culture shock

Meaning

This expression refers to the feeling of disorientation, confusion, or anxiety that someone experiences when visiting or moving to a new country with a very different culture. It is a normal psychological phase that travelers and expats go through as they adapt to unfamiliar customs, languages, and social norms.

Examples

• Moving from a small village to Tokyo gave me a massive culture shock.

  Moving from a small village to Tokyo gave me a massive culture shock.

• It's normal to experience some culture shock when you first move abroad.

  It's normal to experience some culture shock when you first move abroad.

• The language barrier and different food choices contributed to her culture shock.

  The language barrier and different food choices contributed to her culture shock.

• He quickly got over his initial culture shock and began to enjoy the local lifestyle.

  He quickly got over his initial culture shock and began to enjoy the local lifestyle.

• To minimize culture shock, it helps to read about the country's customs before you travel.

  To minimize culture shock, it helps to read about the country's customs before you travel.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I felt a big cultural shock when I arrived.

  ✓ I felt a big culture shock when I arrived.

  While 'cultural' is an adjective, the standard idiomatic noun phrase is 'culture shock' (noun + noun).

• ✗ The local customs shocked my culture.

  ✓ I experienced culture shock because of the local customs.

  'Culture shock' is a state of mind experienced by a person; you cannot 'shock a culture' in this context.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The chaotic traffic and intense heat in the city gave me a bit of ___.

  💡 Disorientation in a new country.

  Show answer

  culture shock

• Expats often go through a period of ___ before they feel fully settled.

  💡 The psychological adjustment to a new environment.

  Show answer

  culture shock