It is well known that address forms differ across languages, but they all nevertheless index status and social distance. Address form is in nature relational and thus a language variable that mirrors social and political reality. The aim of this paper is two fold. First, it gives a systematic description of the address forms used in Chinese and their social implications. Second, it explains how address terms in Chinese are used as discourse strategies in interaction.

In Chinese, four types of address forms are used. They are pronouns, personal names, kinship terms and honorific/self-deprecatory terms. Heavily influenced by Confucian thought, generally speaking, kinship terms are preferred over other types of address terms, although there are some noticeable changes in this respect in modern Chinese. Unlike major European languages that stress solidarity over status, great importance is given to the power difference between interlocutors.

Address forms appropriate in terms of the interlocutors' age, gender and status are called for during interaction. However, terms of address are constantly employed by speakers of Chinese as discourse strategies so that marked choice of address forms signals interlocutors' conscious initiatives to negotiate interpersonal relationships or to redefine interactional situations. Plenty of examples will be presented to show how address terms are manipulated for the above-mentioned purposes.

Back to the Conference Schedule