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“Doesn’t Mean They Dislike You”: 47 Misunderstandings That Might Arise Between Locals And Foreigners
Even if you are relatively well traveled, one can always run into something in another country that just makes you pause and Google what is going on. However, as with so many things, there is no better source than a local.
Someone asked “In your country, is there any situation that foreigners would completely misunderstand unless they lived there for a while?” and people shared interesting examples from their countries. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the ones you didn’t know about and be sure to add your own ideas in the comments down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Iran
In Iran, there’s a custom called ta’arof. It’s when people insist on offering things like food, drinks, or even to pay for a meal. The “rule” is to politely refuse once or twice before finally accepting. Basically, if someone offers you anything, you say no a couple of times, and then if they insist, you accept.
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#2
Netherlands
In the Netherlands if people tell you they are going to eat (especially dinner), it is not an invitation for you to join, but a sign you should leave.
#3
Finland
People being quiet, for example when they are sitting at the same table at a workplace lunch doesn't mean they are angry or dislike you. They probably don't have anything to say. .
#4
Australia
In Australia, when you’re having a party where people bring food to share you say “bring a plate”. I’ve heard of international people who bring empty plates thinking the host doesn’t have enough dishes for everyone. Which I can totally understand, especially as we also often tell people to “bring a chair” and that really does mean to bring your own chair (usually a camping chair) because they don’t have enough seats.
#5
India
Apologising to a person/animal/inanimate object if your feet touches them by mistake.
Majority of the Hindu population in India believes that God exists in everyday things and people. So stepping on them or touching them with your feet is a sign of disrespect and if it happens by mistake we “apologise” to the thing by first touching it with our hands and then touching our hand to our forehead and then chest (somewhat similar to how Christians make the holy cross symbol).
I didn’t realise how weird this might look to an outsider until I did it by muscle memory to a white friend of mine and saw genuine fear in his eyes as if I just casted a spell on him XD.
#6
Philippines
We have a pasalubong culture here. Whenever you travel, you buy souvenirs for your family and friends. Now if that was a work trip, include the folks in the office who didn’t get to go. It’s usually something small like a keychain or a shirt or a local delicacy. It’s just to tell someone you’re thinking of them. It’s also a way to gauge how close you are with someone or if someone is chill with you. You can easily offend an auntie you forgot to get a pasalubong for. You could also tell someone that you’re relationship with them is not as close as they think by not getting them one or tell them that you’re friends, at least on your end, by getting them something. Some folks use this as a way to butter up their boss too.
It doesn’t even need to be a big trip either. Sometimes I brought something home when I came home for the week in college.
#7
Sweden
The Swedish Spring Sun Ceremony.
Winters in Sweden are long, dark and miserable, and spring, and the return of the sun, are a Big Deal. As soon as the sun comes back and you can actually feel its warmth, everyone wants a piece of that.
When I was at uni I guided an Indian exchange student, who was very confused about why everyone, undergrads, grad students and faculty alike, spent their lunch break sitting outside, faces turned towards the sun. She asked if it was a religious ceremony of some kind, and... I mean, no, but not far from it. But how do you explain the importance to someone who has never seen snow or the sun set at 3 pm?
#8
Finland
Military exercises or other military activities in cities are not at all uncommon.Just yesterday, the city center was full of troops and tanks. During my studies, exchange students of one of My course thought there was a coup in Finland. It was just a regular military exercise.
#9
Syria
Often, when a casual encounter or conversation ends( on the street or at work, for example ) we invite the other person to visit us at home for a drink or a meal. If you are from the Middle East (Arab, Turkish, or Iranian), you will understand this as a friendly phrase used at the end of a conversation, not a serious invitation. Surprisingly, some Europeans may consider it a firm invitation.
Perhaps we have not yet learned the appropriate tone in European languages for a casual invitation😅.
#10
United States Of America
Welp. Then hit the legs and get up.
Very midwestern way of saying it’s time to go home.
#11
Japan
In Japan, specifically Kyoto, if you’re visiting a private residence and they ask if you want tea, it’s time for you to *leave*.
#12
Nepal
Non Nepali people call every huge hills as mountains. In Nepal, we call snowy hills as mountains and green hills=hills only.
#13
Canada
My area in Canada growing up would have alarms that would sound if there was a fire somewhere, to alert the firefighters nearby to attend. I had a family member from Europe come stay with us one time and she panicked when it went off because she thought it meant Tornado or Air Raid 😂.
#14
Canada
This may be more well known now, but just how big our country is. People think they can fly into Toronto and take a day trip to see friends in Vancouver. Unless you have 2 extra weeks, I would not recommend. Even within my own province, it'll take 20+ hours to drive from one end to the other.
Also, not sure if it counts, but I've befriend people while visiting other countries, and when we move onto messaging each other, I use exclamation marks to convey excitement, but I'm always asked why I'm so angry.
#15
Canada
Groundhog day (Canada and the USA) On February 2nd, a bunch of people in top hats wake up a very confused, chubby squirrel-rat (a groundhog) to ask it about the weather. If the groundhog sees its own shadow, it gets scared and goes back to sleep, which apparently means we have to deal with six more weeks of winter. If it doesn't see its shadow, it means it's sunny, but somehow spring is coming early.
#16
Australia
If your coworkers give you a name, that is your name at work forever. Given enough time, the boss will call you this name, it will be your email address. If you don't like it, object immediately. Effective_Space might get Eff, Effie, Spacie or Ess.
#17
Taiwan
In Taiwan, you will see green bags of chips in various places: car dashboards, taped to computers, sitting on air conditioners, etc. This snack is called kuaikuai 乖乖. It has to be the green butter coconut flavor. The reason is that 乖 means well-behaved, so the snack bag ensures the device will work property.
It’s half serious superstition/religious belief, half ironic. I feel many people take it more seriously than they’d admit.
#18
United Kingdom
The pub queue.
1. There is a queue.
People gather along the bar and mentally keep track of who arrived before them. Your job is to notice who was already waiting and respect that order.
2. Eye contact.
When the bartender looks up, make eye contact and maybe give a small nod or smile.
No waving, whistling, snapping fingers, or yelling your order.
3. Never jump the queue
If the bartender comes to you, but someone was clearly waiting longer, you give them their turn.
4. Know your order before it’s your turn
You'll annoy a lot of people if you're sat there dithering.
5. Don’t lean all over the bar
Stand close enough to be seen, but don’t sprawl across the counter. Mostly because the bar mats are gross.
6. Tipping isn’t expected
7. Last orders bell means last orders
At some point in most pubs, a bell will ring; this is your opportunity to get your last drinks in. Don't be a jerk and order 12 cocktails, but most people won't fault you for 2 pints just for you.
#19
Australia
Every year the state of Victoria stops everything for a day to go punt on horses, punters with enough money show up in person while the average punter watches on tv. About 65% of tickets last year came from interstate and international punters.
#20
Mexico
It’s pretty normal for strangers to wish each other “Buen provecho” (bon appétit) after finishing the meal and leaving the restaurant or diner, even food trucks!
#21
India
Being 30–60 minutes late is often normal for social events, meetings, or even some professional ones (especially outside big cities).
Foreigners see it as disrespectful, but it's tied to traffic, family priorities, and a relaxed view of clock time. Arriving exactly on time can sometimes catch hosts off-guard.
#22
Brazil
When you are invited to go to someone's house, you should not accept it. The person is only inviting you to be polite and you would be bothering if you said yes. But you can't also say no. You have to make up an excuse and say you will visit later (but you won't).
#23
France
Talking about cheese for 30 minutes on a 2 hours lunch, and, before that, talking about types of salads and, before that, arguing about politics.
#25
Iceland
In Iceland, they simply use two words for any relative that is not in your immediate family. For males, it's Frændi, and for women it's Frænka. There really is no uncle, nephew, cousin, etc. They will be confused and mix them up if you speak in these terms unless they've had a ton of exposure to english speaking culture, even if they are fluent in English.
Don't worry though, there's still a special word for mother-in-law.
#26
Netherlands
In the Netherlands, if you are going to meet up somewhere, be on time, please don't be late, its better if you are too early.
OneHappyPuppy 48 minutes ago
And then a Dutch person marries an Indian person (from this list above) and wreaks havoc in the universe
#27
Ireland
Irish compliments.
One example of many, a woman telling another that she looks absolutely massive has nothing to do with her size and is a lovely thing to say.
#28
Türkiye
Mom's calling their kids "mommy" and dads calling their kids "daddy". Not just that but any other title as such are used this way (aunt, uncle etc).
#29
Türkiye
Hamam's.
Imagine an underground bath house where big men only wear some loincloths, massage eachouther by beating eachother up and even use a pillowcase full of soap to clean. And its also the most straight experience you can have.
#30
South Africa
We say "shame" when we pity someone like "shame man, hope it works out" I think it's just short for "what a shame". Another one: saying sorry when someone gets hurt even though you're not the one who caused it.
#31
Chile
In Chile, at the supermarket checkout the cashier will always ask for something that sounds like "surrut". Foreigners are confused by this, what do they want? It's not even asked as a question!
What they want is "su RUT", basically your unique government ID number. This is used to get discounts or gather points to later exchange for products. If you don't have a points account with that particular supermarket, they will insist that you should become a member. They can be VERY insistent.
What many families do is have one account, and whoever buys something gives that "RUT". They don't mind, it could be my brother using my mom's number, they just ask if the name is correct, only to confirm that it is is correct.
My mom usually uses those point to basically buy everything for Christmas and New Year's dinner this way, a full fancy feast.
#32
Israel
Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday in which religious people fast (including not using electricity, cars, fire, etc) to atone for their sins. Somehow, the custom caught in Israel where nobody, religious, irreligious or even non Jewish drives on Yom Kippur. This includes all public transport, even taxis.
The streets are filled with cyclists and people walking on roads, everything is quiet and slow paced for the day.
It's a beautiful experience if you know what you're getting into, but I've met a tourist once a day before the holiday who had no idea just how stuck she's about to be...
#33
Belize
In Belize, people say, “right now” instead of “please wait a moment.” I think Belizean “right now” is similar to Mexican “ahorita.”
Once when I was at the airport, I was technically the next person in line, but the security agent wanted me to wait a moment. So she told me, “right now! right now!” and if I was a tourist I would have thought she wanted me to go immediately. It would have been so confusing!
Only because I had been living in Belize for a while, I understood that she actually wanted me to wait.
#34
Malaysia, Cameroon, Netherlands
Knocking on the door before entering an empty room you'll be staying in. Doesn't matter if it's a new house you bought, a hotel room, an Airbnb or even the room of a friend's home. It's more of a ritual to politely tell any spirits that may be inside that you'll be entering their home and that you're staying there as their guest.
#35
New Zealand
Yeah nah = no
Nah yeah = yes
Also most of our firefighters are volunteers, which means they have other jobs. In small towns there is often a siren that goes off to alert them that they are needed. This can be scary for tourists as a lot of them think they are tornado or tsunami warnings. Or maybe a sign of the purge starting.
#36
United States Of America
If someone says “How are you?” in the US, and probably most of Canada, the most they expect is a “fine.” It’s not even really a question, it’s mostly a formality.
I have heard a lot of people from Russia and Eastern Europe have had trouble with that when they came over here, because apparently you are expected to *actually* say how are doing when someone asks. I mentioned this to a Russian woman who was getting her doctoral degree over here, and she said “Oh, that’s why I don’t have any American friends.”.
OneHappyPuppy 44 minutes ago
Yeah, took me a while to get used to the Greek "what are you doing?" question - the answer is "fine, you?" and not "nothing" as it is in my home country...
#37
Ireland
There was a tradition in ireland of just knocking into your neighbours for a chat. No reason, no message, no urgent news. Just to say hello. .
#38
United States Of America
A brawl in the Waffle House isn't an emergency situation, it's *atmosphere.*.
#39
France
The proper way to cut cheeses, the idea is to share the best part (center) while cutting.
#40
New Zealand
Nz, we'll often say you can leave your shoes on when you come inside, but you're expected to take them off at the door
It's like we're testing you idk why we do it
This is the way.
#41
Mexico
In mexico, hospitality is a custom thats only in word, if you’re offered anything when entering a home which will happen every time, it is expected for you to decline, unless you really are thirsty lol.
It is also normal to be late, being very punctual to non formal gatherings could cause you to show up to a party that hasn’t even been set up!
#42
Norway
The older teens in red or blue pants blasting music in their vans late at night and handing out custom made cards of themselves to kids aren't in some weird gang, that's just tradition all over the country for 18-19 years olds leading up to our independence day on the 17th of may.
#43
United States Of America
In the south eastern united states it’s a common practice to offer to help someone with some kind of manual task, then get angry if they take you up on it. We all know to say no when someone outside of your family offers to assist with something.
Funny aside: I was talking to a funeral service in Washington County Florida about the cost of burying my mom’s ashes in a municipal cemetery. He told me I could do it myself for free; when I agreed that was a better option he offered to help me do it.
#44
France
Usually right before having dinner with friends or family, you drink what's called apéritif (can be almost anything) in order to celebrate. You also eat various snacks such as crisps, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, etc. which are in bowls. Most of the time, if there is only one item left in a bowl, don't eat it. It's considered kind of rude.
#45
Belgium
In belgium; the politic circus, for a country so small we have the record of the longest time without government not to mention the amount of ministers and other politician... We have so many parties, not to mention unions for every party which isn't bad but it gets confusing if you just get here.
#46
Argentina
Here in Argentina, if a friend calls you something derogatory or refers to you by a "bad" quality, it's because they care about you. We have a positively toxic way of relating to each other, so that we all grow mentally stronger.
The one who is fat will be nicknamed "the fat one," and the one who is black will be "the black one." And so on with everything you can think of.
Foreigners simply don't understand this, and any explanation we give seems to fail to convince them because they apply their culture to ours, which is very different.
#47
India
In India, if you meet someone after a long time, it is customary to insist that they visit your home (while secretly hoping they don’t accept)
It is also customary that the other person says that they will visit (without actually visiting)
“Please come home”
“Yes, of course we will”.
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