‘称谓’ (chēng wèi) is a formal noun meaning ‘title’ or ‘form of address’ — the words people use to refer to or speak directly to others, such as ‘Mr. Wang’, ‘Aunt Li’, ‘Professor Zhang’, or ‘Your Honor’. It combines two characters: 称 (chēng), meaning ‘to call’ or ‘to refer to’, and 谓 (wèi), meaning ‘to say’ or ‘to name’. Together, they emphasize the act of naming or addressing someone in a socially appropriate way.

This term is commonly used in discussions about etiquette, linguistics, social hierarchy, and cross-cultural communication. It appears more frequently in written Chinese, academic contexts, or formal speech than in casual daily talk — where people usually just use the titles themselves (e.g., 老师, 妈妈) rather than naming the category ‘称谓’. Understanding 称谓 helps learners navigate relationships, respect levels, and regional variations (e.g., mainland vs. Taiwan usage) in Chinese-speaking societies.