Generally speaking, Americans are famous for their informality and freedom. Greeting strangers doesn't necessarily mean wanting to be friends with you; A pleasant conversation doesn't necessarily turn into a bosom friend, only take the initiative to contact and respond with a happy mood. Shake hands only on formal occasions, smile at each other when meeting in general occasions and say "hi!" Or "Hello!" It is the meeting etiquette.
it's easy to introduce each other when we meet for the first time. The general principle is to introduce humble people to respect, guests to hosts, young people to elders, subordinates to superiors and ladies to men. After introduction, the handshake should be short and strong. Americans think that a strong handshake represents sincerity and frankness. In official occasions, American women will take the initiative to reach out (not necessarily in other occasions), and women will reach out first before men can shake hands with women (women generally don't shake hands with each other). If the lady doesn't want to shake hands, the man nods or bows. Don't shake hands with a lady too tightly. You should take off your gloves before shaking hands, and apologize if you can't take them off too late. Close relatives and friends can kiss each other on the cheek, and men kiss women on the cheek. Americans respond in the same way to other people's handshakes, hugs, hand kisses, attention and nodding. You don't have to shake hands when you say goodbye. Wave and say "Goodbye!" Just do it.
In the United States, people call each other by their first names. Generally speaking, they don't use "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss" or formal titles. Only address titles to judges, doctors, senior officials, professors and senior clergy. Generally, position is not used as a title. Don't use the word "old" when addressing the elderly.
Don't ask about age, family status, marital status, religious belief, economic income and other private life when talking. Greet each other without asking where to go or what to do. Polite expressions are emphasized in public occasions, and "please", "thank you" and "sorry" are also commonly used in families. The conversation distance must be kept above 5 cm. When you have to sit close to others, you should ask their permission. Don't talk too loudly, don't laugh, and don't quarrel loudly. Don't stick out your tongue when you are surprised. The United States talks and signals that it likes to use gestures. Ask someone to answer the phone and use the gesture of answering the phone; Ask the waiter to pay the bill, and use the gesture of writing. I'm used to getting down to business after greeting, and I don't send tea or greet people. Americans don't regard giving each other business cards as a courtesy, but only give them to facilitate future contact. When you send a business card to others, you don't expect others to send it back.
Pay attention when talking: always smile. When you meet a friend you know, take the initiative to greet him. When others greet you, you should also greet him in return to show your concern. When you speak, your tone is sincere and generous. When people greet you, try to be concise. Praise each other more Eyes should be brighter. When the other person changes his hairstyle, look at other people's photos and praise them as much as possible. Bad ones can be appreciated from another angle, such as "cute". Don't forget to say "Excuse me", "Please" and "Thank You". Pay attention to your neat appearance: don't be sloppy, and the odor of your body or mouth, dandruff, etc. are very unpleasant.
2. Dating:
Americans are cheerful, generous and sociable. They usually sleep late and get up late, but they have a strong sense of time; Americans often say "come to see me at any time", and some invitations are quite sincere, but you should still call in advance to determine the time before visiting, so as not to cause inconvenience to others because of your "anytime". Appointments should be scheduled in advance and generally not late. If you receive a formal invitation, if "R.S.V.P" is printed on the invitation, you must call to inform you whether to go or not. Invitations to large-scale events are usually printed with Regrets only, at this time, you only need to inform if you don't attend. Informal private invitation, you can tell the time and place clearly by phone or letter. After receiving the invitation, I will return to Cambodia to thank you; Don't promise lightly if you don't keep the appointment; If you can't be invited, you should explain the reasons and apologize. If you can't keep the appointment temporarily, please call, and never leave people empty at will.
In the United States, male and female communication is relatively open, and dating, watching movies and eating are also very common. It is not impolite to have warm communication with the opposite sex. Both men and women can take the initiative to invite, usually men are more active. You can split the bill separately or treat one party. If an American friend says, "Let's go get a beer" or "Want a cup of coffee? Don't get me wrong, he is going to treat you. This situation is usually Dutch. If you are invited to a restaurant, you can propose to pay a tip after the meal. If the host insists on not allowing it, you don't have to be forced. Dating sometimes has no other meaning, and it doesn't mean that it will become a special partner. So, if you want to meet someone to talk, watch a movie or have dinner together, so as to enhance the friendship between the two sides and have a pleasant time, please take the initiative to invite them generously. If you don't want to go on a date with the other person or the other person does something that makes you uncomfortable, you can say "NO" politely but definitely. Mutual respect is the basic communication principle and power.
3. Be a guest at home:
Don't arrive early as a guest at home. If the host arrives early, it will be rude. You can be 5 to 1 minutes late, and you should call your host if you are more than 15 minutes late. The host who visits at night cannot wear pajamas to receive guests. When visiting relatives and friends, you should wipe the dirt off your shoes and take off your hat when you enter the door, and leave your wet raincoat and umbrella outdoors. When entering the door, you should greet the hostess first, and then the host. When there are many guests, you can just shake hands with the host and acquaintances, and just nod to others. We should talk more about topics of interest to everyone, not just about our own interests. When visiting, don't flip the owner's things, fiddle with the furnishings, or inquire about the price of the furnishings. To make a long-distance call in the host's house, you should ask the host for permission and leave the phone money, saying that it is to buy candy for the host's children. It is not advisable to stay long as a guest; If the host doesn't stay for dinner, the guests should leave before the meal time. Guests who can smoke should accept cigarettes offered by their hosts, not cigarettes brought by themselves. Americans attach importance to birthdays, especially children's birthdays. Guests invited to the birthday party should give gifts to congratulate them.
4. Dinner etiquette:
If you are invited to a family gathering, you can ask the host what gifts you need. Even if the host declines, you can still bring a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers or some small gifts with China flavor. If you have any dietary taboos, you can inform me first. Special cultural customs and dietary taboos can be understood and respected. Unless it is stated in advance, it is advisable to take no children to participate in general party activities. If the nature of the party is to spread meat, most families can participate.
It is more popular for Americans to entertain guests at home than in restaurants, because the atmosphere at home is more cordial and friendly. There are two kinds of family banquets. The first is family dining, where the host and guest sit at a rectangular table, and the host holds food for the guests, or the food is placed on a plate and passed on in turn. The second is buffet style, where the food is placed on another table in the restaurant, and the host and guest go to get it separately.
when invited to someone's home for dinner, both the host and the guest are very polite. The host will provide all kinds of tableware for special purposes, such as cold cuts, knives and forks, fish knives and forks, meat knives and forks, main course knives and forks, fruit knives and forks, food spoons, spoons, coffee spoons, etc. If guests don't know the special purpose of tableware, they can imitate the hostess. Napkins are spread on your knees, so you can't wipe the dishes with napkins. Sit upright and don't put your arms across the table. Only when the hostess starts, other people begin to eat; When the hostess leaves the seat, others can leave the seat, not halfway. Europeans eat with a knife in one hand and a fork in the other. Americans use only one hand to rotate the tableware and the other hand is on their knees. Pay attention to the order of using knives and forks and the nature of forks. The knife and fork are placed obliquely on the edge of the dish, indicating that they are still eating; If it is completely put on the plate, it means that it has been used up. Bread should be broken into small pieces to eat. Don't make any noise when eating soup and chewing, let alone sneeze, blow your nose, cough, burp and pick your teeth. The dregs can't be spit directly on the plate, but should be caught with a fork and put into the plate. Napkins are used to wipe your mouth, but never to wipe your hands or tableware. If the salt and pepper bottles are far away from the seat, you should not reach for them, but ask the other seat to deliver them for you. When dessert or coffee is served, the host can begin to make a speech, and the host and guest can also use this time to thank them. During the dinner, you should praise the dishes prepared by the hostess and try to finish the food on the plate.
talk to the host for a while after dinner, then leave, but don't stay long; You should thank your host for your hospitality when you leave. Those who are not familiar with the host should also call or send a short note as soon as possible afterwards to express their gratitude. If there are many guests, you should wait for the guests with senior positions to leave before you can leave. . Don't forget to send a thank-you card or letter to the host within three or four days after the banquet. If you stay at the host's house for the night, the thank-you card is usually sent to the hostess.
5. Giving gifts:
You don't have to bring gifts when you are visiting, and you can't give gifts alone when other guests don't give gifts. Gifts can be a bottle of wine, a bunch of flowers for the hostess, etc. Official gifts can be calendars, pens, hardcover diaries and other stationery. Generally, gifts are not given in public. Conference present will deliver it after the meeting, eg at a farewell party. Americans like gifts full of friendship. Gifts pay attention to packaging. Even gifts selected for relatives and friends should be accompanied by gift cards. The purpose of giving gifts should be clear, otherwise it will be puzzling. Cakes, snacks, chocolates, local handicrafts, books, etc. can all be used as gifts (in singular); Flowers should generally be sent when visiting patients; Do not give heavy gifts in official business to avoid bribery; Gifts can't have the logo of the gift-giving unit, otherwise there will be advertising revenue; Men should not casually send perfume, cosmetics and white roses to women (these are gifts for lovers). When receiving a gift, you should open the gift on the spot, thank you and praise the gift; You don't have to give it back immediately after receiving the gift. When invited to dinner, a sincere toast is the best gift. The best way to give gifts at ordinary times is to invite people to dinner, drink or go to the villa for the weekend. After receiving gifts, being invited to dinner and being helped, you should write a letter of thanks. In addition to agreeing who will treat you, we usually go to restaurants together and pay separately.
6. Clothing:
Americans dress casually and wear all kinds of clothes in public. I like to wear T-shirts, jackets, jeans, sweaters and sneakers most of the time. Dress neatly. Men's trousers can't show their underwear, and women's skirts can't show their petticoats. Skirts should cover the stockings, and women's shorts should not be matched with high heels, otherwise people will mistake them for girls. Painted eyebrows and thick lipstick are also signs of recruiting lang. No one can wear a vest or pajamas in public. Americans pursue individuality, temperament, grace and comfort, and take the lead in replacing brand-name clothing with simple and simple clothing in the West.
Pay attention to dress in formal social occasions, and there is a dress code at banquets. When attending an important meeting, you should pay attention to the dress code on the invitation. If you are not sure about the dress requirements, you can ask other participants first to avoid embarrassment. Just because some words like "casual" on the invitation doesn't mean you can wear jeans, and "semi-formal" doesn't mean you don't have to wear a tie. You'd better ask clearly. Suit jackets are usually buttoned up or not, but don't buckle them all. The bottom button of a vest is usually unbuttoned. A dark suit should have black leather shoes and dark socks, and white socks and black shoes should be avoided. On formal occasions or at work, women should wear skirts, while men should wear ties and dark suits. Dresses in evening dresses should be ankle-length and wear high heels.
7. Traveling by car:
Generally, the right is respected when traveling. Ladies should walk with them. Men should walk on the left, and women should push the door when entering and leaving. When taking a ride, the owner drives, the front seat is respected, and the rest is respected on the right side of the rear seat. When driving by yourself, you must open the door for the guests first, and then get on the bus and start after you sit down.
On public occasions, Americans pay special attention to women, and women are preferred everywhere. In social situations, men should be humble and considerate to women; When walking, men walk on the outside of the sidewalk; Let the woman sit down first when sitting down; When entering the door, the man should go first and open the door for the woman; Let women go first when going up and down stairs or taking the elevator; Ask the woman to order first when eating; Let the woman get up first when leaving; If a strange woman loses something, a man should also pick it up and return it; When greeting a lady, a man must stand up.