After spending some time in China, one soon realizes that many things in your textbook were written in a foreigner-friendly way. In reality, from the perspective of a foreigner, the real questions asked in China can be emphatically personal and direct. For the unprepared person, the moment can create quite a shock due to never having to answer such questions before. These are some common questions that when asked as nonchalantly as they are in China, can create surges of panic for the untrained foreigner:<\/p>\n
\u4f60\u7ed3\u5a5a\u4e86\u5417? n\u01d0 ji\u0113 h\u016bn le ma?<\/span> My advice is that there is no point taking offense when none was meant. With questions concerning significant others, foreigners must understand that getting married is a big deal in China, and the older you are, the larger the sense of urgency for you to get married. While the international community\u2019s ideas about success are much more about ambition and personal success than family, China finds a healthy balance equating success to both ambition and family. Therefore, since no offense is meant by these questions, I would advice not getting shocked and answering as honestly as possible. If you are single, most Chinese people have options for you and the younger generation is surprisingly open to interracial relationships (even in a small city like Shantou).<\/p>\n \u4f60\u591a\u5927\u5e74\u7eaa? n\u01d0 du\u014d d\u00e0 ni\u00e1n j\u00ec?<\/span> The question about age comes as a shock, not because of the content but rather because of the way it is asked. The key point to realize about Chinese culture is that it is more direct about matters of fact and less direct about feelings. In the rest of the world, we usually flip that equation. Therefore, usually this is just an inquiry into a matter of fact, and if you feel very uncomfortable answering this question even after reading this, then you might have some soul-searching to do because like it or not, your age is a fact!<\/p>\n \u4f60\u5de5\u8d44\u591a\u5c11? n\u01d0 gong z\u012b du\u014d sh\u01ceo?<\/span> Lastly, the hardest question is the one about salary. This is tough because as a foreigner, usually you know you will be getting paid more to be here than many Chinese people doing harder\/similar jobs. For this question, each person must explore what they are comfortable with, and answer accordingly. I usually give an amount slightly lower than my actual salary but that doesn\u2019t stop the endless commentary right after disclosing the number. With people you see on a daily basis, if you don\u2019t answer the question in some way, you will keep getting pestered about it at different events. If you are a tourist, or if someone you will not see often asks you, only then should you avoid the question completely (because there will be little repercussion for doing so). However, for those of you planning to live in China, I suggest you have an answer prepared. Keep in mind that giving a white lie once might be less stressful than the futile attempt to avoid the question every time.<\/p>\n Personally, after spending seven months in China, I\u2019ve stopped trying methods to get out of answering these questions. At a certain point, it becomes obvious that the intention behind them is genuine curiousity, and an attempt to create a connection. Unless the vibes you get from the other person are abnormally sinister, absorb the shock the first time, and then accept that this is just how people communicate here. At a certain point, the brutal honesty might even become refreshing \uf04a.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After spending some time in China, one soon realizes that many things in your textbook were written in a foreigner-friendly way. In reality, from the perspective of a foreigner, the real questions asked in China can be emphatically personal and direct. For the unprepared person, the moment can create quite a shock due to never…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":4265,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[122,89],"post_series":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n (Are you married?)<\/span>
\n \u4f60\u6709\u5973\/\u7537\u670b\u53cb\u5417\uff1fn\u01d0 y\u01d2u n\u01da\/n\u00e1n p\u00e9ng y\u01d2u ma?<\/span>
\n (Do you have a girlfriend\/boyfriend)<\/span><\/p>\n
\n (How old are you?)<\/span><\/p>\n
\n (How much do you get paid?)<\/span><\/p>\n