American custom

Generally speaking, Americans are famous for their informality and freedom. Greeting strangers doesn't necessarily mean wanting to be friends with you; A pleasant conversation doesn't necessarily turn into a bosom friend, only take the initiative to contact and respond with a happy mood. Shake hands only in formal occasions, smile at each other when meeting in general occasions and say "hi!" " Or "Hello!" This is the meeting etiquette.

It's easy to introduce each other when we meet for the first time. The general principle is to introduce humble people with respect, guests with hosts, young people with elders, subordinates with superiors, and ladies with men. After the introduction, shake hands briefly and forcefully. Americans believe that a firm handshake represents sincerity and frankness. On formal occasions, American women will take the initiative to reach out (not necessarily on other occasions), and women will reach out first before men can shake hands with women (women generally do not shake hands). If the woman doesn't want to shake hands, the man nods or bows. Don't shake hands with ladies too tightly. Take off your gloves before shaking hands and apologize if you take them off too late. Close relatives and friends can kiss on the cheek, and men kiss women on the cheek. Americans respond to others' handshakes, hugs, hand kisses, attention and nods in the same way. You don't have to shake hands when you say goodbye. Wave and say "goodbye!" Do it.

In America, people call each other by their first names. Generally speaking, they don't use "sir", "madam", "miss" or formal titles. Address only judges, doctors, senior officials, professors and senior clergy. Positions generally do not need to be addressed. Don't use the word "old" when addressing old people.

Don't ask about personal life such as age, family status, marital status, religious belief, economic income, etc. Greet each other without asking where to go or what to do. Polite expressions are emphasized in public places, and "please", "thank you" and "sorry" are also commonly used in families. The conversation distance must be kept above 50 cm. When you have to sit close to others, you should ask their permission. Don't talk loudly, don't laugh, don't quarrel loudly. Don't stick out your tongue when you are surprised. The United States speaks, signals and likes to use gestures. Ask someone to answer the phone and use the gesture of answering the phone; Ask the waiter to pay the bill, and use the gesture of writing. I'm used to getting down to business after greeting. I don't send tea or greet people. Americans don't regard giving each other business cards as a courtesy, but give them to facilitate future contact. When you send someone a business card, you don't expect others to send it back.

Pay attention when you speak: always smile. Say hello when you meet friends you know. When people greet you, they should also greet each other to show their concern. Speak in a sincere and generous tone. When people greet you, try to be concise. Praise each other more. Your eyes should be brighter. When the other person changes his hairstyle, look at other people's photos and praise them as much as possible. Bad things can be appreciated from another angle, such as "cute". Don't forget to say "sorry", "please" and "thank you". Pay attention to your neat appearance: don't be sloppy, smelly body or mouth, dandruff, etc. Very unpleasant.

2. Dating:

Americans are cheerful, generous and sociable. They usually go to bed late and get up late, but they have a strong sense of time; Americans often say "come to see me anytime", and some invitations are quite sincere, but you should still call ahead to confirm the time before you visit, so as not to cause inconvenience to others because of your "anytime". Reservations should be arranged in advance, and generally don't be late. If you receive a formal invitation, if the invitation is printed with "R.S.V.P", be sure to call to let you know whether you will go or not. Invitations to large-scale events are generally only printed with regrets, and only those who do not participate will be notified. Informal private invitation, you can make the time and place clear by phone or letter. After receiving the invitation, I will return to Cambodia to thank you; Don't promise easily if you don't keep an appointment; If you can't be invited, explain why and apologize. If you can't keep the appointment for the time being, please call and don't leave an empty number at will.

Men and women are more open in the United States, and dating and watching movies for dinner are also common. It's not rude to have warm communication with the opposite sex. Both men and women can take the initiative to invite, usually men are more active. You can pay separately or treat one party. If an American friend says, "Let's have a beer" or "Would you like a cup of coffee? Don't get me wrong, he is going to invite you. This situation is usually Dutch. If you are invited to a restaurant, you can suggest tipping after dinner. If the host insists on not letting you, you don't have to force it. Dating sometimes has no other meaning, and it doesn't mean that you will become a special partner. So, if you want to invite someone to chat, watch a movie or have dinner together, so as to enhance the friendship between the two sides and have a good time, please take the initiative to invite them generously. If you don't want to date the other person or the other person does something that makes you uncomfortable, you can say "no" politely but definitely. Mutual respect is the basic communication principle and strength.

3. Be a guest at home:

Don't arrive early when visiting. It would be impolite if the host arrived early. You can be 5 to 10 minutes late, and call the host if you are more than 15 minutes late. Hosts who visit at night cannot wear pajamas to receive guests. When visiting relatives and friends, you should wipe off the dirty things on your shoes, take off your hat and leave your wet raincoat and umbrella outside. When you enter the door, you should greet the hostess first, and then the host. When there are many guests, just shake hands with the host and acquaintances, and just nod to others. We should talk more about topics of interest to everyone, not just our own interests. When visiting, don't turn over the owner's things, don't fiddle with the furnishings, and don't ask about the price of the furnishings. To make a long-distance call at the host's home, you should ask the host's permission and leave the phone bill, saying that it is to buy candy for the host's children. As a guest, it is not advisable to stay long; If the host doesn't stay for dinner, the guests should leave before dinner time. Guests who can smoke should accept cigarettes provided by their hosts, not cigarettes brought by themselves. Americans attach importance to birthdays, especially children's birthdays. Guests invited to the birthday party should send gifts to congratulate them.

4, dinner etiquette:

If invited to a family gathering, ask the host what gift he needs. Even if the host refuses, he can still bring a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers, or some small gifts with China flavor. If you have any dietary taboos, you can tell me first. Special cultural customs and dietary taboos can be understood and respected. Unless otherwise specified, it is not advisable to bring children to general party activities. If the nature of the party is loose meat, most families can attend.

Hosting guests at home is more popular with Americans than in restaurants because the atmosphere at home is more cordial and friendly. There are two kinds of family dinners. The first is family dining, where the host and guests sit at a rectangular table, and the host holds food for the guests, or the food is passed on a plate in turn. The second is buffet style, where the food is placed on another table in the restaurant and the host and guests pick it up separately.

When invited to someone's home for dinner, the host and guests are very polite. The host will provide all kinds of tableware for special purposes, such as cold cuts, knives and forks, fish knives and forks, meat knives and forks, main course knives and forks, fruit knives and forks, food spoons, spoons, coffee spoons and so on. If guests don't know the special purpose of tableware, they can imitate the hostess. The napkin is spread on your knees. You can't wipe the dishes with it. Sit up straight and don't put your arms across the table. Only when the hostess starts, other people begin to eat; When the hostess leaves her seat, others can leave her seat instead of leaving halfway. Europeans eat with a knife in one hand and a fork in the other. Americans only use one hand to turn the tableware, and the other hand is on their knees. Pay attention to the order of using knives and forks and the nature of forks. The knife and fork are placed at the edge of the dish, indicating that they are still eating; If it is completely on the plate, it means it has been used up. Bread should be broken into small pieces to eat. Don't make any noise when eating soup and chewing, let alone sneeze, blow your nose, cough, burp and pick your teeth. The dregs can't be spit directly on the plate, but they should be clamped with a fork and put into the plate. Napkins are used to wipe your mouth, but never to wipe your hands or tableware. If the salt and pepper bottles are far away from the seat, don't reach for them, but let another seat deliver them for you. When dessert or coffee is served, the host can begin to make a speech, and the host and guests can also use this time to express their thanks. During the dinner, praise the dishes prepared by the hostess and try to finish the food on the plate.

Talk to the host for a while after dinner, then leave, but don't stay too long; When you leave, you should thank the host for his warm hospitality. If you are not familiar with the host, you should also call or send a text message as soon as possible afterwards to express your gratitude. If there are many guests, you can't leave until the guests with high positions have left. . Don't forget to send a thank-you card or a letter to the host within three or four days after the banquet. If you spend the night at your host's house, you usually send a thank-you card to your hostess.

5. Give gifts:

You don't have to bring gifts to your home, and you can't give gifts alone without other guests. Gifts can be a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers for the hostess, etc. Official gifts can be calendars, pens, hardcover diaries and other stationery. Generally, gifts are not given in public. Those who attend the meeting will be sent after the meeting, eg at a farewell party. Americans like gifts full of friendship. Gifts pay attention to packaging. Even if it is a gift selected for relatives and friends, it should be accompanied by a gift card. The purpose of giving gifts should be clear, otherwise it will be puzzling. Cakes, snacks, chocolates, local handicrafts, books, etc. Can be used as a gift (singular); Flowers are usually sent to visit patients; Do not give heavy gifts in official duties and avoid bribery; Gifts cannot have the logo of the gift-giving unit, otherwise there will be advertising revenue; Men should not casually send perfume, cosmetics and white roses to women (these are gifts for lovers). When you receive a gift, you should open it on the spot and express your gratitude and praise for it. You don't need to return the gift immediately after you receive it. When invited to dinner, a sincere toast is the best gift. The best way to give gifts at ordinary times is to invite people to eat and drink or go to the villa on weekends. After receiving gifts, being invited to dinner and being helped, write a thank-you letter. In addition to agreeing who will invite you to dinner, we usually go to the restaurant together and go Dutch.

6. Clothing:

Americans dress casually and wear all kinds of clothes in public. I like to wear T-shirts, jackets, jeans, sweaters and sports shoes most of the time. Dress neatly. Men's pants can't show underwear, and women's skirts can't show petticoats. Skirts should cover stockings, and women's shorts should not be matched with high heels, otherwise people will mistake them for girls. Painting eyebrows and lipstick are also signs of attracting lang. No one can wear a vest or pajamas in public. Americans pursue individuality, temperament, elegance and comfort, and take the lead in replacing brand-name clothing with simple and plain clothing in the West.

Pay attention to dress in formal social occasions, and there are also dress codes at banquets. When attending an important meeting, you should pay attention to the dress code on the invitation. If you are not sure about the dress code, you can ask other participants first to avoid embarrassment. Some words such as "casual" on the invitation don't mean you can wear jeans, and "semi-formal" doesn't mean you don't need to wear a tie. You'd better ask clearly Suit jackets are generally not buttoned, but not all. The bottom button of a vest is usually unbuttoned. Dark suits should be equipped with black leather shoes and dark socks, avoiding white socks and black shoes. In formal occasions or at work, women should wear skirts, while men should wear ties and dark suits. Evening dress should be ankle-length and wear high heels.

7. Traveling by car:

Generally speaking, the right side is respect when walking. Ladies walk together, and men should walk on the left. When entering or leaving, women should push the door. When riding, the owner drives, the front seat is respected, and the right side of the back seat is respected. When driving by car, be sure to open the door for the guests first, and then get on the bus after sitting down.

In public, Americans especially respect women, giving priority to women everywhere. In social situations, men should be humble and considerate to women; When walking, men walk on the outside of the sidewalk; When sitting down, let the woman sit down first; When entering the door, the man should go first and open the door for the woman; Let women go first when going up and down stairs or taking the elevator; Ask the woman to order first when eating; Let the woman get up first when she leaves; When a strange woman loses something, a man should also pick it up and return it; When greeting a lady, a man must stand up.