Table manners in different country

Fanyu Wei

In the modern social life, with the improvement of people’s living standard and different countries promotion of friendship, people from all over the world have more and more opportunity to communicate and contact with other country’s people. You know the common majority of communication forms are having the meal with each other, through the dinner time, you can talk or do something you want. Knowing the table manner is becoming a crucial point if you take the food with the foreigner people. If you do not pay attention to the etiquette of dinner, it is easily for you to offend others accidentally. I am going to tell some table manners in different countries, like which kind of things you need to do or something you must not to do. I hope it is useful for you.

Firstly, I want to analyze Japanese table manners in different ways. In Japan, if you attend the dinner which you need to have a drink, you need drink in a toast to wait a minute before drinking. Also, there will be a person help you to pour, and some people will say a few word to take the lead, and then toast and said “cheers”; Maybe you have already experienced that, if you go to a Japanese restaurant, the waiter or waitress will give you a piece of moist wet tissue, before you eat, it is better for you to use this tissue to clean your hand, and fold it on the table side carefully. You are not allowed to use this tissue as napkins to wash your mouse, and also, you cannot use it to wipe your face. The last point is my favorite point in Japan, because it is interesting, that is if you make noise, like “tut” when you are eating noodles or drink the soup, it is an expression to tell the chef or the people who make the noodles you eat very fragrant, it tastes very good, the louder the better. Slurping shows your appreciation of the food to the chef! I remembered, last year I went to Japan and ordered a ramen in the restaurant, the ramen tastes very good and I really enjoy the meal, so I eat the food loudly, the chef looks very happy.

Secondly, I am going to talk about the table manners in China. If you are in a dinner party, like the family party or company party. It is not allowed and rude for young people to move the chopsticks to eat before the older people. You need wait until the older people eat first.  This means it is a kind of respect to them. At the same time, when you toast with the old people or the leadership, the toast position requirements for you is stand up and make a bow, also, at the same time, you need use both of your hand to toast, and your own wine glass must under(lower) the leader or the older people’s wine glass. It is a traditional in China. Next point it is rude if you do not eat all of the food what you are given by the owners, because if you do not eat all of that, the owner will think you are not satisfied with the meal, it is a way of unrespect. Last point of Chinese table manner is the most important manner, that is do not stab your chopsticks into your bowl of rice!!! If you do that, some traditional people will get mad and crazy about of it. What will you image if you put the chopsticks in the rice?  Do you think put the chopsticks in the rice looks like burn joss sticks to the death people? It is really impolite, don’t do that!!!!!Not only for China, but also includes many Asian countries.

Thirdly, I am going to talk the manners about France, For the first point in France, do not split the bill, if you do that the people will think you are stingy and will get confused of you. It is better for you to pay all of the bill or if you do not want to pay, others will offer to pay the bill. Please remember do not split the bill.  Another point is if you need delay the date with others, it can be forgiven to let others wait for you for 15 minutes. It is impolite if you let others wait for you for more than 15 minutes long. Second point is that not like America and China, you can eat the bread directly by hand, in France, you must use the folk or knives. Bread it not the appetizer in France, bread is the tool that helps you get the food onto the folk. Also, bread can only be put on the table cloth, most of the people will not put the bread on the dish.

In conclusion, in the daily life, table manners are existing in anywhere, in addition to the daily life, it also happens in the business etiquette and working position, it is usually that the people always sign the contract during the dinner time. As far as I am concerned, eating is not only the physiological needs, it is also important in the social experiences. Understand the different country’s table manners can help you to prevent to offend others, this is definitely a necessary to study. Learning how to do as the Romans do, this is important for you to learn. The reason why I choose table dinner to talk about is because for me, if I want to date with someone, the first choice for me is to have the meal. I think communication occasions is to have the meal, not see the movie or so on.