Domestic help comes in all shapes and sizes in Beijing. Live-out, part-time help is the most common service. Locals and expatriates alike often refer to domestic helpers as ayi. The formal translation of ayi is ‘maternal aunt’. Specifically, you would address your mother’s younger sister as ayi. Domestic helpers are often women, so using the title ayi is both polite and respectful. This is true even if your housekeeper happens to be younger than yourself. Family names are stated before given names in China, and titles are placed after family names. If your housekeeper’s name were Liu Shaojun, you would call her ‘Liu Ayi’.