واحدة فرق كبيرة بين مجتمعة صينيّة ومجتمعة غربيّة المفهوم الفردانيّة. بينما خارجا غربا, نحن يكون شجّعت أن يكون نا خاصّة شخص, ويطوّر نا خاصّة طرق من يفكّر, ليس هذا مفهوم بما أنّ ينطق في ثقافة صينيّة, أيّ ملت نحو مبادئ [كنفوسن]. أسّست يختبر في مدارس عادة حول امتحان مع فقط وحيدة, يصحّ جوابة ل كلّ سؤال. كيف طالبات أجرة في هذا إختبارات يميل أن يأمر ما قاعة الدرس هم أمكن كنت وضعت داخل, ما مستوى المدرسة هم يستطيع حضرت ومن المحتمل ما أشغال أمكن كنت يتوفّر ل هم عندما يتخرّج هم. [أس ا رسولت], يميل والد أن يشجّع أطفالهم أن يفوق في مواضيع أنّ يتطلّب أكثر خطيّة يفكّر, [أس وبّوسد تو] أحد أنّ يتطلّب إبداع.

حكمت تفاعلات بين الناس غالبا ب ال علاقة أنّ يعيّنهم. تبع تفاعل بين رئيس وموظفته يعيّن مبادئ, بما أنّ أراد واحدة بين أب وإبنة, زوج وزوجة أو اثنان صديقات. وضع وافقت إلى شيخات أو أنّ مع سلطة. واحدة يستطيع احتدّت وضعهم من خلال إخلاص ويعطي وجه حيث مناسبة. بينما ثقافة غربيّة أمكن كافأت نوعيات مثل إبداع, إبتداع وإعتداء, يروّج مجتمعة صينيّة بدلا من ذلك تواضع, إخلاص وتوفيق.

الافتقار الفردانيّة يستطيع أيضا كنت أسّست في النزعة لالناس صينيّة أن يحافظ تعبيراتهم إلى بنفسي ولا [ب] عاطفيّة في حالات عامّة. هذا سمة أنّ يكون علمت من عندما أطفال شابّة, أيّ يكون لما هم غالبا يجدون جديد في الطبيعة تعبيريّة أجنبيات. الناس شجّعت أن يحافظ هم آراء وتعبيرات إلى بنفسي ولا [ب] أيضا علنيّة. عندما تناقشت أوامر يكون في اجتماعات, قرارات عادة جعلت بتوافق الآراء, أيّ يضطرّ يتبع [أفتروردس], [رغردلسّ وف] ما إذا إعتقاد شخصيّة يختلف.

استعملت فردات في الصين أيضا إلى يدير مع كثير أقلّ فراغ شخصيّة. كثير من هذا نتيجة مباشرة من يعيش في جدّا يؤهّل مناطق, [أس ولّ س] داخل مناخ استوائيّة. أبواب يميلون أن يكون تركت مفتوحة, حتّى أثناء أصناف أو اجتماعات مهمّة. عندما يقف في خطّ, توقّعت أنت أن يميل [ريغت وب تو] الشخص أمام أنت أن يبقي موقعتك. عندما يركن عربة, كثير تركت ثغر صغيرة بين عربات من أنت أمكن رأيت خارجا غربا. As it is common for multiple generations of family members to live together, there is also much more closeness and interest in each others’ affairs. Neighbors tend to be a lot more “nosier” so expect a keen interest from others on where you happen to be going and coming from each day. Some of this lack of privacy is a direct result of strict government controls in mainland China. Everyone from security personnel and service attendants to the general public is taught to keep an eye out for suspicious activity and report it to the relevant authorities.

While Chinese society is certainly a lot more open in present day than it was in the past, a lot of these characteristics have ingrained themselves as part of culture. The increase in the numbers of foreign companies now operating in China has created more exposure among local Chinese to foreign methods and ways of thinking. However, those wanting to better integrate themselves into Chinese society can do well by understanding the roots and appreciating the values that govern people today.

While we’ve talked about names in Chinese before, it is important to know how to address people using the proper titles. While Westerners can generally be forgiving for not knowing the local customs, those that are able to follow the proper conventions correctly can receive a big edge when developing relationships.

Unlike English, the Chinese equivalents to “Mr” and “Mrs” - xiānshēng and tàitai follow the person’s last name. These two terms can also be used to refer to one’s husband and wife respectively. In Southern parts of China and Taiwan, these terms can also be used to address service people such as waiters, clerks and taxi drivers. In Northern parts of China, the term shīfu meaning “specialist” is used instead.

Where possible, it is advisable to find the person’s position and use it instead. Addressing someone as Wáng lǎoshī for “Teacher Wang” or Lǐ jīnglǐ for “Manager Li” shows them a lot more respect than a standard “Mr” or “Mrs.” It is also common practice to refer to someone with a definite position in the third person, using just their title and nothing else. If you’re shopping for goods, and are hoping for a good deal from the shop owner, referring to him as lǎobǎn for “boss” may gain you some favors.

Family relationship titles can be quite complicated. Traditionally, it was common for several generations of family members to live together, which meant it was important to accurately address each other. Family members are addressed differently based on whether they are older or younger than you, as well as whether the relationship is a paternal or maternal one. Close friends can also address each other as if they were in the same family. So a friend might refer to another friend as his older brother. This can also extend to a close friend’s family - where you address his relatives as if they were your own. This is similar to Western culture where a couple might affectionately be called Auntie and Uncle by younger generations.

Nicknames are also quite popular in Chinese culture. Two brothers surnamed Chén might be identified among friends as Lǎo Chén and Xiǎo Chén to indicate “younger Chen” and “older Chen” respectively. While in Western culture, it may be considered rude to directly refer to someone as old, in Chinese culture it is considered a sign of respect and refers more to the person’s wisdom and maturity than to their specific age.

While these rules about relationships may seem confusing on the outside, the best way to prepare yourself from uneasy situations is to observe others in action, and see what terms they use to address each other. To ensure that you use the right titles, it is also advisable to ask the opinions of others to make sure that you use the appropriate term.