Table manners&greeting&addressing people

1.TablemannersinChina2.Greetingpeople3.AddressingpeopleGoodmannersaregoodbusiness礼仪周到，生意兴隆。Ifthematwerenotlaidinarightposition,hewouldnotsitonit.席不正，不坐。——ConfuciusWhendrinkingwithfellowvillagers，ConfuciuswouldleavethetableOnlyafterthecane-carryingoldpeoplehadleft．乡人饮酒，杖者出，斯出矣。——ConfuciusRuleofthumbforeatingis“WheninRomedoastheRomansdo．”Thismeanspayingattentiontowhatothersaroundyouaredoingandgowiththeflow．“入国问禁，随乡就俗”。SeatingTablewareFoodDiningLeavingbanquetPayforbillSeatingPeople’sdiningpositionreflectsthemostobviousetiquetteinChinesetablemanner.Thefirst-classseatisusuallyintheinteriorofaroomwhichfacingtothedoor.Generallyspeakingthehostusuallysitsonthefirst-classseatbutifthereisaguest,thehostwillofferthefirst-classseattotheguestfriendlly.Eventhoughitisanordinaryhomedinner,peopleshouldstartitfollowingtheirelder.中国古代，北方为上（易经中的乾位），东面是古人崇拜的太阳升起的地方，在北之左，“吉事尚左”，“君子居则贵左”(《老子》)，仅比上首次之。西在北之右，“用兵者贵右”〔《老子》)，是将军座、凯旋座，再次之。(国际交往遵循“右尊左卑”的惯例)《礼记·曲礼》载：“虚坐尽后，食坐尽前。”意思是说，要坐得比尊者和长者靠后一些，以示谦恭；吃饭时则要尽量坐得靠前一些，以免不慎掉落饭菜，弄脏了座席。TablewareDifferentfromthewestcooking,Chinesefoodisusuallycutintoproperpieceswhencooking,soyoudon’thavetousefolksorknivestoeatthem.Asaresultthus,you’llusedifferenttablewareenjoyingChinesefoods.TablesettingChopsticksTablesettingChopsticksChopsticksisthemaintoolforeatingTipsforusingchopsticksTokeepchopsticksoffthetable,theycanberestedhorizontallyonone'splateorbowl;achopstickrest(usuallyfoundinrestaurants)canalsobeused.Itisrudetocrossthem.Neverpointthechopsticksatanotherperson.Thismeansinsultingtothatperson.Neversuckthechopsticks.TipsforusingchopsticksNeverbangchopstickslikeusingdrumsticks.Ittransmitsamessagethatyouareabeggar.Decidewhattopickupbeforereachingthedish,insteadofhoveringthemoverorrummagingthroughthedishes.Neverstickchopsticksverticallyintoabowlofrice,asthisresemblesincensesticksusedattemplestomournoverthedead.Itwillbeconsideredaultimatedinnertablefauxpas.ThemaindifferenceofeatinghabitsbetweenChineseandthewestcountryisthatinChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeverybodycansharewhileinWesteveryonehastheirownportion.FoodAtypicalChinesemealconsistsof:（AccordingtotheServingorder）Colddishes(冷盘)Maincourses(主菜)Soup（汤）Thestarchy“stape”food(主食)Snackanddessert(甜点)Fruit(水果)FoodEventhereisnoofficial“tablemanners’inchina,whilethereis“eatingbehavior”.Oncethereis“eatingbehavior”,theremustbesomeeatingmannersuptostandard.HerearesomecharacteristicsonChineseeating:a.Themealmayonlybeginoncethehostandallhisguestsareseated.Thehostshouldactivelytakecareofallhisguests,invitingthemtoenjoythemeal.b.Exceptsoup,alldishesshouldbeeatenwithchopsticks.c.Chineseliketotalkloudlyduringthedinnerwhichisdifferentfromthewest,talkingwithafullmouthisusuallyallowedthoughsomepeoplethinkitisimpolitely.d.Besides,whenyouareeatingordrinkingdonotmakesomevoice.It’sbettertoputthebowlsandplatesquietly。e.Wheneatingfoodthatcontainsbones,itiscustomarythatthebonesshouldbespattedoutinthediningplatewithinaneatpile.Spittingthemontothefloorisalmostneveraccepted.DiningmannersDiningmannersAformalChinesedinningisalwaysaccompaniedbytea,beerordistilledspirit.DrinksplaysanimportantroleinChinesedietaryculture.Drinks(饮品)Pouring（倒酒）Toast（敬酒）DrinksUsually,bothharddrink（酒类）andbeverage（饮料）areservedthroughoutthemeal.Itiscustomaryforthehosttoinsistthatguestsdrinktoshowfriendship.Iftheguestsprefersnottodrink,theymaysay,I'munabletodrink,butthankyou.“Thehostmaycontinuetoinsistthattheguestsdrink,andtheguestsmaylikewisecontinuetoinsistuponbeingunabletodrink.Thehost'sinsistenceistoshowgenerosity.Therefore,theguests’refusalmustbeverypoliteandskillful.“三饭，主人延客食胾(Zi)，然后辨殽(Xiao)。”(《礼记·曲礼》)所谓“三饭”，是指客人吃几碗饭后便推辞说饱了，这时，主人一般会热情地劝说客人，再吃点儿，客人就需要再吃肉、喝汤。DrinksCommonharddrinksindinner:whitespiritsWineBeerPouringThehostshouldpourfortheguestsandalwaysmakesureeveryone’scupsarenotemptyforlongtoshowhospitality.Thehostshouldpourforothersfromtheseniorandsuperiortothejuniorandinferior.Andwhenotherpeoplefillyourcuporglass,youshouldexpressyourthanks.Butifyoudon’twanttodrinkanymore,youcouldsay“haohaohao”or“goulegoule”tostoppouring.Guestscannotpourforthemselves。ToastAtoasttoothersisacharacteristicinChinesedinning.Whenallpeoplesitdownandallcupsarefilled,thehostshouldtoastothersfirst,togetherwithsomesimpleprologuetoletthedinningstart.Duringthediningafterthesenior'stoast,youcantoastanyonefromsuperiortoinferiorattheirconvenience.Whensomeonetoastsyou,youshouldimmediatelystopeatinganddrinkingtoacceptandtoastinresponse.Ifyouarefarfromsomeoneyouwanttotoast,thenyoucanuseyourcuporglasstoraponthetabletoattractattentionratherthanraiseyourvoice.However,itisimpolitetourgeotherstodrink《礼记·曲礼》所谓的“侍饮于长者，酒进则起，拜受于尊所。长者辞，少者反席而饮。长者举未釂，少者不敢饮。长者赐，少者、贱者不敢辞”。陪长者喝酒，要站起来走到长者跟前，长者劝止，再返回自己座位饮酒。若席间的长者没有举杯，其他人不能先饮酒；对于长者的敬酒，辈分低的人不能推辞不饮。LeavebanquetConventionally,ifyouareinvitedtoaformalbanquet,allthedishesshouldnotbeeatenupcompletely,oryouwillgivethehosttheimpressionthathehasnotprovidedagoodbanquetsandthefoodwasinsufficient.Afterdining,guestsshouldleaveoncethehosthasleftthetable“乡人饮酒，杖者出，斯出矣。”孔子和本乡人一道喝酒，喝完之后，一定要等老年人先出去，然后自己才出去。PayforbillPeople