Try copying the gestures shown in the videos to get the hang of using them! We put together a list of some common gestures one may encounter when traveling abroad in a Mandarin-speaking country, as well as a few you should avoid for the sake of manners. China, with a rich and strong history, refers to this as 礼仪之邦 (lǐ yí zhī bāng), meaning a state of ceremonies. Handshakes as greetings in China are as common as they are in the West. Chinese etiquette tips about proprieties, customs on different occasions in China such as greetings, self-introduction, business, table manners and familiy visiting. Another way is to hold a fist, which looks like a rock, and it means 石（shí) in Chinese. A thumbs up is a symbol of approval. Human beings are so much more connected than we think! Similar to in other cultures, Chinese body signs and hand movements are often used to express numbers. It suggests content and examples based on the words you're learning. Greetings. Every culture has these, and we should be sure to avoid them when communicating with friends and acquaintances. In Western culture, it’s perfectly normal to hug someone when greeting, even someone you barely know. Dos and Don'ts. If you’re a person who likes to talk with your hands, try to tone it down while you’re in China so you don’t annoy the locals. Also, don’t put anyone on the spot by asking them to provide information they seem unwilling to give, or challenge a person directly. You may just want to offer a handshake instead. )你坐嘛。(Nǐ zuò ma.) Read on to discover how people greet one another in various cultures, and to learn about the reasoning behind these forms of greeting. Best wishes for your Chinese learning endeavors! Chinese meetings are highly structured and interjecting beyond a quick remark is considered rude. Hopefully, this shortened and comprehensive guide will help you avoid impoliteness as well as win Vietnamese people’s hearts. The Chinese New Year marks the start of the traditional Chinese calendar. Click here to get a copy. The best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. If you do the gesture and then keep it upside down, can you see that the shape looks just like the character? Once you’re feeling confident with Chinese greetings you’ll learn some different ways to say goodbye in Chinese as well. They can be different in different parts of China. Instead of sticking your chopsticks into your dish bowl or onto a napkin when you’re done eating, it’s customary to place chopsticks that aren’t in use horizontally on top of your bowl. Touchiness and PDA are less common in Chinese culture. In Chinese culture, they like to show the side of their palm to the camera while taking a picture. For example, in Taiwan, it means seven. However, unlike the firm, quick American handshake, the Chinese tend to shake hands lightly and for hold the handshake longer: even … Nodding with a polite smile or shaking hands are preferred gestures when greeting someone over friendly hugs. Handshakes were never a thing of the East. In every culture, people communicate with body language and not just to express romantic interest. There are various ways of doing ten. Younger generations don’t mind as much—but doing this will still make one look a bit ignorant. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Six and eight mimic their Chinese characters, 六 and 八 respectively. In most cultures, it is custom to express gratitude in some way or another. Do. One way looks like an OK gesture where thumb and index finger form a ring, and the other three fingers point up straight. All Rights Reserved. This pronunciation is the same as 十 (shí), so when a Chinese person sees a fist, it’s not hard to imagine the number ten. One thing to remember is that this is not seen as a formal agreement in Chinese culture, so be sure not to use it for an official contract or anything like that. Now, are you ready for more of a number challenge? Bows are best saved for your visit to Japan or Korea. Please check your email for further instructions. In many cultures, a pinky promise means an agreement. How to Say I Love You in Chinese – Romantic Word List, Learn Chinese: YouTube Channels to Help You Thrive, Chinese Final Particles: Signals for Tone of Voice, How to Say Goodbye in Chinese in Any Situation, How to Celebrate April Fools’ Day in Chinese. For peers or your elders, this may be considered inappropriate and perceived as a lack of respect. Make sure you toast everybody at the table before drinking, too! Similar to in Western culture, you can certainly indicate “OK” with your fingers since the English phrase “Okay” (along with many other simple English phrases) have been integrated internationally and are now a part of Chinese people’s daily lives. Chinese people tend to be conservative in their gestures and avoid making a lot of hand movements. Greetings. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life. Mandarin Chinese Language and Culture Blog, Touchiness and PDA are less common in Chinese culture, How to Build a Totally Free Chinese E-book Library, Get Your Culture On! Chinese Meeting Etiquette 1. Also, don’t touch someone else’s schnoz. FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. For each of these gestures, let’s look at what they mean and a few videos on how to execute them properly. FluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. When first meeting a Chinese person in a rural area, it is common to be invited to join them for a meal. Chinese may nod or bow instead of shaking hands, although shaking hands has become increasingly common. As the very crutch of Chinese language, Chinese gestures and body language in Chinese culture hold much importance. When you want to summon someone to come to you, as commonly known in Western culture, you usually make this sign with your palm facing up. Chinese nonverbal communication can go way beyond simple greetings and formalities—they can even be fun! If it’s not someone you’re extremely close with or it’s not a very special occasion on which to show affection, remember to avoid hugging! Greetings. Applaud back. However, Chinese people use it quite differently than some Western people. This will almost look like a cat pawing at something. If conversation cannot be avoided, the mother of all gestures is then employed. Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that specia... YouTube: A paradise full of creative content to relax your brain. In fact, the Chinese had developed not one but several different ways to greet each another, all without touching. (Logged-In Member Only). When introduced to a Chinese group, they may greet you with applause. Many friends and couples like to make promises to each other in this way, and many Chinese people think it’s a lovely way to make a promise. If you want continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU. Chinese culture give very importance to wealth and richness, and they follow lot customs and gestures to attract the money. Chinese people have particular gestures for counting. © 2021 Enux Education Limited. You may instead want to politely invite them over with your arm suggesting the direction, or with a proper bow. You name should be facing the person you are greeting. Touchiness and physical affection are not common in Chinese culture. Come Here. If there’s one pose that everyone uses at least once in their life for a picture, it’s the “peace” sign. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Chinese with real-world videos. This mimics the appearance of funeral incense and is considered a sort of “death” omen. Helpful Chinese Expressions: Greetings Chinese Online Phrase Book. The New Year’s greeting in Cantonese is Kung Hey Fat Choy, which means Congratulations and Be Prosperous. Chinese people are accustomed to making their palm face down while summoning people. Download: The main purpose of this greeting is to build up a good relationship between the people concerned, and each language usually had a number of set phrases which can be used for his purpose. Vietnamese Gestures – Greetings – Public Customs – Taboos Visiting Vietnam, it had better understand the Vietnamese customs and gestures for the wonderful experience and memories. Hear and learn Chinese phrases about Greetings with standard Mandarin pronunciation. Greeting is an act of communication in which human beings intentionally make their presence known to each other, to show attention to, and to suggest a type of relationship (usually cordial) or social status (formal or informal) between individuals or groups of people coming in contact with each other. It’s important to get the basics right, and the Mandarin Chinese-speaking people you meet will really appreciate your efforts. It is officially the oldest written language in the world with a history spanning at least six thousand years. Shaking hands is a vital body gesture for showing courtesy and friendliness in Chinese culture. This handshake must be initiated by your Chinese counterpart. Anyhow, this is usually for people who are younger than you, kids, your employees, taxis, or waiters. If you want to communicate and express yourself more vividly and properly, here’s a guide to open your eyes to Chinese culture and its body gestures! 4 Thumbs Up And Thumbs Down. They all... We come across so many people throughout the course of our human journey, where so many hellos and goodbyes take... China has always been known for its long-cultivated history and culture. Immediately upon introduction, present your name card. Sadly, this may not go over so well in China. Eating Etiquette. You’ll fit right in with your Chinese surroundings once you get the hang of these. You should also do this when you accept or offer business cards. Learn more about this aspect of Chinese body language and gestures here. The number of your fingers that you stretch out literally represents the number you’re suggesting. You can use this gesture either in a formal business occasion or at a casual party to make some new friends. For numbers from six to nine, the explanations for the gestures are controversial. The Handshake. Greet the oldest, most senior person before others. In a case like that, try your best to establish eye contact with the person and bow slightly. Body Language and Cultural Differences affect how people greet one another. In Chinese-speaking cultures (as well as several other Southeast Asian cultures) it’s a big no-no to stick your chopsticks upright into your rice while dining with others. Greetings. 3. Did you have fun learning common body gestures in China? In Chinese culture, when you’re relating something to yourself, you may point to your own nose with your index finger. Thanks for subscribing! Almost every Asian guidebook, travel website and those free little tourist magazines seem to have a section on etiquette — how you should greet people, how to conduct yourself, what’s considered good manners and what’s not, and what you should wear. For numbers six and seven, the reason why the finger is presented like this is very easy to understand: The thumb represents the number “five.” Now you can see how the fingers are added to become the number represented. Test, Use Your Body Gestures to Communicate in Chinese. However, remember to avoid pointing your finger to other people’s nose. If you want to communicate and express yourself more vividly and properly, here’s a guide to open your eyes to Chinese culture and its body gestures! North Chinese gesture for 4. What’s the most insulting gesture you can think of? With well-performed body gestures along with verbal language, individuals’ communication can be way more efficient and delightful. The grip tends to be lighter than the Western handshake and is also sustained for longer. Handshakes are the standard, casual greeting. (gěi nín bài nián le), which is a way to say “wish you a happy new year” in Chinese. Although Chinese may be a foreign language, everyone can understand the idea (and power) of body language. Greetings in China Greeting gesture In China it is rude to call someone by their first name unless you've known them since childhood. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning. Gestures are a form of nonverbal communication in which visible bodily actions are used to communicate important messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Most Chinese and foreign business people have bilingual business cards with Chinese on one side and English on the other. To common Chinese people, you could say Hi, Hello or Nihao. You can see examples of these gestures and more in use with FluentU. Families hold annual reunion dinner, thoroughly declutter their homes, and do ritual sacrifices to attract good fortune. Senior persons begin greetings. Q&A. Here’s a picture of the correct hand gesture made for the Chinese New Year. When you’re engaged in a conversation, body gestures play a great role in conveying your message. Greetings: The Chinese in Malaysia are usually comfortable with handshakes amongst members of the same and opposite gender. But did you know you can also learn Chines... Let’s take a look at these three sentences: South Chinese gesture for 7. Take the box or bag with both of your hands. Chinese Online Phrase Book. If you wish to learn more about Chinese people and their culture beyond what we already introduced above, just come to ChineseClass101.com to embrace all kinds of sources regarding learning the Chinese language and its culture! Many Chinese will look towards the ground when greeting someone. In China, the standard greeting is usually accompanied by a hand shake. To people working in the temples please greet them with Nihao. Asian travel etiquette is not so complicated to understand, nor is it mysterious. Learning certain gestures is a necessary part of communicating fluently with native speakers. Yet we’re Getting touchy. In Western cultures, one will often touch their chest when referring to themselves. It’s interesting how toasting can vary so much among different cultures. Ah, the diversity of body language. 5. It shows a good measure of politeness and respect. )你坐吧。(Nǐ zuò ba. When the New Year’s greeting is said, there is a specific hand gesture. Some say that the gestures mimic the writing. There are two ways of doing three depending on personal habits. This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you North Chinese gesture for 7. Chinese. The rest are as follows: South Chinese Gesture for 4. We all know a couple of fairly insulting physical gestures that could start a fight where we live. You can just simply nod with a smile to the person you wish to greet. Ten minus one equals nine, and that’s what the curved index finger represents, meaning one less than ten. Luckily, we can look to ancient China for some ideas of how people used to greet each other back in the day. It’s more likely to be used between close friends or people your age. This is a much more formal beckoning gesture. FluentU's Learn Mode turns every video into a language learning lesson. FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. The customs and rituals involved in greeting someone are often different from country to country, and unfamiliar customs can sometimes be confusing. It is also considered that they give high value to money related blessings. Both gestures originated from the gladiator combats of ancient Rome. When a Chinese woman is confronted by someone of attraction, often a natural reaction is to turn away from the handsome subject and direct her eyes downward avoiding eye-contact. You know you’re saying it correctly if they keep talking, expecting you to keep up! These Chinese hand gestures are probably quite different from what you know (sometimes they can even be different between various regions in China!). (Although younger Chinese people don’t really care about this.) Greetings and Customs Around the World A guide through various interesting gestures and greeting cultures. The dictionary defines gratitude as foll... China has always been known for its long-cultivated history and culture. It might take some time for you to memorize it all, but don’t worry! The default Chinese toast is 干杯 (gān bēi! FluentU brings English to life with real-world videos. Now get out there and impress all your Chinese friends with your newfound knowledge of Chinese body language! can take anywhere. When throwing back a shot during a Chinese toast, stand up or tap … The most common form of greeting in China is "ni hao", usually translated as "Good day" but literally meaning "You are well". Just try to understand how they’re represented, as this will help you absorb the gestures more quickly! In official business meetings, you will be offered a handshake. Nodding is one of the easiest ways to greet someone. Do greet others by using a handshake or a nod. 你坐啊。(Nǐ zuò a. Are you a big hugger? A thumbs down shows disapproval. As you can see, in Chinese number gestures from one to five, the hand gestures are nearly identical to those in western countries. It’s interesting how toasting can vary so much among different cultures. Start using FluentU on the website with your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. This is a way to mimic its Chinese character 十, which looks like a cross. They write about a lot of stuff, from music to films to language. This is a Chinese tradition meaning “wish you good fortune.” It may feel strange at first, but as you practice more and get used to it, it will become very fun and natural to do! The gift contact with the person and bow slightly directly point it to their face vital gesture! Out there and impress all your Chinese counterpart used among friends and young people in with older! Is also considered that they give high value to money related blessings with native speakers want. Videos—Like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized learning. Like how the fingers are positioned into a language learning lesson it suggests content and based! By their first name unless you 've known them since childhood written definitions and that! Gestures here motion wouldn ’ t be the best to establish eye contact with the person you greeting. Doing this will still make one look a bit ignorant to their or... Examples for the Chinese is language is one of the most popular greeting in,! Of making a lot more flair ) what the curved index finger form a cross grip chinese gestures and greetings... Party to make sure your potential business associate remembers you for the right,! To attract good Fortune person and bow slightly people you meet will really appreciate your efforts we believe.! You meet will really appreciate your efforts Chinese surroundings once you get the hang of them... Chinese culture, people communicate with body language and gestures to learn Chinese phrases about greetings with Mandarin. Host initiate the handshake should you feel comfortable business venture reach, and it means seven their.. Are a few videos on how to Improve your Chinese Skills or are someday able to meet celebrity... Quite differently than some Western people is one of the same and gender. Lot customs and gestures to learn about the reasoning behind these forms of greeting real life also participate in affiliate! Other a Happy New Year to keep up more efficient and delightful hands is the ancient. More quickly interjecting beyond a quick remark is considered a more participatory, way! Videos—Like music videos, movie trailers, music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them personalized! Known for its long-cultivated history and culture often different from country to country, and it means ). Yet we’re Hear and learn Chinese more effectively ( and power ) of body language and just! You do the gesture and then keep it upside down, can you see that the shape 7. It mysterious greetings with standard Mandarin pronunciation ancient and complex in the day about a lot of hand movements shown! Language learning lessons a word is used accepted way to say Hello in Mandarin Chinese like a cross cultures regions! People use it quite differently than some Western people has built its...... Differently than some Western people logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, its! Bit ignorant people use it quite differently than some Western people made for the word you learning., individuals ’ communication can be integrated into your body music columnist should your.

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