HSK 4 · Article · 350 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-tea-etiquette-tapping-fingers

倒茶的时候，为什么敲桌子？

Chinese tea etiquette: why tap two fingers to say thanks?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

第一次dìyīcì和hé朋友péngyǒu一家人yìjiārén去qù吃chī早茶zǎochá，我wǒ坐zuò在zài朋友péngyǒu的de爷爷yéye旁边pángbiān。他tā的de茶chá喝hē完wán了le，我wǒ就jiù给gěi他tā倒dào茶chá。

我wǒ每měi倒dào一次yícì，爷爷yéye就jiù用yòng两liǎng个gè手指shóuzhǐ在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng敲qiāo一yì敲qiāo，什么shénme也yě不bù说shuō。

我wǒ心里xīnli有点儿yóudiǎnr紧张jǐnzhāng：他tā是不是shìbúshì觉得juéde我wǒ太tài慢màn了le？

后来hòulái朋友péngyǒu告诉gàosù我wǒ：“没事méishì，他tā是shì在zài说shuō谢谢xièxie。”

在zài中国zhōngguó南方nánfāng，特别tèbié是shì广东guǎngdōng，很hěn多duō人rén吃饭chīfàn的de时候shíhou要yào喝hē很hěn多duō茶chá。有人yǒurén帮bāng你nǐ倒dào茶chá，你nǐ不用búyòng每次měicì都dōu说shuō“谢谢xièxie”，用yòng两liǎng个gè手指shóuzhǐ敲敲qiāoqiao桌子zhuōzi就jiù可以kéyǐ了le。

为什么wèishénme敲qiāo桌子zhuōzi就是jiùshì“谢谢xièxie”？有yǒu一yí个gè故事gùshi，和hé一个yígè皇帝huángdì有yǒu关系guānxì。

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，乾隆皇帝qiánlóng-huángdì想xiǎng看看kànkan老百姓láobǎixìng的de生活shēnghuó，就jiù穿chuān上shàng老百姓láobǎixìng的de衣服yīfu，到dào南方nánfāng去qù了le。他tā的de仆人púrén也yě跟着gēnzhe他tā。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，他们tāmen在zài一yì家jiā小xiǎo店diàn里喝茶hēchá。皇帝huángdì为wèi仆人púrén倒dào了le一yì杯bēi茶chá。

这下zhèxià仆人púrén不bù知道zhīdào怎么办zěnmebàn了le。皇帝huángdì为wèi你nǐ倒dào茶chá，你nǐ应该yīnggāi马上mǎshàng跪下guìxià。可是kěshì在zài店diàn里跪下guìxià，大家dàjiā就jiù都dōu知道zhīdào这zhè个gè客人kèren是shì皇帝huángdì了le。

最后zuìhòu，他tā把bǎ两liǎng个gè手指shóuzhǐ弯wān了le弯wān，在zài桌子zhuōzi上shàng敲qiāo了le几jǐ下xià，好像hǎoxiàng一yí个gè人rén跪guì在zài地上dìshang。

这zhè只是zhǐshì一yí个gè故事gùshi，不bù一定yídìng是shì真的zhēnde。可是kěshì现在xiànzài，很hěn多duō人rén都dōu这样zhèyàng说shuō“谢谢xièxie”。

下次xiàcì有人yǒurén帮bāng你nǐ倒dào茶chá，你nǐ也yě可以kéyǐ试试shìshi。我wǒ试shì过guò了le，爷爷yéye笑xiào了le。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
心里xīnliin one's heart; in one's mind
后来hòuláiafterwards; later
南方nánfāngthe South (of China); southern part
特别tèbiéspecial; unusual; especially; particularly
不用búyòngneed not; don't have to
故事gùshistory; tale
关系guānxìrelation; relationship
久jiǔlong (time)
以前yǐqiánbefore; previously; formerly
生活shēnghuólife; to live
怎么办zěnmebànwhat to do; what should one do
客人kèrenguest; visitor

English (for the teacher)

The first time I went for morning dim sum with my friend's family, I sat next to my friend's grandpa. When he finished his tea, I poured him some more.

Every time I poured, Grandpa tapped the table with two fingers and didn't say a word.

I felt a bit nervous: did he think I was too slow?

Later my friend told me, “It's fine, he was saying thank you.”

In southern China, especially Guangdong, lots of people drink a lot of tea with their meals. When someone pours you tea, you don't have to say “thank you” every time; just tap the table with two fingers.

Why does tapping the table mean “thank you”? There's a story about it, and it has to do with an emperor.

Long ago, the Qianlong Emperor wanted to see how ordinary people lived, so he put on ordinary people's clothes and went to the south. His servant went with him.

One day they were drinking tea in a little shop. The emperor poured his servant a cup of tea.

Now the servant didn't know what to do. When the emperor pours you tea, you're supposed to kneel at once. But if he knelt in the shop, everyone would know the customer was the emperor.

In the end he bent two fingers and tapped them on the table a few times, like a person kneeling on the ground.

It's only a story, and it may not be true. But these days lots of people say “thank you” this way.

Next time someone pours you tea, you can give it a try too. I tried it, and Grandpa smiled.