Honorary Titles in Mandarin

1. 10 Useful Phrases

1. 您好，张老师！
   Nín hǎo, Zhāng lǎoshī!
   Hello, Teacher Zhang!

2. 请问您是李主任吗？
   Qǐngwèn nín shì Lǐ zhǔrèn ma?
   May I ask if you are Director Li?

3. 王博士，早上好。
   Wáng bóshì, zǎoshang hǎo.
   Good morning, Dr. Wang.

4. 非常荣幸见到您，院长。
   Fēicháng róngxìng jiàndào nín, yuànzhǎng.
   It’s a great honour to meet you, Dean.

5. 他是我们的客座教授。
   Tā shì wǒmen de kèzuò jiàoshòu.
   He is our visiting professor.

6. 麻烦请您签个名，主席。
   Máfan qǐng nín qiān ge míng, zhǔxí.
   Please sign here, Chairperson.

7. 校长今天要来视察。
   Xiàozhǎng jīntiān yào lái shìchá.
   The principal will come to inspect today.

8. 刘经理在会议室等您。
   Liú jīnglǐ zài huìyìshì děng nín.
   Manager Liu is waiting for you in the meeting room.

9. 叫我小李就可以了。
   Jiào wǒ Xiǎo Lǐ jiù kěyǐ le.
   Just call me Xiao Li.

10. 请对院士用敬语。
    Qǐng duì yuànshì yòng jìngyǔ.
    Please use honorifics when speaking to the academician.

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2. 20 Key Vocabulary Words (Nouns)

1. 老师 – lǎoshī – teacher
2. 博士 – bóshì – doctor (PhD)
3. 教授 – jiàoshòu – professor
4. 院长 – yuànzhǎng – dean
5. 校长 – xiàozhǎng – principal
6. 经理 – jīnglǐ – manager
7. 主任 – zhǔrèn – director
8. 主席 – zhǔxí – chairperson
9. 总统 – zǒngtǒng – president (of a country)
10. 院士 – yuànshì – academician
11. 称呼 – chēnghu – form of address
12. 名片 – míngpiàn – name card
13. 敬语 – jìngyǔ – honorifics
14. 职位 – zhíwèi – position
15. 官职 – guānzhí – official title
16. 先生 – xiānsheng – Mr.
17. 女士 – nǚshì – Ms./Madam
18. 小姐 – xiǎojiě – Miss
19. 同志 – tóngzhì – comrade (still used formally in government)
20. 领导 – lǐngdǎo – leader

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3. 10 Common Verbs + Examples

1. 称呼 – chēnghu – to address
   → 我们怎么称呼他比较好？
   How should we address him?

2. 尊敬 – zūnjìng – to respect
   → 我们要尊敬教授。
   We should respect the professor.

3. 介绍 – jièshào – to introduce
   → 请让我介绍一下这位院长。
   Let me introduce this dean.

4. 使用 – shǐyòng – to use
   → 说话时要使用敬语。
   Use polite language when speaking.

5. 叫 – jiào – to call
   → 可以叫我王老师。
   You can call me Teacher Wang.

6. 邀请 – yāoqǐng – to invite
   → 我们邀请了张博士来演讲。
   We invited Dr. Zhang to give a speech.

7. 欢迎 – huānyíng – to welcome
   → 欢迎李主任光临！
   Welcome, Director Li!

8. 签名 – qiānmíng – to sign
   → 请张主席签个名。
   Please have Chair Zhang sign.

9. 出席 – chūxí – to attend
   → 院士将出席今天的会议。
   The academician will attend today’s meeting.

10. 接待 – jiēdài – to receive (a guest)
    → 我负责接待王教授。
    I'm responsible for receiving Professor Wang.

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4. 10 Adjectives

1. 尊贵 – zūnguì – honourable
2. 有名 – yǒumíng – well-known
3. 严肃 – yánsù – serious
4. 亲切 – qīnqiè – warm
5. 客气 – kèqi – polite
6. 谦虚 – qiānxū – humble
7. 高级 – gāojí – high-ranking
8. 正式 – zhèngshì – formal
9. 专业 – zhuānyè – professional
10. 重要 – zhòngyào – important

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5. Sample Dialogue (10 Lines)

地点：会议接待处 (Reception Desk)
Dìdiǎn: huìyì jiēdài chù

A: 您好，请问您是王教授吗？
Nín hǎo, qǐngwèn nín shì Wáng jiàoshòu ma?
Hello, may I ask if you are Professor Wang?

B: 是的，我是王教授。您是？
Shì de, wǒ shì Wáng jiàoshòu. Nín shì?
Yes, I am. And you are?

A: 我是会议的工作人员，请这边走。
Wǒ shì huìyì de gōngzuò rényuán, qǐng zhè biān zǒu.
I’m a staff member of the conference. This way, please.

B: 谢谢你。
Xièxiè nǐ.
Thank you.

A: 主席和院长已经到了。
Zhǔxí hé yuànzhǎng yǐjīng dàole.
The chairperson and the dean have already arrived.

B: 我会先去和他们打招呼。
Wǒ huì xiān qù hé tāmen dǎzhāohu.
I’ll go greet them first.

A: 请这边走，王教授。
Qǐng zhè biān zǒu, Wáng jiàoshòu.
This way, Professor Wang.

B: 好，谢谢你安排一切。
Hǎo, xièxiè nǐ ānpái yīqiè.
Alright, thank you for arranging everything.

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6. Grammar Tips & Cultural Notes

Grammar:

• "您 (nín)" is the polite form of "你 (nǐ)" and always used with people of higher rank or in formal settings.
• Honorary titles are used after the surname.
  E.g. 王博士 (Dr. Wang), 李主任 (Director Li)

Culture:

• In formal settings, titles matter a lot. Even junior staff will use someone’s full title.
• Don’t skip titles even if you’re friendly — especially when introducing someone in public.
• “老师” (lǎoshī) is used even for those who are not teachers, especially if they’re skilled or older.