Kids like to call grown-ups Uncle & Aunty. Professions can even be uncle & aunty-ized:
警察叔叔
“一个人在家害怕,警察叔叔帮我找爸妈”
In Sichuan there is even 护士娘娘
护士娘娘,我嘴巴干的很,可不可以给我倒杯水啊!
What other professions can be uncle & aunty-ized?
-
I think it's actually the other way round - there are only a few professions that aren't called uncle/autie by convention such as 老师 (老师叔叔/阿姨 is rarely heard and sounds unnatural), otherwise you can call them uncle/antie "by default", including the examples listed in the other answer and many others you can think of.– NS.X.Apr 30, 2016 at 18:47
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
It is mostly for jobs that require wearing a uniform. The uniform provides a visual cue for children that these are special people who may be able to help them when needed. Note that 司机叔叔/司机阿姨 are for professional drivers, not any driver of a private car.
-
-
@user3306356 I was thinking bus drivers, not someone who's driving his/her own private vehicle.– monalisaMay 1, 2016 at 0:52
Here are a few:
- driver: 司机叔叔/司机阿姨
- firefighter: 消防(员)叔叔/消防(员)阿姨
- doctor: 医生叔叔/医生阿姨
- waiter/waitress: 服务员叔叔/服务员阿姨
- post officer: 邮差叔叔/邮差阿姨
