Words to be careful with

Some textbook-looking words carry baggage in real life. Calling a waitress 小姐 (xiǎojiě) alone can offend in mainland China because the word picked up a secondary meaning — use 服务员 (server) or the friendly 美女/帅哥 instead. 同志 (tóngzhì, 'comrade') survives in official contexts, but in everyday speech it now mostly means a gay person — don't use it as a general form of address. 农民 (farmer) is a neutral occupation word that also appears in put-downs — use it for occupations, never to describe someone's manners.

Directness about age, weight, and salary is more common in China than many learners expect, and elders may comment on yours warmly — but as an outsider, hold back from reciprocating until you can read the room. With any newly met group, food, family, and travel are reliably safe topics; politics is not a smalltalk category.