China is a country whose people value etiquette highly. And with the further cultural integration, people gradually show more and more interest in Western etiquette.
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So today, let's talk about how to address people correctly!
With strangers
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FijxkpTszCq_m-s0weSBTPDajabq.gif?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/format/gif)
When talking to a stranger, if you address him or her in a wrong way at the beginning, it could not only make the other person embarrassed, but might also cause misunderstanding.
Titles in English
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Different titles are available for different occasions. If you want to make a polite first impression on strangers, be sure to choose the right one!
With ladies
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FreKVCQTf5c0rjwoeI0tePHjmvPe.jpg?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/interlace/1/format/jpg)
- Miss+complete name (Miss Sarah Jones) for an unmarried woman
- Miss without a name when speaking to a woman in the public space (pedestrian, waiters, clerks, salesperson in a store…)
- Ms. / Ms.+surname for a woman when marital status isn't important or when it is unknown
- Mrs. for a woman who is officially married (this is also the preferred method for addressing a widow). This is not to be used in business (use Ms. instead)
- Ma'm (American English) when speaking to a woman who is older than you
With men
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FpRc0fDnMfzhiuR1mR5jeTfZkEmo.png?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/format/png)
- Mr.+surname only or complete name for both married and unmarried men. Mr.+surname when speaking to a man over the phone.
- Sir in place of a name when generally speaking to a man. Do not use Mister alone, instead of sir.
Other special titles
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In China, people are used to address others directly by their position, such as Director Zhang, Principal Li and so on. In the West, people rarely do that.
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Except for the following: if the woman/man that you will talk with has a superior academic degree (for example Doctor, Professor…), use it instead.
Titles in French
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- Use Madame (or Mme in a written form) when addressing a married woman, or a woman who is of a certain age
- Use Mademoiselle (or Mlle in a written form) when addressing an unmarried woman, or a young lady
- Use Monsieur (or M. in a written form) when addressing a man
Conversing with strangers
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Choosing the right title is a good start. Now, to have an excellent communication experience, you also need to know how to choose safe and interesting discussion topics.
Safe topics
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- Food and wine culture
- Environment
- Pop culture topics
- Literature, cinema, museums
- TV shows or movies
Taboo topics
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FissKztwMgnxenZEYV2lMLFtu-Y0.jpg?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/interlace/1/format/jpg)
Family members
When it comes to communicating with family members, there are fewer and more casual rules in the West than in China.
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FiowHhTYQjQX8KvG8Bv7jkde7nta.jpg?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/interlace/1/format/jpg)
To address cousins, there are 8 special titles in Chinese culture, while in English world there is only one term in general, "cousin", and there is seldom distinction of age and gender.
![broken image](http://user-assets.sxlcdn.com/images/565184/FnvXReWQ8VSTYFlC7Zk60cDOOCxj.jpg?imageMogr2/strip/auto-orient/thumbnail/1200x9000>/quality/90!/interlace/1/format/jpg)
Under the globalization, having a deeper understanding of various social etiquettes can help us better adapt to the rapid changes in this world!
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Founded in 2018 by Matthieu Ventelon, Hedonia is the first institution in China combining professional Wine and Etiquette expertise in the same training offer.
Find more information on our website : http://en.hedonia.cn