小姐
Miss; young lady
xiǎojiě
What does 小姐 mean?
小姐 (xiǎojiě) means 'Miss' or 'young lady' — historically the polite title for an unmarried or young woman, equivalent to English 'Miss.' Two things matter for modern learners: first, usage has shifted regionally — in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 小姐 remains a standard polite address (服务员小姐 'Miss waitress'), but in mainland China, using 小姐 alone for a stranger has become problematic because of slang associations with sex work, so people use 女士 (nǚshì, formal 'Ms.'), 美女 (měinǚ, 'lady'), or 姑娘 (gūniang, 'young woman') instead; second, attached to a family name (王小姐 'Miss Wang,' 李小姐 'Miss Li'), 小姐 stays neutral and respectful everywhere. The literal sense is 小 ('little / young') + 姐 ('older sister').
Note: Usage has shifted regionally. Safe in Taiwan and Hong Kong as a polite address for a young woman; in mainland China, 小姐 alone can sound dated or in some contexts carry a derogatory connotation, so 女士 (nǚshì, 'Ms.') or 美女 (měinǚ, 'lady') is now more common for strangers. Combined with a surname (王小姐) it remains polite anywhere.
Character breakdown
small; young; little
older sister; lady
Memory hook: 小 (young) + 姐 (sister) = young lady. Add a surname (王小姐) to keep it polite anywhere.
Measure word for 小姐
Example sentences
她是王小姐。
Tā shì Wáng xiǎojiě.
She is Miss Wang.
neutral
小姐，请问洗手间在哪儿？
Xiǎojiě, qǐng wèn xǐshǒujiān zài nǎr?
Miss, may I ask where the bathroom is?
polite, more common in Taiwan/HK
这位小姐是我的同事。
Zhè wèi xiǎojiě shì wǒ de tóngshì.
This young lady is my colleague.
polite
李小姐，您好。
Lǐ xiǎojiě, nín hǎo.
Hello, Miss Li.
polite
Common phrases with 小姐
Synonyms
女士 ('Ms.') is the modern, formal, age-neutral equivalent — preferred in mainland China for strangers and in business contexts. Used on signs (女士洗手间 'ladies' room') and formal introductions. 小姐 is more dated; 女士 is the safer choice today.
姑娘 ('young woman / girl') is a warm, slightly old-fashioned term for a young woman, common in northern speech. 小姐 was a title; 姑娘 describes the person.
Don't confuse 小姐 with
姐姐 means 'older sister' (your own). 小姐 is a title for an unrelated young woman. Same 姐 character but different relationship.
小妹 means 'little (younger) sister' (own family) or, in some contexts, a young waitress in casual settings. 小姐 implies adult/young-adult; 小妹 implies younger.