361 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
361 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
# Greeting Reference Guide
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Complete reference for greetings across languages and cultures.
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## Table of Contents
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- [Supported Languages](#supported-languages)
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- [Formality Levels](#formality-levels)
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- [Time-Based Greetings](#time-based-greetings)
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- [Cultural Contexts](#cultural-contexts)
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- [Pronunciation Guide](#pronunciation-guide)
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- [Common Phrases](#common-phrases)
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## Supported Languages
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### English
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**Region:** Global, primarily US, UK, Australia, Canada
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**Common Greetings:**
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- Hello
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- Hi
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- Hey
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- Good morning/afternoon/evening
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- How are you?
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- How's it going?
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: "Good day", "Greetings", "Dear Sir/Madam"
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- Casual: "Hey", "What's up", "Howdy"
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- Professional: "Good morning", "Hello [Name]"
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---
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### 中文 (Chinese)
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**Region:** China, Taiwan, Singapore
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**Common Greetings:**
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- 你好 (nǐ hǎo) - Hello [casual]
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- 您好 (nín hǎo) - Hello [formal]
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- 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo) - Good morning
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- 下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo) - Good afternoon
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- 晚上好 (wǎn shang hǎo) - Good evening
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- 晚安 (wǎn ān) - Good night
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: 尊敬的 (zūn jìng de) - Respected/Dear
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- Casual: 嗨 (hāi), 哈喽 (hā lou)
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- Professional: 您好 (nín hǎo)
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**Cultural Notes:**
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- Use 您 (nín) for elders and superiors
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- Common to ask "吃了吗？" (Have you eaten?) as a greeting
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- Handshakes are common in business settings
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---
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### 日本語 (Japanese)
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**Region:** Japan
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**Common Greetings:**
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- おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) - Good morning [formal]
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- こんにちは (konnichiwa) - Hello/Good afternoon
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- こんばんは (konbanwa) - Good evening
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- おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai) - Good night
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- はじめまして (hajimemashite) - Nice to meet you
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: ございます (gozaimasu) ending
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- Casual: おはよう (ohayō), やあ (yā)
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- Professional: お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) - Thank you for your hard work
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**Cultural Notes:**
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- Bowing is standard when greeting
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- Use さん (san) after names (honorific)
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- Time-specific greetings are important
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- Never use first names unless very close
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---
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### Español (Spanish)
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**Region:** Spain, Latin America
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**Common Greetings:**
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- ¡Hola! (OH-lah) - Hello
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- Buenos días (BWEH-nos DEE-ahs) - Good morning
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- Buenas tardes (BWEH-nas TAR-des) - Good afternoon
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- Buenas noches (BWEH-nas NOH-ches) - Good evening/night
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- ¿Qué tal? (keh TAHL) - How's it going?
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- ¿Cómo estás? (KOH-moh es-TAHS) - How are you?
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: Estimado/a (esteemed), Buenos días
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- Casual: ¡Hola!, ¿Qué tal?, ¡Buenas!
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- Professional: Buenos días, Don/Doña [Name]
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**Cultural Notes:**
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- Cheek kissing common in social settings (varies by region)
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- Use "usted" for formal, "tú" for casual
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- Handshakes common in business
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---
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### Français (French)
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**Region:** France, Belgium, Canada (Quebec), Switzerland, parts of Africa
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**Common Greetings:**
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- Bonjour (bon-ZHOOR) - Hello/Good day
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- Bonsoir (bon-SWAHR) - Good evening
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- Salut (sa-LOO) - Hi [casual]
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- Enchanté(e) (on-shon-TAY) - Pleased to meet you
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- Ça va? (sa VAH) - How's it going?
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: Bonjour Madame/Monsieur, Enchanté(e)
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- Casual: Salut, Coucou, Ça va?
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- Professional: Bonjour, Madame/Monsieur [Last Name]
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**Cultural Notes:**
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- La bise (cheek kissing) common in France
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- Use "vous" for formal, "tu" for casual
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- Always say "Bonjour" before other conversation
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---
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### Deutsch (German)
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**Region:** Germany, Austria, Switzerland
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**Common Greetings:**
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- Guten Morgen (GOO-ten MOR-gen) - Good morning
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- Guten Tag (GOO-ten TAHK) - Good day
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- Guten Abend (GOO-ten AH-bent) - Good evening
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- Hallo (HAH-loh) - Hello
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- Grüß Gott (GRUESS got) - Hello [Southern Germany/Austria]
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: Sehr geehrter Herr/Frau
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- Casual: Hallo, Hi, Servus
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- Professional: Guten Tag, Herr/Frau [Last Name]
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---
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### 한국어 (Korean)
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**Region:** South Korea, North Korea
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**Common Greetings:**
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- 안녕하세요 (an-nyeong-ha-se-yo) - Hello [formal]
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- 안녕 (an-nyeong) - Hi [casual]
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- 좋은 아침입니다 (jo-eun a-chim-im-ni-da) - Good morning
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- 처음 뵙겠습니다 (cheo-eum boep-get-seum-ni-da) - Nice to meet you
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**Formality:**
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- Formal: 하세요 (ha-se-yo) ending
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- Casual: 안녕 (an-nyeong)
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- Professional: 님 (nim) honorific
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---
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## Formality Levels
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### Formal
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**When to use:**
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- First meetings with clients/superiors
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- Official business correspondence
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- Elderly people or authority figures
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- Formal events and ceremonies
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**Characteristics:**
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- Complete sentences
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- Titles and honorifics
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- Respectful language
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- Proper grammar
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**Examples:**
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- English: "Dear Mr. Smith, I hope this letter finds you well."
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- Chinese: "尊敬的王先生" (Respected Mr. Wang)
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- Japanese: "お世話になっております" (Thank you for your continued support)
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### Casual
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**When to use:**
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- Friends and peers
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- Informal social settings
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- Family members
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- Familiar colleagues
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**Characteristics:**
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- Shortened phrases
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- Slang acceptable
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- Relaxed tone
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- First names
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**Examples:**
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- English: "Hey! What's up?"
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- Chinese: "嗨！最近怎么样？" (Hi! How have you been lately?)
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- Spanish: "¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?"
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### Professional
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**When to use:**
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- Business meetings
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- Email correspondence
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- Networking events
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- Office environment
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**Characteristics:**
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- Polite but not overly formal
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- Respectful
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- Clear and direct
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- Appropriate for workplace
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**Examples:**
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- English: "Good morning, Sarah"
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- Chinese: "早上好，李经理" (Good morning, Manager Li)
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- Japanese: "おはようございます、田中さん" (Good morning, Tanaka-san)
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---
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## Time-Based Greetings
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### Morning (5 AM - 12 PM)
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- English: Good morning
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- Chinese: 早上好 (zǎo shang hǎo)
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- Japanese: おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu)
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- Spanish: Buenos días
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- French: Bonjour
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- German: Guten Morgen
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### Afternoon (12 PM - 5 PM)
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- English: Good afternoon
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- Chinese: 下午好 (xià wǔ hǎo)
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- Japanese: こんにちは (konnichiwa)
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- Spanish: Buenas tardes
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- French: Bon après-midi
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- German: Guten Tag
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### Evening (5 PM - 9 PM)
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- English: Good evening
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- Chinese: 晚上好 (wǎn shang hǎo)
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- Japanese: こんばんは (konbanwa)
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- Spanish: Buenas noches
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- French: Bonsoir
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- German: Guten Abend
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### Night (9 PM - 5 AM)
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- English: Good night
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- Chinese: 晚安 (wǎn ān)
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- Japanese: おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai)
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- Spanish: Buenas noches
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- French: Bonne nuit
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- German: Gute Nacht
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---
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## Cultural Contexts
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### Business Meetings
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**Best Practices:**
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- Arrive on time (or early in some cultures)
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- Use formal greetings initially
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- Business cards exchange (especially in Asia)
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- Firm handshake (Western cultures)
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- Bow (Japan, Korea)
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- Research cultural norms beforehand
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**Sample Greetings:**
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- "Good morning, thank you for taking the time to meet with me."
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- "您好，很高兴见到您。" (Hello, pleased to meet you.)
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- "おはようございます。本日はお時間をいただきありがとうございます。"
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### Email Communication
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**Structure:**
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1. Greeting
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2. Brief pleasantry (optional)
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3. Purpose
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4. Closing
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**Examples:**
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```
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Dear [Name],
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I hope this email finds you well.
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I am writing to discuss...
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Best regards,
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[Your Name]
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```
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### Social Events
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**Characteristics:**
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- Warmer, more personal
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- Small talk encouraged
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- Smile and eye contact
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- Appropriate physical contact (culture-dependent)
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### Cultural Holidays
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- Chinese New Year: 新年快乐！恭喜发财！
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- Ramadan: Ramadan Kareem / رمضان كريم
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- Christmas: Merry Christmas / Joyeux Noël
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- Diwali: Happy Diwali / दिवाली की शुभकामनाएं
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---
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## Pronunciation Guide
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### Pinyin (Chinese)
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- ā, á, ǎ, à - Different tones (flat, rising, falling-rising, falling)
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- zh - like 'j' in "jump"
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- x - like 'sh' in "she"
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- q - like 'ch' in "cheer"
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### Romanization (Japanese)
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- Vowels: a(ah), i(ee), u(oo), e(eh), o(oh)
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- Long vowels indicated by macron: ō, ū
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- Double consonants indicate pause
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### Spanish
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- j - like 'h' in "hot"
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- ll - like 'y' in "yes"
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- ñ - like 'ny' in "canyon"
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- r - rolled r sound
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- rr - strongly rolled r
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---
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## Common Phrases
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### Introducing Yourself
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- English: "Nice to meet you. My name is..."
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- Chinese: "很高兴认识您。我叫..." (hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nín. wǒ jiào...)
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- Japanese: "はじめまして。[Name]と申します。" (hajimemashite. [Name] to mōshimasu.)
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- Spanish: "Mucho gusto. Me llamo..."
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### Asking How Someone Is
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- English: "How are you?"
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- Chinese: "你好吗？" (nǐ hǎo ma?)
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- Japanese: "お元気ですか？" (o-genki desu ka?)
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- Spanish: "¿Cómo está?"
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### Responding
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- English: "I'm well, thank you"
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- Chinese: "我很好，谢谢" (wǒ hěn hǎo, xiè xie)
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- Japanese: "元気です、ありがとうございます" (genki desu, arigatō gozaimasu)
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- Spanish: "Estoy bien, gracias"
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### Goodbye
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- English: "Goodbye", "See you later"
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- Chinese: "再见" (zài jiàn), "回头见" (huí tóu jiàn)
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- Japanese: "さようなら" (sayōnara), "また後で" (mata ato de)
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- Spanish: "Adiós", "Hasta luego"
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---
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## Best Practices
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1. **Research Cultural Norms:** Always research greeting customs before international interactions
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2. **Mirror Formality:** Match the formality level of the person you're greeting
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3. **Use Names Appropriately:** Some cultures use first names, others use titles and last names
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4. **Be Time-Aware:** Use appropriate greetings for time of day
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5. **Respect Personal Space:** Physical contact varies widely across cultures
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6. **Learn Pronunciation:** Make an effort to pronounce names and greetings correctly
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7. **Smile:** Generally universal and well-received
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8. **Follow Their Lead:** When unsure, follow the lead of locals or hosts
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