6 Countries Where It’s Rude To Make Eye Contact

According to scientific research, more than half of all communication is nonverbal, but even with body language, it’s easy for things to get lost in translation. In particular, eye contact etiquette varies across the world, with different cultures thinking of it in completely opposite ways as a result of centuries of tradition. Discover some of the countries where it’s rude to make eye contact, as well as other body-language faux pas to avoid when traveling abroad.

Japan, China, and South Korea

Japanese etiquette is considerably different from its Western counterparts, and that includes eye contact. Anything beyond two to three seconds is likely to make people uncomfortable, as it comes across as being overly direct — and, depending on your conversation partner, even aggressive. Japanese people more often look slightly past one another or glance away after making initial eye contact.

In a study published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, a group of Japanese, Canadian, and Trinidadian participants’ “eye gaze displays” were recorded as they answered a series of questions — some of which they knew the answers to and some of which they didn’t. Trinidadians maintained the most eye contact while answering, whereas Japanese participants made the least eye contact. When contemplating their answers, Canadians and Trinidadians tended to look up, while Japanese participants looked down.

Eye contact is thought of similarly in China and South Korea for largely the same reasons. Chinese people “do not ‘open their face’ to everyone, and they control their emotions,” according to the 2007 guide 101 Stories for Foreigners To Understand Chinese People by Yi S. Ellis and Bryan D. Ellis. “Thus, lack of eye contact does not say anything about their honesty or focus.” Indirect eye contact is likewise preferred in South Korea, though the younger generations tend to be more comfortable with it than their elders.

Saudi Arabia and Iran

In Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran, eye contact is context- and gender-specific. It’s usually discouraged between men and women in public spaces due to cultural and religious norms. Eye contact implies familiarity, even intimacy, and is thus considered inappropriate between members of the opposite sex who aren’t already acquainted with one another.

Nigeria

More than half of Nigeria’s population of 237 million is Muslim, and they treat eye contact similarly to other countries with a strong Islamic heritage. It’s common between members of the same sex and social status, but Muslim women usually won’t make direct eye contact with men. It’s also considered rude to do so with one’s superiors, whether in the workplace or elsewhere, and a special level of deference is reserved for one’s elders.

Russia, Indonesia, and Turkey

Eye contact isn’t the only form of nonverbal communication, of course — body language plays a significant role as well. The next time you find yourself trying to amuse a small child in Russia, Indonesia, or Turkey, don’t pretend to take their nose. The “fig” gesture — making a fist with your thumb wedged between your index and middle fingers — is considered obscene in these countries, and in Turkey it could even mean you want to fight.

Brazil, France, and Germany

In countries including Brazil, Germany, and France (where it means “zero” or “worthless”), the “OK” sign is considered rude. It’s the equivalent of giving someone the middle finger in America. Richard Nixon learned this the hard way when he visited Brazil in the 1950s, as the then-vice president flashed the symbol after his plane landed in Rio de Janeiro and accidentally offended everyone who was there to greet him.

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