How do Chinese people talk to each other?

Indirect Communication: As an extension of the need to maintain harmonious relations, the Chinese rely heavily on indirect communication. They rely less on words and are more attentive to posture, expression and tone of voice to draw meaning. Their speech is often ambiguous, and they may understate their point.

How do you know if Chinese people are talking about you?

Eye movements, hand gestures, whispering and muffled laughs may all indicate that you’re being talked about. But without knowing the exact content of the discussion, there is really no reason to act on it. Most Chinese people are just curious about foreigners and won’t be saying anything malicious.

Why do Chinese people repeat themselves so much?

Repeating them makes it easier for others to hear and understand. This has become a habit that even when they are learning English, Chinese people tend to apply the same habit into another language.

How do Chinese communicate non verbally?

Nonverbal communication includes facial expression, eye contact, gestures, and tone of voice. The Chinese greatly advocate for peace and collectiveness, and they rely on tonal voice, facial expression, and posture to know how the person is feeling.

Why do Chinese double words?

In Chinese, it is a common practice to double-up one of the syllables in a person’s given name and use that to address a person as an affectionate nickname.

How important is mother tongue?

Mother tongue is the language that a child gets to hear after birth and helps give a definite shape to our feelings and thoughts. Learning in the mother tongue is also crucial for improving other critical thinking skills, second language learning, and literacy skills.

What to talk about with locals in China?

If you don’t know what to talk about with locals, start by asking questions or sharing your Chinese perspectives. If you are uncomfortable in a group of people, invite individuals to have lunch or study together.

What should I expect from a Chinese conversation?

Expect honest opinions from the Chinese people you meet. We always hear that Asian rhetoric styles are very circular. Meaning, conversations will often circle around a point before finally arriving at it. This can be true when talking about how people approach delicate topics, but shouldn’t be taken as a general rule.

What are some examples of Chinese dialects that are not mutually intelligible?

The most prominent example is probably Cantonese and Mandarin, which are both considered Chinese but are completely unintelligible to each other. It is also worth noting that accents also arise within dialects, due to regional differences in the sphere of a dialect’s use.

How many people speak Chinese in the world?

Mandarin Chinese alone is the most widely spoken native language in the world: nearly a billion within China alone and 1.2 billion worldwide—a few hundred million people more than the next most widespread languages, Spanish and English.