Different Interpersonal Relationships Underlying English and Chinese Greetings

Abstract

Greeting behaviors are important tools for establishing and maintaining social relationships. Greeting expressions are abundant in English and Chinese. One major difference of greetings in English and Chinese lies in the content. They are influenced by the orientations of interpersonal relationships which in turn are underpinned by value orientations. Increasing awareness of intercultural differences is a key step to heighten intercultural communication.