Five Things That Might Offend Your Chinese Date
You’ve finally landed a date with a Chinese girl, and you’re ready to impress her with your charm on a first date. But how do you make sure you make a good first impression? Well, one of the most important things is to avoid offending your Chinese date! And given that every culture is unique, here are five things that you should avoid doing on your first date with a Chinese woman:
Playing with your chopsticks
If you don’t feel comfortable using chopsticks, ask for a fork and spoon to eat your meal. In China, it’s considered bad luck to stick your chopsticks directly in your rice. It’s also disrespectful to play with your food. So, if you don’t fancy your chances of eating with chopsticks, it’s best to ask the waiter or waitress for some different cutlery before making a fool of yourself! You don’t want to start offending your Chinese date especially on the first date, that’s a red flag.
Asking about politics
To be honest, there’s no place for political conversations during a first date. The topic is incredibly divisive and won’t really help you find out more about your date. Equally, politics in China are not as open and transparent as they are in some western countries, which means that your date will probably feel uncomfortable with talking openly about her political views.
Talking about dog meat
It’s no secret that people in some parts of China and other Asian countries eat dog meat. Even if you’re completely against the practice, there’s no need to bring it up on your first date. Accept that it’s a part of Chinese culture and realize that she probably won’t order dog meat on your first date! If it ever comes up naturally in conversation later in your relationship, feel free to lay your opinions out on the table then. This will help you to score your second date if you avoid offending your Chinese date.
Touching her head
Touching a person’s head in most Asian countries is thought to be extremely rude. This is because, in Buddhist culture, the head is the most sacred part of the body. So, patting your Chinese girlfriend on the head or going into touching her hair without invitation is extremely invasive. On your first few dates, keep your hands to yourself.
Making fun of a family member
In many western cultures, there’s nothing wrong with making a light-hearted joke about your parents or siblings, providing it’s done in good taste. However, if you start making jokes about your family (or heaven forbid your date’s family), don’t expect it to go down well. Family is hugely important in Chinese culture, and your girlfriend will be deeply offended if you start making tasteless jokes that don’t translate as you intend.
There’s a lot to love about dating Chinese girls. So, to make sure you get things off on the right footing with your Chinese date, avoid the five potentially offensive things that we’ve introduced above.
