Here in China, people always have names with two or three characters, each character having one syllable. If someone's name just with two characters you should call their entire name over.But if some's name with three characters, call their last two characters is considered in manners, For example: if someone is called Wang Bing, then you should address them as Wang Bing; if someone is called Wang Xiao Bing, then you should address that person as Xiao Bing. Or, you just call them their surname plus their job title, like Doctor Wang. Never do what they do in American television shows: don't call someone who's Chinese with a one syllable name like "Lee"," Sun" so on, because it's a little weird and seems like you don't respect others.
Let me explain to you more accurately why should call someone has a name with three characters just call last two. If you speak out entire three characters means formal or you'd like to emphasize your words to him. But if you speak out last two means between you two seems like more intimately. Particular in the meeting or working space people want to show their friendly to others. For example, Mao Ze Dong always call Deng Xiao Ping as Xiao Ping, if call him Deng Xiao Ping, There must be something wrong, then Deng Xiao Ping should be careful it. But if you are very closed and in your private space, call them either two words or three are OK.
Is there some hidden rules about how to call someone's name is properly in westerner's world?
Here, people are almost always called their given name.
People usually only use last names in formal situations, but most people would simply say "Call me (for example) John" upon hearing their family name. From that point onwards, always use their given name (or whatever name they tell you).
Long story short:
People don't like formalities, so prefer to be known by their given name. Only use surnames in formal situations until told otherwise.
In the US, people usually use their given name with friends and coworkers and most other people, but it does not matter how many syllables. So you would mostly call someone "Tom" and someone else "Martha" and someone else "Elizabeth" - it would not matter that one person's name was very short. Sometimes in sports teams, or in places like the Army, people might call each other by their family name, such as "Smith". If someone was trying to be particularly respectful, like if a college student was talking to a professor, they might use a title and family name, such as "Professor Smith". If a salesperson talks to you, sometimes they will try to be respectful and say "Mrs. Smith" or "Mr. Smith".
In Germany we address people we do not know by Herr (Mr) or Frau (Mrs) plus their surname (family name). With friends or relatives you use the given names (first names). It does not matter how many syllables a name has, but if you are close friends you will use nicknames and they are usually rather short, e.g. somebody called Thomas Meier will be called "Herr Meier" by everybody who doesn't know him well, he could be called "Thomas" by his aquaintance and colleges, and "Tom" by his family and friends.
Using the whole name is formal, but just using the surname can be informal. Between friends or some buddies at work, people may call each other by their surname, kind of like a nickname.
I've often been called by my surname, which is no surprise when there's other people with the same name around (or names that sound similar Nat, Max, etc.)
