How to greet foreigners when traveling?

It is natural to meet and greet each other in European and American countries, even if you don’t know each other. The purpose of saying hello is not to have further contact with you, it is just a form of daily etiquette. In fact, no matter who you are, if you smile and say hello to someone, you will be infected. Just like your mood improves when you see the sun, you will naturally say hello and respond. Therefore, when traveling in Western countries, if the oncoming person says hello to us, don’t show a puzzled expression or even ignore it! That's very rude.

How to say hello?

When the other party says "How do you do?" to you, it means "Hello". There is no need to follow the textbook instructions and say "Fine, Thank you. And you?" unless it is for your benefit. Friend, or you have more time to chat with him, otherwise just reply "How do you do?" in the same way. If you are afraid that your English is not good, at least smile and nod. Sometimes they will say "Hello!", which is actually equivalent to our "Hi". This is a way of dealing with peers or friends, and is not suitable for elders or people with higher status. In addition, they will also greet "Good morning", "Good afternoon" or "Good evening", the same greeting is enough.

How to eat?

Chinese people tend to eat casually. They are likely to laugh loudly when they are happy, or they may treat the restaurant as if it were their own home and let their children run around. This is quite inappropriate in Western countries. Oh! Especially if we are eating in a Western restaurant instead of a Chinese restaurant, we must pay attention to table etiquette. Napkins should be placed on your lap, not pinned to your collar, and you should not use napkins to wipe the table or cutlery! When using a knife and fork, there is no taboo against talking with the fork, because in foreign countries, putting down the tableware means that you have finished eating and are ready to ask the waiter to take it away. Of course, the exception is when you're trying to show off your hands. After all, it's not safe to wield a knife and fork!

It is basic courtesy to be quiet when enjoying food. For example, you should not make any noise when drinking soup or chewing food. The sound of hiccups will especially make people look at you. If you hiccup and make a sound, you should tell your tablemate People say "Excuse me" to express their apology. Never stuff your mouth full of food, eat slowly one bite at a time. When expressing opinions, you should wait until the food is completely swallowed before speaking. Do not chew and speak at the same time. If there are fish bones or bones, you should try to pick them out or cut them off with a knife and fork before putting them in your mouth. It is not suitable to chew them and then spit them out. If you have to do this, it is best to do it quietly and slightly. It's better to cover it with a napkin.

Mr. Lingling talked about some basic Western etiquette. In fact, the most basic thing is the daily life and upbringing of parents. If you often remind your children to abide by polite rules and let them know how to regulate themselves and respect others, I believe they will quickly adapt to different etiquette when traveling abroad! China has been a country of etiquette since ancient times, and Western etiquette has many similarities with our country. In the current form of frequent international exchanges, whether you are receiving foreign guests at home or traveling abroad, whether you are going to study abroad or work abroad, it is necessary to learn Western etiquette.

Etiquette has two aspects: one is to care about the needs and emotions of others from the heart; the other is to show it in a certain way of behavior, from which people can usually judge the status of our family upbringing. The essence of etiquette is to consider others at all times, which means to implement the golden rule: treat others how you want others to treat you. The point of being considerate of others is to dress and behave in a way that is as pleasing as possible. When you see people who are elegantly dressed and polite, you will feel that daily life adds a lot of fun. On the contrary, if you see someone with disheveled clothes and poor etiquette, you will have an obvious feeling of missing something and feel uncomfortable and troubled.

Chinese etiquette is sometimes very different from Western etiquette. If you want to get along harmoniously with Westerners, it is very important to understand Western etiquette.

The simplest greeting is to say "good morning", "good afternoon", or "good evening". This greeting can be used with people you don't know well or anyone you pass by in a hurry.

If you are not in a hurry, you can say "hello" to people you don't know, and the person who answers you should also say "hello".

When you meet someone for the first time, you usually shake hands. In addition, when long-lost friends meet, they usually shake hands. However, it's okay not to shake hands when you meet. It's also very polite to bow slightly.

If someone wants to shake your hand, of course you have to shake theirs - it is extremely rude to refuse a handshake. Usually the older person or the woman reaches out first.

It is also often appropriate to address people by their first names when you greet them. You can say; "Good morning, Mr. Moncrief" or "Hello, Franklin."

Some greetings are etiquette in China but not in the West.

If you greet a Westerner and say "Where are you going?" or "Where have you been?" he will think that you are inquiring about his personal affairs, which is too much. Sorry.

And if you say: "Have you had your dinner?" (Have you had your dinner?), he may think that you want to invite him to dine with you. Therefore, when getting along with Westerners, you'd better use the usual Western greetings.

When you are invited, you must respond immediately and clearly state whether you can accept the invitation. If the person invites you verbally during a conversation or during a casual encounter, you should answer immediately if you can go. If you can't answer at that time, you can say, "I'll tell you tonight, okay?" " or something like that. But whether it is a verbal invitation or a written invitation, you should give a clear answer.

Generally speaking, the polite way to express that you really cannot accept an invitation is to say that you cannot but refuse it. Reason. Just saying "I can't go" or "I won't go" is not polite. Just saying "thank you" is not enough. It will only make people confused and wonder whether you accept it. Invite or decline the invitation.

If you accept the invitation and are suddenly unable to attend the appointment, you should tell the person the real reason why you cannot go. It is extremely rude to accept the invitation but not attend the appointment.

After experiencing the historical evolution of eating habits, when we all sit around the dining table covered with snow-white tablecloths and decorated with shiny knives and forks, eating has evolved from just the need to satisfy hunger. It has become a pleasant and complex social custom. Today, when you are invited to a dinner, you should probably be more interested in the people at the table and the conversation at the table than in the actual meal. There may be less noise and less movement.

As soon as the hostess picks up the napkin, you can also pick up your napkin and put it on your lap. Sometimes there is a small bun wrapped in the napkin; In that case, take it out and put it on a small plate next to it.

In the West, it is impolite for several people to walk side by side. Others walk or waste other people's time.

Except for a few Western stores, the prices of products are clearly marked and there is no habit of bargaining. The shop assistants are very polite and try their best to find satisfactory products for customers. You must be very polite. If after looking at several items, you don't want to buy any of them, the customer can say: "I'm afraid these are not what I need. I'm sorry to trouble you. Thank you." "

"Thank you" is a word that is used much more frequently in the West than in China. Anyone who does something for you, no matter how small it is, or who he is Whether you are your boss or a servant, you should say: "Thank you."

After you finish speaking, never say thank you to the audience. Or "Thank you for listening to me", etc. When you finish speaking, it is enough to bow slightly, there is no need to say anything more.

When you pass something to others or do something small for others. When others thank you, you don't have to say anything, just smile or nod.