Republic of Chile

Chilean Spanish accented distinctively, with final syllables and “s” sounds dropped, and soft pronunciation of some consonants.

Dining Etiquette
Women sit before men.
The hostess invites people to eat.
Keep your hands visible when eating. Keep your wrists
resting on the edge of the table.
Always use utensils to eat.
Avoid speaking with
eating utensils in your
hands.
It is considered polite
to finish everything on
your plate.
The host makes the
first toast.

Gift Giving Etiquette
If invited to a Chilean's home, take sweets/chocolates or wine for the hostess.
Do not give yellow roses as they indicate contempt.
Do not give purple or black flowers as they symbolize death.
Do not give scissors or knives as they indicate you want to sever the relationship.

Business Meetings
Pay attention to hand movements - gestures change in
meaning across cultures.
It is common to interrupt someone while they are speaking.
Schedules are not very structured and issues can be tackled all
at the same time.
It is important to be
patient as time is not of
the essence in Chile –
meetings will last as long
as they need to last.
Never openly criticize
anyone.