How to Say “Jr” in Chinese

小
xiao/ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
In Chinese, the abbreviation 'jr' (junior) is expressed as 小 (xiao).
The term 小 is used to distinguish a son who has the same name as his father.

How do you pronounce it?

The romanization is xiao. The IPA is /ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴/.

Did you know?

  • In Chinese culture, using 小 before a name can sometimes be perceived as patronizing or condescending if the speaker is not senior in rank or age to the person being addressed.
  • While 小 is used for 'junior' in names, it is also used as a prefix to create affectionate nicknames for younger friends or colleagues, regardless of their family name.
  • The character 小 may have originated as a pictogram representing three tiny granules of sand.

Examples in context

  • 他在回家路上遇到了小萨米·戴维斯先生。
    He met Sammy Davis, Jr. on his way home.
    This sentence shows how to use 小 to refer to a person named Sammy Davis, Jr.
    Tatoeba #1397321 by mtdot, translation #295106 by CN
  • 小布什
    Bush Jr. (George W. Bush)
    This is an example of using 小 for Bush Jr.
  • 但是,我建議你乘 JR 的成田特急(每三十分鐘至一個小時就有一班列車從機場開出),不用轉車這麼麻煩。
    However, I recommend that you take the JR Narita Express (a train leaves every 30-60 minutes from the airport), to avoid the complexity of changing trains.
    This sentence uses the English abbreviation JR in a different context regarding train lines, unrelated to the name suffix.
    Tatoeba #427001 by nickyeow, translation #53587 by AlanF_US

Example conversation

Two friends are talking about a mutual acquaintance's son.

  1. 佳怡 Jiayi

    他的儿子也叫罗伯特吗?
    Tā de érzi yě jiào Luóbótè ma?
    Is his son also named Robert?
  2. 伟 Wei

    是的,所以大家都叫他小罗伯特。
    Shì de, suǒyǐ dàjiā dōu jiào tā Xiǎo Luóbótè.
    Yes, so everyone calls him Robert Jr.
  3. 佳怡 Jiayi

    这样就很容易区分他们两个了。
    Zhèyàng jiù hěn róngyì qūfēn tāmen liǎng gè le.
    That makes it easy to tell the two of them apart.
  4. 伟 Wei

    没错,小罗伯特性格更活泼一些。
    Méicuò, Xiǎo Luóbótè xìnggé gèng huópō yīxiē.
    Exactly, Robert Jr. has a more lively personality.

Sources

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Erica Claudia
Erica ClaudiaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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