A friend from Singapore observed that when her English name Eve became easily confused with the Chinese for yifu (clothes), she asked to be addressed as Wang Taitai (Mrs Wang) instead. Then she was reminded that addressing her as Wang Taitai could give others the impression that she is pompous and aloof, "like an old-moneyed woman sitting on a mighty throne." When I reflected on her predicament, I thought how Chinese mainlanders do seem to lack proper forms of address for spouses or even sweethearts Taitai (wife) also implies a wealthy woman who doesn't work, and other titles carry subtleties: laopo is familiar but slightly disrespectable; qizi is too formal.

https://www.shine.cn/opinion/2304029568/

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