Ways of Being Romantic Issue 9 Home Page

The Different Romantic Styles of Americans and Chinese Hsiu-Mei Yen from China Hsiu-Mei Yen finds a lot of differences in the ways that Americans and Chinese express themselves romantically. Photo: S. Peters There are a lot of differences between Americans and Chinese in romance. The main differences are in physical actions and oral expression.   There are a lot of differences between Americans and Chinese in romance. The main differences are in physical actions and oral expression. In physical actions, Americans are ardent. They show their passion by hugging each other when they meet together. In the same way, they give kisses to each other when they want to express their love. They share their emotions directly. Unlike Americans, Chinese are conservative in body language. They are shy about showing their feelings publicly. They always keep their emotions under control. The only romantic hint is to hold hands with each other in their own room. They almost can't look at each other in public. They work hard and are responsible as ways to show their romantic feelings to their spouse. In oral expression, Americans say sweet words to each other any time, such as "I love you", "Honey", etc. They send cards to show the feelings of apology and being sorry, greetings and appreciation. They never forget to buy gifts for Valentine's Day, birthdays or anniversary celebrations. Americans are open-minded. In contrast, Chinese rarely say "I like you" to each other. Instead of calling their names directly, they use the words—father of kids or mother of kids to address their spouse. Even if they do something wrong, they don't apologize to their spouse. They also pay less attention to understanding the feelings of the spouse. They think that there is nothing to be sorry for between a couple. They believe that buying gifts for each other is a waste of money. They think that to do their best and support the family in the wealthy condition shows their love to the spouse. That is much better than saying sweet words. In conclusion, Americans are ardent, but Chinese are shy. There is really a lot of difference in romantic expression between the American and Chinese. More international viewpoints on romance: Different Concepts of Romance: Americans & Traditional Japanese Similarities Between Romance in Mexico & in the United States Return to: Ways of Being Romantic | Issue 9 | Home Page TOPICS Online Magazine - ©1997-2007 - Sandy and Thomas Peters - topics mag@gmail.com