Don’t Forget the Toilet Paper! 4 Things You S hould Know When Traveling in China

Are you planning a trip to China? Then you should be prepared with knowledge of daily life in China. These four must-know facts will allow you to be one step ahead of your friends as you get to know Chinese culture and language.

1. Don't grab that toilet paper; it has already been used!

In America, all toilets are accompanied by toilet paper for use. In China there are some exceptions : Most of public toilets offer tissue. But some others don't. Big difference!

Now take note: In some bathrooms, you will see a plastic basket (trash can) next to the toilet with tissue inside. Pay Attention! That is "厕纸 (cèzhǐ) toilet paper" that has already been used!

My friend told me a hilarious story once: An American traveled to China and went to small hotel in China. The first thing he did was go to use the "厕所 (cèsuǒ) toilet". When he entered the room, he saw that the only toilet paper in the bathroom was in small pieces in a plastic basket next to the toilet. He couldn't find a toilet paper roll, so he went ahead and used a few pieces. He thought those pieces were unused for visitors. Boy, was he wrong! These were used pieces of toilet paper. Had he known, I'm sure he would have asked for some help to get unused toilet paper. It was terrible when he found out the truth!

Why is there sometimes only used toilet paper in the bathroom in China? Well, because many buildings in China are older and therefore people worry the pipes will be clogged by too much tissue. So if you see pieces of toilet paper in a basket and no roll of toilet paper, assume that this paper has already been used. And if you bring your own, don't flush it down the toilet, so you are kind to the owner of the house.

2. Speak up right away if you don't drink!

If you go for a dinner with your Chinese friends, most of the time, your Chinese friends will "劝酒 (quànjiǔ) urge/ask you to drink alcohol." It is a normal and common for the host to encourage you to do so in China. This custom shows that the host wants you to feel their enthusiasm for your coming, and give you a hearty, authentic warm welcome as a guest in their home.

Do you feel it's a bit impolite for a friend of yours to urge you to drink? This difference from East and West represents another cultural difference.

When teaching my foreign students the importance of using the correct Mandarin Chinese speaking tones, I often use the example of "问 (wèn) ask" and "吻 (wěn) kiss" to show how a change of tone can completely change the meaning of a word. This speaking mistake can create an embarrassing situation. Today, I will introduce two Chinese phrases that are similar in their literal meaning, but used with different intentions. These expressions are: 不要脸 (búyàoliǎn) and 见不得人 (jiànbùdérén).

Recently, a user on the Quora discussion forum asked about the meaning of the phrases 不要脸 (búyàoliǎn) and 见不得人 (jiànbùdérén). I thought that there needs to be clarity and a friendly warning before Chinese learners confuse these two Mandarin expressions. I'd like to share the difference with you. Be careful!

不要脸 (búyàoliǎn) means shameless, faceless. It is used to refer to someone that does not seem to care for his/her reputation
见不得人 (jiànbùdérén) means cannot be seen by people, unpresentable.

The latter is generally neutral; however the former is negative and could be seen as a taboo word in China.

As a rule, you'd better not use 不要脸 (búyàoliǎn) in your daily conversations because it's a serious insult in Chinese, and 见不得人 (jiànbùdérén) can be used when you feel embarrassed, shy or ashamed and don't want to go out and face others.

Quiz:

A. 见不得人 (jiànbùdérén)
B. 不要脸 (búyàoliǎn)!
C. 可怕 (kěpà)
See Answer