Differences in titles between North and South: Older brothers and sisters are called uncle and aunt

A friend of mine is less than forty years old. He is dark and thin. He wears a pair of highly myopic glasses. He is a very gentle man. He is usually cheerful, but recently he has been feeling a little upset. .

No, I accidentally broke one of my front teeth while driving a motorcycle, and I didn’t bother to repair it right away. One day, I went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables. As soon as I walked to a stall, a daughter-in-law in her twenties or thirties greeted her warmly: "Uncle, what do you want?" He raised his head and stared at the person for ten seconds. Seconds later, he turned around angrily and left, and never went to that stall again to buy food.

Why? As soon as he came back, he yelled at us: "Uncle? Why not uncle? Am I that old?" We all laughed, saying that he was taking advantage and being good.

Although this is just a joke, it reflects the difference in how people are called in the South and the North. Except for family and relative relationships, which must be addressed by generation, there are indeed big differences between people in the South and the North.

Relatively speaking, northerners may be deeply influenced by feudal traditions. They often regard "old" as their nobility, and always try to address people as "old", such as dad, uncle, Brother, sister, nephew, etc. As long as you observe that the other person is about twenty years older than you, you can call him uncle, uncle, aunt, aunt, etc. If you are older, you would rather call him grandpa or grandma than uncle or aunt, because calling him this way will make him feel that you respect him more. (she). Among colleagues, those who are slightly older are called Lao Zhang and Lao Wang, while the younger ones are often called Uncle Zhang, Aunt Wang, etc. Those boys and girls aged eighteen or nineteen are often called uncles and aunts by children even though they are not married.

In the South, it is completely different. People like to appear younger and more energetic in front of the public, so few people like to be called "old". It is also normal for older people to call them uncle or aunt, but the word "beautiful" will be added in front, such as "beautiful aunt", etc. Most of the older ones are called uncle, and almost no one is called grandpa. Therefore, some people who can be called grandfathers in the north are called uncles in the south. This is the reason.

Peers of the same age often refer to each other as "Ah X", such as Ah Qing, Ah Ling, Ah Guang, Ah Feng, etc. Sometimes people with an age difference of ten or eight years are also called this way. There is no strict boundary. Young people are more casual with each other. As long as you don't call them older people, you can do whatever they want. Sometimes you will be accepted by nicknames. Of course, regardless of age, most young people are called "handsome boy" or "beautiful girl". Some people who are thirty or forty years old, or even older, can be called like this, and the other party will never be disgusted.

Children always call adult young people, especially those who are not married, brother and sister. Even if they have a family and start a business, they would rather call them brother or sister than uncle or aunt. As for calling them uncle, they are even more cautious. .

Why is this happening? Probably because southerners are more influenced by Western culture, they pay more attention to appearance. Women like others to praise themselves for being young and beautiful, while men like others to praise themselves for being young and handsome.

By now you should understand why my friend in the previous article is so worried, right? The cultural differences between North and South. In the north, people who should be called uncles and aunts are called older brothers and sisters, which may be mistaken for older or younger. In the south, if a girl in her twenties is called aunt, she might hate you.

Addressing someone is no small matter. Everywhere we go, we need to listen more, observe more, understand the local culture, and do as the locals do, so that we can live in harmony with the locals.