走弯路

Within families, adults are rarely referred to by their given names. Rather, the relationship is stressed, so each member is known by this connection. Thus, there is big sister, second sister, third sister and so on. These connections are also distinguished by what side of the family they are on. Generally speaking though, the family title is only used when the relative being called is older than caller. It is considered highly inappropriate and sometimes extremely offensive if a person from a younger generation calls someone from an older generation by his/her given name. Younger relatives are normally only called by their relational title in formal situations. Children can be called by their given name, or their parents may use their nickname.

The expressions “高高兴兴” and “高兴高兴” both come from the same word: “高兴,” or “happy.” Despite this, they are still different in both meaning and in the way they’re used.

In Chinese culture, certain numbers are believed by some to be auspicious because their pronunciation is similar to auspicious words. As a result, numbers that have similar pronunciation as auspicious words are viewed by people as lucky numbers that can bring them good fortune.