What are the differences between Chinese and Western etiquette?

Differences between Chinese and Western etiquette:

1. In terms of titles and addresses, Westerners usually address people in a more general way, and usually one title can cover many titles in China. For example, Westerners call a man Mr. and a woman Ms. or Miss. The word "Mr." is the first word used in various dictionaries in China to describe a teacher, and it is the oldest and longest-standing title for teachers, having been passed down for thousands of years.

We often add the word "comrade" to the name of our acquaintances after the founding of the country, such as meetings, so-and-so leadership speech, "to XX comrades to learn," and so on and so forth, there is no need to go into detail. However, in today's life, with the reform and opening up, now "Mr." has become the most popular social honorific colloquialisms.

2. In terms of meeting etiquette, Chinese people usually like to nod their heads, shake hands, or perform the arching salute, or slightly undercut and then shake hands, while Westerners feel that undercutting seems to appear inferior. In the West, especially in Europe and the United States, hugging is very common to meet and say goodbye, kissing and kissing hands are also common in the West to meet. The handshake originated in the semi-barbaric and semi-civilized period of Western mankind. This custom has evolved into today's "handshake" as a courtesy of meeting and saying goodbye, and is accepted in most countries.

In our country, the handshake is not only used when meeting and saying goodbye, but also as a kind of congratulations, thanks or mutual encouragement. Therefore it is the most widely used salutation etiquette in socializing. Meet, say goodbye to the evolution of politeness to today is "hello", "goodbye" two phrases, polite at best and then shake hands with each other, in a variety of weird diseases are prevalent in today's seemingly simple and hygienic and decent. However, in Western countries, we have to send the first face-to-face salute, kissing salute and kissing hand salute, so we are very uncomfortable and unacceptable.

3, in terms of banquets, drinking, traditionally regarded as an indispensable part of doing business, making friends and other social occasions by the Chinese. China usually follow the wine glass can not be empty tea can not be too full, in the West they usually like beer, wine, do not like to persuade, their behavior will follow the hostess's actions.

China is a big country of wine culture, thousands of years handed down the brewing process and people give the wine a good meaning, so that drinking has become an indispensable part of Chinese people's banquets, socializing and socializing activities. The profound wine culture of the Chinese people has also impressed foreigners, making them curious about Chinese liquor, but how much they resent the forced persuasion of alcohol at the Chinese drinking table. Just as we normal Chinese are repulsed by the foreigner's face-to-face salute.

4. In terms of taboos and customs, the Chinese don't like to say 4, and find 8 very auspicious, whereas Westerners don't like 13. The Chinese see 4 as unlucky because it sounds the same as "death", whereas in Dutch 4 is a happy number because it is similar to the Dutch word for "celebrate". The Chinese see 4 as unlucky because of the sound of "death", whereas in Dutch 4 is a happy number because it is similar to the Dutch word "celebrate".

5, the Chinese usually show his enthusiasm by visiting the door, while Westerners have to make an appointment with the host before visiting, avoiding sudden visits. Otherwise, the recipient will feel unhappy because the sudden visit disrupts the work schedule and causes him great inconvenience. Appointed visits should generally be on time.

6. Chinese people like to ask where they are going and whether they have eaten when they meet and greet each other, while Westerners think that this is an invasion of their privacy, and Westerners find this very strange. "Have you eaten?" This is a common phrase used by Chinese people to greet each other before and after eating. When people in the West part ways, they usually say Good-bye, Bye-bye, which is equivalent to the Chinese saying "Goodbye". If you have a guest or someone you don't know very well, when the guest leaves, according to Chinese custom, the host should send the guest to the door of the room or the front door. Guests say "please stay" to the host, the host to say "go well", "slow walk", "slow ride (bicycle) and other polite words. The westerner will just smile and make a gesture of goodbye.

7, nowadays the Chinese dress increasingly westernized, formal occasions, men and women dress with the West is no different.

8, the Chinese usually in front of female officials, female entrepreneurs, female scholars, female celebrities to follow the principle of ladies first, but do not pay attention to female interpreters, female tour guides, female escorts, female journalists and so on. And Westerners treat them equally.

9, in the international conference, our media summarized the people of the country's various bad habits: more phone calls, shit, often in public to reprimand their subordinates, male secretaries to their superiors to rub their shoulders and so on.

Expanded:

p>Etiquette, the foundation of the whole social civilization, is the most direct and comprehensive way of expression of social civilization. China is a state of etiquette, with a splendid five thousand years of culture Chinese civilization, in the world far-reaching influence. Mr. Qian Mu, a famous national scholar, once said, "The core of Chinese culture is etiquette". When in the last 200 years, with the rise of the Western countries, the West dominates the world, nowadays the international etiquette is basically Western etiquette.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia - An Introduction to Comparison of Chinese and Western Cultures