Business Chinese: Seating Arrangement Etiquette

商务座次礼仪 (shāngwù zuòcì lǐyí) Seating Arrangement Etiquette 　

At Chinese “宴会 (yànhuì) banquets,” the seating arrangement is probably the most important part of Chinese dining “礼仪 (lǐyí) etiquette,” especially in Chinese business banquets. Generally, round tables are used at Chinese banquets and the seat facing the entrance is the seat of honor. The seats on the left hand side of the seat of honor are second, fourth, sixth, etc. in importance, while those on the right are third, fifth, seventh and so on in importance. The seat of honor, “保留 (bǎoliú) reserved” for the master of the banquet or the “客人 (kèrén) guests” with highest status, is the one in the center facing east or facing the entrance. Those of higher position sit closer to the seat of honor. The guests of the lowest position sit furthest from the seat of honor.

生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary 

礼仪 (lǐyí) n etiquette 　

“礼 (lǐ)” means polite and “仪 (yí)” means ceremony.

Examples:

中国自古就是一个礼仪之邦。 　
Zhōngguó zìgǔ jiùshì yígè lǐyí zhī bāng.
China has always been a state of etiquettes.

代表们须按礼仪要求就座。 
Dàibiǎomen xū àn lǐyí yāoqiú jiùzuò.
The delegates have to be seated according to the proper etiquettes.

宴会 (yànhuì): n banquet  　

客人 (kèrén): n guest  

保留 (bǎoliú): v to reserve 

ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/business/business-chinese-501.html

Business Chinese: Business Etiquette–Business Card Exchanges and Introduction

商务介绍礼仪 (Shāngwù jièshào lǐyí) Business Etiquette–Business Card Exchanges and Introduction


Key Learning Points (Preview):

介绍 (jièshào): v/n to introduce/introduction


年龄 (niánlíng): n age


名片 (míngpiàn): n business card

　
In China, the first time “介绍 (jièshào) introduction” is crucial in business relationships. It is a stepping stone for successful business cooperation.

There are two main principles about the “顺序 (shùnxù) order” you must follow. One is related to the gender. That is, in China, we usually introduce the men to the ladies before introducing the ladies to the men in order to show “尊敬 (zūnjìng) respect” towards the ladies. The other is related to the “年龄 (niánlíng) age” and seniority. We usually introduce the lower positioned people to the higher positioned first in order to show respect towards the latter.

When exchanging “名片 (míngpiàn) business card,” you should pass your business card with both hands toward the receiving side. You should also take the other’s business card with both hands.



Key Learning Points:

介绍 (jièshào): v/n to introduce/introduction

　
“介 (jiè)” literally means between，and “绍 (shào)” literally means to connect. But in the word “介绍 (jièshào),” both the two characters mean to introduce.

Example:

    Qǐng yǔnxǔ wǒ xiàng nín jièshào wǒmen de dǒngshìzhǎng–Chén xiānsheng.
A: 请     允许   我   向     您   介绍     我们    的            董事长——陈      先生。　
    Please allow me to introduce our chairman to you–Mr. Chen.



    Nínhǎo, Chén xiānsheng, hěn róngxìng jiàndào nín!
B: 您好，     陈      先生，       很     荣幸      见到     您！
     Hello, Mr. Chen, it’s my honor to meet you.



年龄 (niánlíng): n age

　
“年 (nián)” literally means year and “龄 (líng)” means age. And there are some well-known quotations from The Analects of Confucius regarding to “年龄 (niánlíng) age.”
“三十而立 (sānshí érlì)” means “At thirty, a man should have planted his feet firm upon the ground.”
“四十不惑 (sìshí bú huò)” means “At forty, a man should no longer suffer from perplexities,” etc.

Example:


Nín de niánlíng bǐ wǒ dà.
您 的 年龄 比 我 大。 　
You are older than I.

名片 (míngpiàn): n business card

　
“名 (míng)” literally means name and “片 (piàn)” represents the meaning of “卡片 (kǎpiàn) card.”

Example:

Míngpiàn shàng yìn zhe wǒ de qǐyè dìzhǐ hé diànhuà hàomǎ.
名片           上      印  着  我 的 企业 地址 和     电话    号码。
My business address and phone number are printed on the business card.



生词(shēngcí) Vocabulary:


顺序 (shùnxù): n order


尊敬 (zūnjìng): n/v respect



Ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/business/business-chinese-573.html

Business Chinese:Business Greetings

商务问候 (Shāngwù wènhòu) Business Greetings (Beginner)


Speaking Chinese in a business setting is often challenging. Let's see a dialogue below.

Key Learning Points (Preview):

你 (nĭ) and 您 (nín): pron you

　
第一天上班 Dì yī tiān shàngbān First day of work

　
Lǐ Qiáng: Nĭhăo, nĭ shì xīn lái de ba? Rúguŏ wŏ méi jì cuò,  nĭ jiào Jiékè, duì ma?   
李强：   你好，你是 新 来 的 吧？如果    我 没 记 错，你 叫  杰克，对 吗？　
Li Qiang: Hello, aren't you a newcomer here? And if I'm not mistaken, you must be Jack, right?


Jié Kè:   Shì de, zhè shì wŏ dì yī tiān shàngbān.  
杰克： 是 的，  这  是  我 第  一  天    上班。　
Jack:     Yes, I am. It's my first day here.


Lǐ Qiáng: Nĭhăo, wŏ shì zhège gōngsī de zŏng jīnglĭ, wŏ jiào Lĭ Qiáng! 
李强：       你好，我 是   这个    公司 的    总经理，  我  叫     李强！ 　
Li Qiang:  How do you do! I am the general manager of this company and my name is Li Qiang.



Jié Kè:  Nínhăo, Lĭ Zŏng, jiǔyăng nín de dàmíng.
杰克： 您好，     李总， 久仰     您   的  大名。　
Jack:     How do you do! Mr. Li, I've heard a great deal about you.



Lǐ Qiáng: Bùgăndāng, hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nĭ! 
李强：          不敢当，   很    高兴    见    到    你！ 　
Li Qiang: I am afraid that is an overstatement. Good to meet you.



Jié Kè:  Jiàn dào nín wŏ yě găn dào fēicháng róngxìng.
杰克：   见  到     您  我  也   感   到    非常        荣幸。
Jack:     Pleasure to meet you, too.



Lǐ Qiáng:  Nĭ shì Měiguó rén, duì ba?  Nĭ de hànyǔ jiăng de hěn bú cuò! 
李强：      你  是    美国  人，对  吧？ 你 的 汉语   讲    得   很  不  错！　
Li Qiang:   You are American, aren't you? But your Chinese is pretty good!



Jié Kè:  Ò, xièxie, nín guòjiăng le! 
杰克： 哦，谢谢，您   过奖    了！ 　
Jack:    Oh, thanks, I am flattered.



Lǐ Qiáng: Wŏ dàibiăo wŏmen gōngsī quántĭ yuángōng huānyíng nĭ de jiārù.
李强：      我    代表    我们    公司      全体       员工       欢迎       你的  加入。　
Li Qiang: I would like to welcome you on behalf of all the staff in this company.



Jié Kè: Zhēn shì wàn fēn gănxiè nín! Chūláizhàdào, yĭhòu yào ràng nín fèixīn le, qĭng nín
杰克： 真     是 万  分    感谢     您！  初来乍到，   以后   要   让    您   费心  了，请 您                 
duōduōguānzhào!                 
 多多关照！ 　
Jack: Thanks a million. Since I just got here, please take care of me in the future.



Lǐ Qiáng: Nĭ tài kèqi le.  Wŏ xīwàng nĭ zài zhèlĭ gōngzuò yúkuài!
李强：     你 太 客气了。我 希望    你 在  这里  工作     愉快！
Li Qiang: Not at all. I hope you will enjoy your stay here.



Jié Kè:  Xièxie, wŏ xiāngxìn wŏ huì de. 
杰克： 谢谢， 我     相信    我  会 的。　
Jack:    I appreciate that. And I bet I will.



Key Learning Points:

“你 (nĭ)” and “您 (nín)” are two personal pronouns in Chinese which are represented by the same word “you” in English. “您 (nín)” is the respectful form of “你 (nĭ)” and is often used to call those who are older or have a higher rank. Both of the words have plural forms: “你们 (nĭmen)” and “您们 (nínmen).”

你 (nĭ) and 您 (nín): pron you

Examples:          

Zǒng jīnglǐ, nínhǎo, zhè shì nín yào de cáiliào.
1. A:   总 经理，    您好， 这 是  您    要   的   材料。
           Hello, general manager, this is the material you want.              


Hǎode, xièxie.    
B: 好的，谢谢！
       Ok, thank you.         




Hāi, nǐ míngtiān xiàwǔ  yǒu shíjiān ma? Wǒmen qù dǎ lánqiú ba.
2. A: 嗨，你    明天    下午     有   时间  吗？   我们    去   打  篮球   吧。
        Hi, are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let’s play basketball.                


 Hǎoa, méiwèntí.    
B: 好啊， 没问题。
     Sure.



生词 (shēngcí) Vocabulary:

　
久仰 (jiǔyăng): v to hear much about somebody

　
荣幸 (róngxìng): adj be honored

　
费心 (fèixīn): v to give a lot of care


初来乍到 (chūláizhàdào): v to have just arrived


关照 (guānzhào): v/n care/attention/concern


客气 (kèqi): adj courteous



Ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/business/business-chinese-583.html

Business Chinese: How Do Brand Names Attract Chinese Consumers?

How Do Brand Names Attract Chinese Consumers?


Key Learning Points (Preview):

品牌 (pǐnpái): n. brand
吸引 (xīyǐn): v. to attract
印象 (yìnxiang): n. impression

　
It is important for foreign brands to have a Chinese name as it enters the Chinese market. How do companies translate their names? How do they make the names attractive? Do they use transliteration or free translation? Some companies skillfully integrate these two translation methods in order to create an attractive brand name for Chinese consumers. A good brand name can help produce a good impression of a product. In this online Chinese lesson, let's learn how brand names are translated from English to Chinese.

BENZ 奔驰 (Bēnchí)
"奔" and "驰" both mean "run fast" in Chinese.
To drive a BENZ means to enjoy high speeds.

HUMMER 悍马 (Hànmǎ)
"悍" means "strong," and "马" means "horse." In Chinese culture, horses are known for their honesty and endurance.
HUMMER vehicles will be honest and constant friends.

ACCORD 雅阁 (Yǎgé)　
"雅" means "nice and elegant." "阁" refers to "cabinet."
An ACCORD offers a harmonious and comfortable drive.

TISSOT 天梭 (Tiānsuō)　
"天" refers to nature. "梭" is a piece in watches.
The workmanship in TISSOT watches is wonderful.

MASTER万事达 (Wànshìdá)
"万事" means all the things, and "达" means to achieve.
With MASTER products, everything will be successful.

CARREFOUR 家乐福 (Jiālèfú)
"家" refers to family. "福" means blessing.
"CARREFOUR" hopes each family is happy.

COCA COLA 可口可乐 (Kěkǒukělè)
"可口" means tasty, and "乐" means happy.
COCA COLA satisfies thirst and makes people happy.

Pepsi Cola 百事可乐 (Bǎishìkělè) 
While drinking PEPSI, everything is enjoyable.



Key Learning Points:

品牌 (pǐnpái): n. brand　
Example:
Bǎomǎ shì yí gè zhīmíng de qìchē pǐnpái.
宝马      是 一个 知名      的   汽车 品牌。
BMW is a well-known car brand.



吸引 (xīyǐn): v. to attract　
Example:
Zhōngguó de Chángchéng xīyǐn le hěn duō yóukè.
中国           的 长城             吸引了 很   多   游客。
The Great Wall of China attracts a lot of tourists.



印象 (yìnxiang): n. impression　
Example:
Nǐ duì Zhōngguó de dì yī yìnxiang shì shénme?
你 对 中国          的 第一 印象      是    什么？ 　
What was your first impression of China?


Ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/business/business-chinese-595.html

Business Chinese:Exchange Rate of the Chinese RMB

Exchange Rate of the Chinese RMB 

Key Learning Point:

商务用语 (shāngwù yòngyǔ) Business vocabulary

Look at the short business report:

Jìn jǐ nián lái, rénmínbì huìlǜ wèntí chéngwéi guónèiwài guānzhù de jiāodiǎn.

近 几年 来，人民币     汇率 问题    成为         国内外      关注      的     焦点。 　

In recent years, governments around the world have taken notice of China's currency policy.

Zài èrlínglíngwǔ nián qī yuè èrshíyī rì de huìlǜ gǎigé zhōng,

在   2005           年     7  月   21      日 的  汇率 改革   中， 　

When the Chinese government changed its exchange rate policy on July 21st 2005,

Zhōngguó kāishǐ cǎiyòng gèng wéi línghuó de "yǐ shìchǎng wéi jīchǔ de, 

中国           开始   采用      更      为    灵活   的”以 市场      为   基础 的、

cānkǎo yìlánzi huòbì jìnxíng tiáozhěng de, yǒu guǎnlǐ de fúdòng huìlǜ zhìdù," 

参考     一篮子 货币 进行      调整        的、有    管理  的 浮动    汇率 制度”，

ér búshì dāndān dīng zhù měiyuán.

而 不是 单单       盯     住   美元。　

they began taking steps towards adopting an exchange rate regime that is more flexible and market based. However, it would also be managed with a basket of several currencies in mind, not just the US dollar.

Cǐhòu, rénmínbì duì měiyuán zài wēifú bōdòng zhōng,

此后，人民币     对    美元       在    微幅   波动     中，

yǐ měinián yuē bǎifēnzhī sìdiǎnsān de fúdù kuàisù shēngzhí, bìngqiě chéng jiāsù qūshì.

以每年     约      4.3%                     的  幅度   快速         升值，并且     呈        加速   趋势。

Since that meeting, the Chinese renminbi has been appreciating little by little against the US dollar, at an average rate of about 4.3% per year. But over time, the rate of appreciation has shown a tendency to accelerate.

术语 (shùyǔ): Glossary

汇率 (huìlǜ): n. exchange rate

汇率改革 (huìlǜ gǎigé): n. reform of exchange rate

　

以市场为基础的 (yǐ shìchǎng wéi jīchǔ de): adj. market based

　

一篮子货币 (yìlánzi huòbì): n. a basket of currencies

　

词汇 (cihuì): Vocabulary

　

浮动 (fúdòng): v. to float / n. float

　

采用 (cǎiyòng): v. to adopt

　

调整 (tiáozhěng): v. to adjust

　

微幅波动 (wēifúbōdòng): slight fluctuations

　

约 (yuē): adv. about

　

升值 (shēngzhí): v. to appreciate / n. appreciation

　

呈……趋势 (chéng…qūshì): v. to show an… tendency

　

符号 (fúhào) Notation

　

"%" – the percent sign

In Chinese, the percent sign "%" is read "bǎifēnhào."  The way we write and read it is "百分之 (bǎifēnzhī)." For example, the way we say "ten percent" is "百分之十 (bǎifēnzhīshí)."

Ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/business/business-chinese-596.html

Fun Chinese: I Got One Point More

I Got One Point More.


Story:

Māma: Zhècì kǎoshì, gēge kǎole jiǔshíwǔ fēn, nǐ kǎole duōshǎo fēn?
妈妈： 这次 考试， 哥哥    考了    95        分，你 考了 多少       分？
Mom: Your brother got 95 points on this exam. What about you?


Dìdi: Wǒ bǐ tā duō yì diǎn.
弟弟：我比他   多 一 点。
Younger brother: Well… I got one point more.


Māma: Shì ma? Jiǔshíliù ma?
妈妈： 是 吗？   96        吗？
Mom: Really? So you got 96 points?


Dìdi: Búshì, shì jiǔdiǎnwǔ fēn.
弟弟：不是，是   9.5         分。　
Younger brother: No. I got 9.5.


Key Learning Point:
一点 (yìdiǎn): a little

　
In Chinese, the phrase “一点(yìdiǎn)” means “a little number or amount.”

Very often in Mandarin, just like in English, a speaker may not be too sure about a calculation. “一点(yìdiǎn)” can be used as an adverb. Sometimes, the “一(yì)” in “一点(yìdiǎn)” can be omitted.



For example:

Nǐ néngbùnéng kuài (yì) diǎn a?
你 能不能          快（一）点   啊？

　
Could you please hurry a little bit?

In the above story, when the younger brother said that he had one more point than his brother, his mother figured he got 96 points.

In actuality, “点(diǎn)” also refers to a “decimal point.”

For example: 9.5 in Chinese is read “九点五 (jiǔ diǎn wǔ).” “点(diǎn)” refers to the “decimal point.”

Example:

Zhè kē píngguǒ shù gāo yīdiǎnwǔ mǐ.
这   棵 苹果        树    高     一点五  米。

　
This apple tree is 1.5 meters high.

Looking back at the story, the sly little brother actually meant that he got one more “点(diǎn) decimal point” than his brother with the not so impressive score of 9.5 points. We’ll leave it to you to decide whether the mother should be troubled by his low score, or applaud his clever response.

Ref:http://resources.echineselearning.com/funstuff/funstuff-chinese-45.html

Tourist Chinese Lesson Five Being A Guest at A Friend’s Home

dì wŭ kè  dào péng yǒu jiā zuò kè
第五课   到朋友家做客
Lesson Five  Being A Guest at A Friend’s Home

If invited, a guest must arrive at a Chinese friend’s home on time. It is proper to be there a couple of minutes earlier, as being late is rude. Generally speaking, eating is more important than talking at a dining table for Chinese people think scant wine and dishes are impolite to guests. Mike is invited to her colleague Wang Li’s home.


Wánglì: fàn zuò hăo le, kuài lái chī ba.
王丽： 饭做好了，快来吃吧。
Wang: Now everything is already prepared. Come on, let’s eat.
   
mài kè: zhè me duō cài, kàn zhe yăn dōu chán le.
麦克： 这么多菜，看着眼都馋了。
Mike: So many delicious dishes! It makes my mouth water just to look at them.
   
Wánglì: lái, jiā cài, duō chī diănr.
王丽： 来，夹菜，多吃点儿。
Wang: Here, take some more.
   
mài kè: zhè xiē cài dōu shì nín zì jĭ zuò de ma?
麦克： 这些菜都有是您自己做的吗？
Mike: Did you cook all these dishes?
   
Wánglì: shì a, zĕn me yàng?
王丽： 是啊，怎么样？
Wang: Yes. How do you like it?
   
mài kè: Zhōng guó rén zuò cài de shŏu yì zhēn bú cuò.
麦克： 中国人做菜的手艺真不错。
Mike: The Chinese are very good at cooks.
   
Wánglì: lái, gĕi nĭ diănr zhè gè cài.
王丽： 来给你点儿这个菜。
Wang: Now, let me help you with the dish.
   
mài kè:   bié kè qì, wŏ zì jĭ lái.
麦克： 别客气，我自己来。
Mike: Don’t stand on ceremony. I’ll help myself.
   
Wánglì: chī băo le ma?
王丽： 吃饱了吗？
Wang: Are you full?
   
mài kè: xiè xiè, chī băo le.
麦克： 谢谢，吃饱了。
Mike: Thanks, I’m quite full



New Words:


1.       朋友 péng yǒu: friend

2.  做客：zuò kè: be invited

3.  饭fàn: dinner

4         菜 cài: dish

5.  馋 chán: greedy

6.       自己 zì jĭ: oneself

7.       做菜 zuò cài: cook

8.       手艺不错 shŏu yì bú cuò: be good at

9.       夹菜 jiā cài: eat

10.　饱 băo: be full  


Ref :http://www.china.org.cn/e-learning/5.htm