I'm interested in travelling and I'd like to know if i meet people (that I know) in another country, how to say hello.

For example, in France, it's really not easy, even for me...
If you meet your boss, no problem, if you are a man or women, and if you boss is a man or a women, you shake hand... and you say "Bonjour"
(except if you boss has become a real close friend ).
It's the same thing with someone you don't know except when you are young. When you see a young kid ( 6years old) one kiss is ok.

When you want to buy something , for example in a macdonald, you say "Bonjour...".

Until now there's no problem.

But when you meet a friend ( or a friend of your friend), it becomes more difficult.
If you are a man, and your friend is a man too, you say :"Salut" and you check hands.

Then for the other cases : a girl (woman) and another girl (woman), or a boy with a girl, it depends where you are in France, it depends in which city you are...
If you are in Paris, it's one kiss on each cheek. You generally start by the right cheek. So 2 kisses.
But in my city, it is 3 kisses, starting by the right cheek too.
In some cities it's 4 and in others 2...

I know it could some people but life is life....

I know i can't do this in some countries like japan ( like in every other countries i think).

That's why it's better to know what people do to say hello in each country. No to be ridiculous -_-
Please help me !!!

Deleted
_________________

In America... I think it would be best if you just scrapped the idea of kissing people on the cheek as a form of greeting. I think that was only found acceptable for talk shows hosts in the 1960s.

As to making eye contact with people on the street... I've learned to do it now. I can walk past someone, a total stranger, make eye contact, smile, nod, and sometimes say "Hey".

But it took years to learn to do it.

Where I was brought up, on the east coast, making eye contact, smiling, and saying hey to someone on the street, for no good reason, was considered rude and it simply wasn't done.
_________________

I just say "Hi" or "Hey" and sometimes a small nod or something.

Well if you visit the "hood" they say "whaddup" or "sup"...
_________________

Mr.ChoyBoi wrote:

Well if you visit the "hood" they say "whaddup" or "sup"...

Or "What's happening, dawg?"
_________________

Then you move onto the midwest and they say "howdy" or "good day ma'am"....
_________________

In Brazil, if you meet someone superior (man or woman), you shake hands and say "Oi" (Hi) or Bom dia (Good morning), Boa tarde (Good afternoon) or Boa noite (Good evening).

If friends are introducing to a new friend:
- a man, you shake hands and say "Oi"
- a woman, 1 kiss on each cheek (that�s 2 kisses), but usually just 1 kiss on the cheek is ok

"Oi" means hi, "Ol�" means hello. Followed by "Como vai voce?", which means "How are you?".

Usually it�s very informal.

Living in the midwest of America my whole life,�@and knowing others from the midwestern region, it's a myth that we say "Howdy"...I've never heard anyone say "Good day." Maybe on British TV, but never in the midwest...or America, haha. A simple "Hi" is fine. Occasionally a "Good Morning/Morning" or a "Good Afternoon/Afternoon." Never a "Good Evening" unless you're giving a speech.

Though, kissing on the cheek varies from the culural background of each person in America, a lot of women do one fake kiss to people they are close to or haven't seen in awhile (maybe this is just my experience?). A lot of young people in the midwest or south are hugging a lot more as informal greetings. I've yet to get used to it. I don't like hugging people I just saw 3 days ago...

in singapore, it kind of is a mix of everything ^^;; i greet my friends with Hey, Hi, Yo, in chinese, in japanese etc. some of my Malay freind will greet their seniors by touching their nose to the elders' hands and then placing their own hand on their heart or something like that, the Malaysians and Malays would know better i guess..

no kissing in Singapore though.. or even touching of cheeks.. more of Good Mornings, and How are You?s

In my country: HI

In my native language: I have no idea. All I can think of is chm reep sooh - "nice to meet you". I don't even think I romanized it right. In fact, I don't even think we even have a way of saying hi in the informal sense, and if we do, I forgot it.

again from america
here the girls hug each other and or give each other a kiss on the cheek, if we know one another
the guys give each other a five and or a hug
and ummm.... other wise we shake hands
we greet each other like "yo ma nigga what up?!"
lol no we just say, "what up"...(or both) and then pat each other on the back with one hand, while giving each other a five with the other hand.
and the formal greeting is "hello nice to meet you...im insert name here
to say bye we say "peace out" or "one" or "see you later"
fun stuff

TANG wrote:

we greet each other like "yo ma nigga what up?!"

*wipes tear from eye*

Now that's something you don't say if you're not black and don't want to get shot.
_________________

Mr.ChoyBoi wrote:

Then you move onto the midwest and they say "howdy" or "good day ma'am"....

No, they don't. "Howdy" is something that maybe my grandpa might've said (and that's Texan slang, not Midwestern). "Good Day" is extremely formal. You don't hear it very often. People mainly say "Hi" or "Hey".

In the smaller towns, it's polite to say hi to people on the street, even if you don't know them. I guess they figure if you're in town, you must know someone they know? In the bigger cities, it doesn't matter that much, but if someone you don't know says hi to you, you just say hi back and move on.

But that's in the Midwest region of America. I'm not sure how things are in the South anymore (I grew up there, but haven't lived there in several years. It used to be very friendly.)

--Maria

In France, people have forgotten the habit to say hello to everybody.

It is said that in Paris, in the subway, nobody look at you.

The only people who look at you is some youth in the street, and if you look at them too, they will fight you...

Xavio wrote:

In France, people have forgotten the habit to say hello to everybody. It is said that in Paris, in the subway, nobody look at you. The only people who look at you is some youth in the street, and if you look at them too, they will fight you...

Yikes. Another reason not to visit France, neh?

bmwracer wrote:

Yikes. Another reason not to visit France, neh?

i don't want to talk this here, but what are the other reasons ?

in the philippines...we just wave our hand and say hi or hello!!sumtyms we even just raise our eyebrows to express greetings to the other party!!

pinkjelly wrote:

in the philippines...we just wave our hand and say hi or hello!!sumtyms we even just raise our eyebrows to express greetings to the other party!!

No contact ? I mean nobody shake hands ?