Greetings

Check out these youtubes to help your learoning of Chinese culture

Video: How to Greet the Chinese

Video: Basic Chinese Greetings Lesson

 

GENERAL

It is important for Westerners to know how to properly greet Chinese businesspeople and government officials. Generally, the Chinese shake hands upon greeting a person. They do not bow as is common in Japanese culture. Westerners should avoid appearing culturally insensitive and should never bow when meeting a Chinese person.

Chinese people prefer to be introduced by a mutual acquaintance rather than to introduce oneself. However in modern China, especially among the younger generation, it is quite acceptable to introduce yourself if there is no one to introduce you. When being introduced, you may state your name, business organization, and country of origin. It is also important to stand during the course of any introduction and present your business card. When addressing someone, it is best to use his/her title and to learn how to pronounce Chinese names correctly.

The most common Chinese greeting is “Ni hao” (pronounced “Nee How”), which means “Hello”. Phrased in the form of a question, “Ni hao ma?” means “How are you?” However, when greeting any person of high status, you should greet him/her by saying, “Nin hao” or “Nin hao ma?” This is a more polite and respectful version of the “Ni hao” greeting similar to the use of the “usted” verb-form in Spanish.