So compliments are shared by English and Chinese culture formulaic speech act, known as the "verbal gift", "social lubricant"
However, influenced by their social psychology, cultural orientation, values and other factors, the topic, compliment structure model, response strategy aspects of a national culture deeply, to reflect the cultural characteristics of different nations.
The difference between Chinese and Western compliments
NO.1:Definition of compliments
In the language and culture that Chinese and western people, compliment is one of the most common language for daily use, it plays a greeting, encourage, acknowledgements, open the topic and alleviate the contradiction etc..
According to Jia Yuxin (1997) survey, the main Chinese compliments in function: 1) to make each other feel good; 2) appreciation; 3) by others
(b), the difference of the topic compliment:
1) appreciated;
2) is due to people's social status and role relationship is not fixed, especially women, use compliments to coordinate the relationship between the two sides of communication of "consistency", which put it as a compliment a harmonious social relations, promote feelings or friendship each other means.
NO.2:the differences between Chinese and Western compliments
(a), differences in compliments function:
According to the investigation and statistics of Hao Bert, Holmes and Wolfson, the main function of compliments in western culturs love "change,
difference", and emphasized the China of traditional culture is the "convergence".
2:Compliment others in ability
In Chinese, when male compliment women's appearance, may be regarded as a rude and suffered a dig, is "lady-killer", "rogue"; praise friends wife could also be considered to have an ulterior motive, because Chinese believes in "friends wife will not be bullied", "men and women are different".
1:Compliment others in appearance
In Western cultures, men praise female body appearance, dress, etc., can be said to be very common thing, but, in Chinese traditional culture is the basic taboo.
Compliment is a positive politeness strategy, positive evaluation of some superiority over others is carried out, the vast majority of compliment topic involving several appearance, behavior, ability, achievements and property and so on, especially to compliment others appearance and achievements for the worst.
In western culture, involving others compliment is very serious judgment, and only those who have the ability, higher social status are qualified to do so, so, this kind of compliment usually appear to compliment the subordinates in the superior, to maintain the superior subordinate relationship.