Young master, miss, Your Highness
In a historical drama, almost no one is called by name. People are addressed by what they are: a young gentleman, a young lady, a prince, the emperor. The word chosen is the first thing that tells you where everyone in a scene stands.
Four ways to address someone
The forms of address you will hear in the first five minutes of any costume drama.
殿下 and 陛下 address the person by naming where you stand, below the hall, below the steps. It is a way of not facing royalty directly, and English Your Highness keeps the same polite distance.
The palace and today
The same line in a costume drama and in the modern world.
有礼, literally having courtesy, is a bow in words.
请坐 has not changed in centuries. Only the title in front has gone.
多谢, many thanks, is still said today, a little formally.
A lot of palace Chinese is modern Chinese with a title added. 请, 坐 and 多谢 survived unchanged; addressing strangers as 公子 and 姑娘 mostly did not, at least in cities.
A summons
A servant brings a message to a prince.
Notice the servant says 您 to the prince and 陛下 about the emperor, while the prince says 你 back. Politeness in these scenes flows upwards; the person above answers plainly.
Addressing the emperor as 你 would be an insult, so dramas use 陛下 and, when speaking of yourself to him, 臣 chén (your subject) or 奴婢 núbì (your servant). The whole palace is a system of pronouns, and day 2 is about the ones people use for themselves.
8 questions. Get 5 right to finish the day.
陛下 is used for…
- a general
- any prince
- a teacher
- the emperor only
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the emperor only Below the steps of the throne.
姑娘 means…
- servant
- princess
- miss, young lady
- grandmother
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miss, young lady Still used today, warmly.
公子 means…
- emperor
- father
- prince
- young master, young gentleman
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young master, young gentleman A young man of good family.
Type the pinyin for 殿下.
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diànxià Both fourth tone.
多谢 means…
- much food
- too many
- many thanks
- many apologies
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many thanks Still said today, a little formally.
退下 is said…
- to a friend arriving
- to the emperor
- to a teacher
- to a servant, dismissing them
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to a servant, dismissing them Withdraw.
Which would you use today to greet an older stranger?
- 陛下 bìxià
- 姑娘有礼 gūniang yǒu lǐ
- 您好 nín hǎo
- 公子请坐 gōngzǐ qǐng zuò
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您好 The respectful you, from daily course day 1.
Type the Chinese or pinyin for please sit.
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qǐng zuò Unchanged since the palace days.
Question 1 of 8