Argentina Culture and Etiquette: Traveler Guide

Warm, expressive culture

Argentines dey famous for friendly, talkative and dem love touch touch. Conversation dey lively, personal space small, and friendship dey form quick quick. If you sabi small customs e go help you blend in from Buenos Aires to Mendoza.

Greetings

• Even between men, di standard greeting na one kiss for di right cheek. Handshake na for formal or business first meeting only.
• Use buenos dias, buenas tardes or buenas noches anytime you dey enter shop or cafe.
• Argentines dey use vos instead of tu (so na vos tenes, no be tu tienes) and dem get special sh sound for ll and y.

Mate: di national ritual

Mate (herbal tea wey dem dey sip through metal bombilla) dem dey share from one gourd wey pass round di group. Etiquette matter:

• No touch or stir di bombilla, just drink am and pass am back.
• If you finish di gourd (make slurping sound) na polite, e no be rude.
• Say gracias only when you don tire and you wan stop di round.

Food and dining

• Dinner dey late, often 9 to 10 pm; restaurants no dey full reach 10pm.
• Di asado (barbecue) na social institution; di asador wey dey grill dem dey honor am, so praise di meat.
• No rush your food. To dey linger for table, wey dem call sobremesa, na part of di experience.

Tipping

• For restaurants, drop around 10% for cash, because tips no dey often add for card payments.
• Tip cafe waiters small change, and round up for taxi.
• Cubierto (cover charge for bread and table service) na normal thing and e no be tip.

Do's and don'ts

• Do learn small football; passion for Boca, River and Messi run deep.
• Don't call Malvinas the Falklands, na sensitive political matter.
• Do reach 15 to 30 minutes late for social invitation; punctuality loose for social matter but for business e strict.
• Don't confuse Argentines with other Latin Americans; national pride strong, dem get European, Italian and indigenous roots.
• Do dress fine for city; Argentines value good presentation.

Stay connected for Argentina

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