or gays.

So remember this to your heart and try not to address people “Tongzhi”, neither on buses nor in other occasions. Otherwise it will be considered as disrespect.

Jun 24, 2010 04:26	#1
GUESTCHRIS	Interesting! Is there any other words that go out of fashion or go in fashion in Chinese?

Jun 24, 2010 22:28	#2
BAKUI Points: Join Date: Jun 10, 2010 Status: Offline	Popular one: Beiju (杯具): The homophony of Beiju(悲剧), which means tragedy.

Jun 28, 2010 04:37	#3
GUESTMONICA	out of fashion : you can say "guo4shi2"过时 in the fashion: you can say "shi2shang4"时尚

Jun 28, 2010 04:50	#4
LAUGH Points: Join Date: Sep 29, 2009 Status: Offline	Address terms in Chinese are so compicated that I m going to finish my paper in a semester. Comparing those in English, those ones in Chinese are headache for Chinese learners. And many are hard even cannot to find a corresponding English words. But I believe language are communicative through the world. Make effort then you will succeed.

Aug 1, 2010 04:09	#5
ONMYWAY Points: Join Date: Jul 21, 2010 Status: Offline	Then 小姐 should be abandoned too because the prostitutes are called 小姐 too.

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