社会语言学视角下汉语新兴称谓语研究——以“小姐姐”“小哥哥”为例

A Study of Emerging Chinese Address Terms from the Perspective of Sociolinguistics—Taking “Xiǎo Jiějie” and “Xiǎo Gēge” as Examples

摘要: “小姐姐”“小哥哥”是近年来在汉语口语中迅速流行的新兴称谓语。这类由亲属称谓衍生并泛化至社交场合的称呼方式，正在悄然改变日常交际中的人际互动模式。本研究从社会语言学视角出发，聚焦这一具体语言形式，考察其在不同交际情境中的使用特征及其身份建构功能。研究以微博、小红书等社交媒体平台2023至2025年间的公开语料为主要来源，运用话语分析方法，选取典型案例进行深度分析，揭示使用者在不同语境中对该称谓的选择动机与语用意图。研究发现，“小姐姐”“小哥哥”的使用与交际情境密切相关：在服务场景中，该称谓被用来建构亲切而不过分亲昵的服务关系；在网络互动中，它成为拉近距离、表达善意的社交工具；在同辈交往中，它既传递亲近感，又避免传统称谓可能带来的辈分压力。从语用功能看，使用者选择这一称谓而非“女士”“姑娘”“美女”等其他形式，意在传递一种“亲近而不失尊重、友好而不越界”的人际态度，同时借此建构年轻、友善、与时代同步的身份形象。这一使用模式表明，新兴称谓语的扩散并非随意的语言游戏，而是与当代青年群体的身份认同、人际关系的重新定义密切相关。本研究拓展了社会语言学变体理论在汉语新兴称谓语研究中的应用，也为国际中文教育中的称谓教学提供了基于真实语料的实证参考。

Abstract: “Xiǎo Jiějie” and “Xiǎo Gēge” are emerging address terms that have rapidly gained popularity in spoken Chinese in recent years. Derived from kinship terms and extended to social contexts, these forms of address are subtly reshaping interpersonal interactions in daily communication. From the perspective of sociolinguistics, this study focuses on these specific linguistic forms, examining their usage patterns in different communicative situations and their role in identity construction. Drawing on public data from social media platforms such as Weibo and Xiaohongshu between 2023 and 2025, the study employs discourse analysis to conduct in-depth analyses of representative cases, revealing users’ motivations and pragmatic intentions in choosing these terms across different contexts. The findings show that the use of “Xiǎo Jiějie” and “Xiǎo Gēge” is closely tied to the communicative situation: in service settings, these terms help build a friendly yet not overly familiar service relationship; in online interactions, they serve as social tools to reduce distance and convey goodwill; among peers, they express closeness while avoiding the generational pressure associated with traditional address forms. From a pragmatic perspective, users opt for these terms over alternatives such as “nǚshì” (lady), “gūniang” (girl), or “měinǚ” (beauty) to convey an interpersonal attitude of “being close yet respectful, friendly yet not overstepping,” while also constructing a youthful, amicable, and up-to-date identity. This pattern of usage suggests that the spread of emerging address terms is not merely a matter of casual linguistic play, but is closely tied to the identity construction of contemporary youth and the redefinition of interpersonal relationships. This study extends the application of sociolinguistic variation theory in the study of emerging Chinese address terms and provides empirically grounded references for the teaching of address forms in international Chinese language education.