Oct 31, 2023 · Saying "Hey Buddy" is somewhat analogous to using the honorific "-kun" in Japanese. A stiff and over-formal, but less patronizing, way to address a boy in the same context would be to say "Young Sir". The use of the term "buddy" as a descriptive word for someone, rather than as a hailname, is much less problematic and sensitive, however.

buddy其实就是朋友，“你”的代称，比直接说“sir”亲切点。 可以指不熟悉的人，但没有my friend程度深。 我在洛杉矶以前公司总有个人叫我buddy，无论打电话还是见面（他应该不知道我叫什么，他很多人名字都记不住，直接称呼老板娘 hey beautiful lady）。