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unusual facts about Chinese titles


Chinese titles

Fūrén 夫人 (Madame; Mrs.): Traditionally used to refer to a lady of high rank, the term has fallen into disuse since the late 20th century except in formal contexts, e.g. President Hu Jintao and Mrs. Hu are 胡锦涛主席和夫人, Hú Jǐntāo zhǔxí hé fūrén (but contemporary custom dictates that Mrs. Hu is never Madame Hu Jintao 胡锦涛夫人 Hú Jǐntāo fūrén), or to translate women's names derived from the surname of their husbands, e.g. Mrs. Thatcher is 撒切尔夫人, sǎqiē'ěr fūrén).



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