Chinese For Dummies (84 page)

shǒuxí kuàijì
首席会计
(
首席會計
) (show-she kwye-jee) (
chief financial officer
)

zhǔrèn
主任
(joo-run) (
director of a department
)

zhǔxí
主席
(joo-she) (
chairman
)

zǒngcái
总裁
(
總裁
) (dzoong-tsye) (
president
)

zǔzhǎng
组长
(
組長
) (dzoo-jahng) (
team leader
)

In Chinese, last names always come first. When addressing someone with a title, always say the last name first, followed by the title. So if you know someone's name is
Lǐ Pēijié
(lee pay-jyeh) (L
ǐ
being the surname), and he's the director of the company, you address him as
Lǐ Zhǔrèn
(lee joo-run) (
Director Li
).

Try to get a list of the names of your Chinese counterparts in advance so you can practice pronouncing them correctly. That's sure to win a few brownie points right there.

Be sure you have business cards ready (preferably in Chinese as well as English) to give out when you go to China. You should always hand and receive each business card with two hands. Feel free to place the cards you receive in the same order as those seated (for example, from left to right as people seat themselves across from you) so you'll remember who is who.

If you're the guest of honor at a dinner banquet, you're seated facing the entrance to the room. Don't worry if you get confused figuring out where to sit when facing a round table. Your host will make sure to show you to your seat. (Refer to
Chapter 8
for eating etiquette tips.)

Starting the meeting

Here are some things to say when you're ready to get the business meeting started:

Huānyíng nín dào wǒmen de bàngōngshì.
欢迎您到我们的办公室
. (
歡迎您到我們的辦公室
.)
(hwahn-eeng neen daow waw-mun duh bahn-goong-shir.) (
Welcome to our office.
)

Wǒ xiǎng jièshào yíxià huìyì de cānjiāzhě.
我想介绍一下会议的参加者
. (
我想介紹一下會議的參加者
.) (waw shyahng jyeh-shaow ee-shyah hway-ee duh tsahn-jya-juh.) (
I'd like to introduce the conference participants.
)

Zài kāihuì yǐqián, ràng wǒmen zuò yíge zìwǒ jièshào.
在开会以前
,
让我们做一个自我介绍
. (
在開會以前
,
讓我們做一個自我介紹
.) (dzye kye-hway ee-chyan, rahng waw-men dzwaw yee-guh dzuh-waw jyeh-shaow.) (
Before the meeting begins, let's introduce ourselves.
)

Zánmen kāishǐ ba.
咱们开始吧
. (
咱們開始吧
.) (dzah-mun kye-shir bah.) (
Let's begin.
)