206 CultureShock! Chile
a boss. Similarly, the junior (a male employee responsible
for miscellaneous errands), although from a lower social
standing, will be addressed as Don if he is older. Use of the
term is linked to the use of Usted. No matter how close these
relationships become, as a sign of respect, the informal tú
will never be used. Chileans, no matter what their social
level, would never refer to themselves as Don or Doña, as
this would seem presumptuous.About Friends
Chileans, as do others in the Southern Cone of South America,
use the article la or el before a name when talking about someone
they know personally. For example, if talking about Carmen,
a friend who is not present, you would say: “La Carmen vendrá
mañana”, as opposed to just “Carmen vendrá mañana”. (Carmen
will come tomorrow.) When listing people as part of an informal
conversation, you would say: “el Manuel, la Luisa, el Pedro, etc.”Always use the formal Usted (you) when addressing people in the
service industry.