Personal space
Neutral Neutral
What it really means
Brits like about an arm's length of space in conversation and keep gaps in queues. Standing very close, touching someone's arm mid-chat, or sitting right next to a stranger on an empty bus can feel intrusive. Crowded trains suspend the rules — everyone accepts squashing at rush hour — but the space returns as soon as the crowd does.
Chinese explanation
英国人聊天时喜欢保持大约一臂的距离，排队时也留出间隔。站得太近、聊天时碰对方手臂、在空荡的公交车上紧挨陌生人坐下，都会让人感到被冒犯。拥挤的火车上规则暂停——高峰期挤成一团大家都接受——但人一少，距离感马上回来。
Example conversation
A: The bus was empty but that man sat right next to me. Is that normal?
B: No — with free seats everywhere, people expect a bit of personal space. It's an unwritten rule.
A：公交车明明是空的，那个人却紧挨着我坐。这正常吗？
B：不正常——到处有空座时，大家都默认要保持点个人空间。这是条不成文的规矩。
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.
Related phrases
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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake