CHIN2500 Chap.1 Business Greetings, Introductions and Address
Business Greetings, Introductions and Address
Business Greetings, Introductions and Address covers the first ten seconds of a business meeting in English-speaking and Chinese settings. It explains who extends a hand first and how, the introduction formulas and job questions used at a business function, business-card etiquette and its vocabulary, and the Chinese system of address by position, title, seniority and familiarity.
It closes with phrases for staying in touch, the rule for agreeing with a negative statement, and Australian informal forms you may hear from clients. Each section pairs a rule with the reason behind it, so that you can explain a choice in a short answer as well as recognise it in a true or false item.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Handshake order and manner
- 02
Introduction formulas
- 03
Business-card etiquette
- 04
Chinese forms of address
- 05
Agreeing with a negative
- 06
Australian informal forms
Worked example · free
Correct a reply to a negative statement
- 1Identify the problem: the student agrees with a negative statement but uses 'Yes', which an English speaker hears as disagreement.
- 1Apply the rule from the Week 1 lecture: agreement with a negative takes a negative answer, so the reply should be 'No, I don't.'
- 1Add a follow-up that keeps the exchange moving and offers information, such as 'No, I don't. Next week is fine, and I'll be in touch by email.'
Key terms
- Etiquette
- Etiquette is a set of social rules that guide positive interaction with others in a given setting.
- Hierarchy
- Hierarchy is a system that ranks people by importance, power or authority.
- Hand over
- To hand over a business card is to pass it to the other person by hand, attentively.
- Likewise
- Likewise is a polite formal reply meaning the same applies to me, as in answering pleased to meet you.
Business Greetings, Introductions and Address FAQ
Who should offer a hand first when meeting a Chinese business contact?
According to the etiquette in the Week 1 lecture, the host, the elder, the person of higher status and the woman offer a hand first. The guest, the younger person and the person of lower status greet in words and wait. Shake briefly, make eye contact and smile, and avoid crossing arms when several people greet at once.
How should I address a Chinese colleague I have just met?
For a senior counterpart met formally, use the surname plus position or title, for example Manager Li or Professor Chen. Lao or Xiao before a surname suits familiar people of different seniority, and xiansheng or nushi, meaning Mr or Ms, suits a stranger whose role you do not know. Avoid a bare first name in formal settings.
What topics are safe when making small talk at a business function?
The lecture recommends broad, neutral subjects, for example the weather, a recent trip, the city or your line of work, because ideas about suitable topics vary across cultures. It also advises offering information rather than only asking questions, which keeps a conversation moving and makes the exchange feel balanced rather than like an interview.
How do greetings differ between English-speaking and Chinese business settings?
English-speaking workplaces tend to move quickly to first names, even with managers, and keep small talk light. In formal Chinese settings, forms of address signal position and seniority, and handshake order follows status, age, host role and gender. Knowing both systems lets you adjust politely when you move between a Sydney office and a meeting in Guangzhou.
What does Lao or Xiao before a surname mean?
Lao means old and Xiao means young. Placed before a surname, they create a familiar form of address used between people who know each other, with Lao for someone older or more senior in the workplace and Xiao for someone younger or newer. They are not suitable for a senior counterpart you have only just met.
Assessment move
Practise this chapter aloud. Rehearse a full introduction with a partner in both languages: an opening formula, the handshake by the order rule, one line-of-business question with a matching detail about yourself, and a closing invitation to keep in touch. Then build a two-column address list with Chinese patterns on the left and English equivalents on the right, adding one real example for each branch of the address tree.
Write five tag questions with negative statements and answer each correctly. Finally, test yourself on ten Australian informal forms by writing the standard English meaning from memory. Before Test 1, cover the answers in the drills and redo them by hand, timing yourself at under a minute per item, and note any rule you hesitated over.
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