china :D

In Chinese culture, there are countless polite phrases that one must memorize, especially if you are talking to someone who is older than you. Polite phrases are a way to show others the respect you have for them and acknowledge their position in society. In China, it’s very important to be polite to your elders - you must give up your seat for them, help them carry anything if they need it, greet them with a title, etc. This politeness stems from the long and hard life that our elders have lived, so people will go out of their way to help them as a way of easing the burden they have late in life. It’s also very important to give face and respect to people that you interact with. For example, a taxi driver will be called a specific title to show that the passenger respects what you are doing and appreciates it, giving the taxi driver face (or mianxi) to function. People will also compliment others for seemingly random things that they’ve done, but this is actually another way of giving face to others. These polite compliments seem almost fake or exaggerated in a way, but in Chinese culture, it’s to remain modest. The complimentee is never supposed to accept these compliments. Instead, they are supposed to laugh off the compliments and refuse them, perhaps even giving various examples of how they don’t fulfill the compliment. Since China has a culture built around face, polite phrases are a way to respect and be considerate of other people, thanking them for what they’ve done in society.