Earlier than transferring to France, I had SO many concepts about what French individuals had been like. Some had been based mostly on films, additionally my highschool journey to France as a teen the place our group was really spit on by a drunk man. Different concepts I’d had had been from what I’d learn on-line and from individuals who had visited France already.
As a result of I didn’t know higher on the time, I believed what I used to be informed. Possibly you’ll be able to relate? I see all types of stereotypes about France and French life in my YouTube and weblog feedback and plenty of time, the individuals writing the feedback haven’t even been to France and don’t know any French individuals.
I’m the primary to confess that blindly believing these items may be actually damaging and create extra distance and hate, as if that’s what the world wants extra of proper now. Anyway, now that I really stay in France, I can let you know that a number of the stereotypes I believed are completely false. Others, nicely, there’s slightly little bit of fact, however it’s far more nuanced than I anticipated. So let’s get into it.
Stereotypes about French individuals and France I used to consider earlier than transferring right here
Listed here are 5 stereotypes I believed concerning the French and France earlier than I moved right here. You possibly can’t actually perceive a spot till you expertise it for your self, so let’s go!
1. Everybody eats fancy French meals every single day
France is thought for its meals and there’s no scarcity of drool-worthy creations. You see beautiful desserts within the bakery and scrumptious meals in every single place you flip, so I had this concept that each meal in France could be some elaborate, high-end Michelin-star-worthy creation.
Properly, I used to be verrry unsuitable. It seems that folks right here eat just too and even take pleasure in frozen pizza and McDonald’s. In reality, France is McDonald’s second largest international market, after the US.
Sure, meals tradition is tremendous necessary, and the standard of even easy substances is wonderful. However on a day-to-day foundation, individuals eat regular meals identical to anyplace else. They’re not all cooking 5-course meals from scratch and spending hours within the kitchen or eating out at 5-star eating places each evening and getting each day pastries from the bakery.
Whereas most French of us aren’t grabbing a each day ache au chocolate, many DO decide up contemporary bread, although, no less than a few instances every week. That’s not a stereotype. Bread is a should!
However again to informal meals. Sure, French individuals will seize a fast sandwich from the bakery for lunch or have some soup or reheat a quiche from the grocery store. They preserve it straightforward and easy too generally like individuals anyplace else.
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2. French persons are smug
Okay, this one will get thrown round on a regular basis and might be the most important stereotype we hear concerning the French. They’re all SO impolite and arrogan, proper?
Earlier than transferring, I had this picture of the French as tremendous snobby, smug, judgy individuals, not solely about your style decisions however about YOU on the whole. I had an older good friend who was a flight attendant who recurrently interacted with a sure sort of French traveler and plenty of her opinions seemingly confirmed this conceitedness. I’m embarrassed to confess I believed her.
However the actuality? It’s only a drained stereotype that’s not true.
After all you will see that smug individuals in France — I’ve met some — however you’ll discover individuals like that in each nation. What I’ve discovered is that French tradition values directness, which might generally come throughout as conceitedness to outsiders—particularly when you’re used to cultures the place individuals sugarcoat every part. On prime of that, the French are very happy with their tradition, particularly their meals and wine.
On prime of that, there’s a language facet I need to level out too. The French language can sound form of formal and the particular phrase decisions may sound snobby to our English -speaking ears, or just like the French individual is attempting to one-up somebody with fancy vocabulary in English, whereas in French, the phrases are regular.
It’s when the French speaker actually interprets the phrase from French to English and tries to make use of it the identical approach in English that the tone will get misplaced in translation. In my expertise, this occurs essentially the most when a French individual has a decrease stage of English and doesn’t know {that a} extra pure or informal phrase alternative exists to say the identical factor.
However the fact is, these formal-sounding phrases aren’t formal in any respect in French! It’s quite common in French to make use of the verb améliorer. For something. Your laptop abilities at work. Your stage of health. No matter. Améliorer is a traditional verb in French, simply as regular as “enhance” could be in English.
Now most English-speaking adults know the phrase ameliorate exists in English and means “to make higher or enhance,” however it’s not our prime phrase alternative to specific that sentiment. We don’t use ameliorate in English as incessantly because the French do in French. We’d simply say we’d like to enhance one thing or get higher at one thing.
So when a French individual says in French that they need to “ameliorate their stage of English” in an off-the-cuff dialog with buddies, it’s completely understood and doesn’t sound formal. But when they had been to say the identical factor in English, it sounds a bit unnecessarily subtle.
You see how seemingly regular French phrase decisions can come off in an unintended approach in English and perhaps appear unnecessarily fancy and even smug? There are plenty of phrases like that (and when English audio system do THIS). So simply one thing to pay attention to.
To wrap this level up, in my expertise dwelling right here since 2012 and assembly all types of individuals throughout France, I don’t discover the French to be any kind of smug than another nationality. So this stereotype has NOT held true for me.
3. The French hate People
On my first journey to France as a teen, our tour group was spit on by a drunk unhoused man at a Nanterre park, and we additionally encountered some impolite waiters on that journey. Tradition shock hit me exhausting, so my first impression of France wasn’t a terrific one. It made me suppose that French individuals hated People and it’s exhausting to see nuance and even have perspective at age 16.
That early expertise and destructive tales from different vacationers all formed my impression of French individuals, a lot in order that earlier than visiting a second time a decade later, I used to be bracing myself for the hate I’d get as soon as individuals realized I used to be from the US.
However guess what? That by no means occurred.
Positive, politics can generally make issues sophisticated, and French individuals might not assist the present administration and coverage choices – like plenty of People as nicely – however on a person-to-person stage, the French don’t hate People only for the sake of it, which I hope is reassuring to you. I need to repeat that, the overwhelming majority of French individuals don’t blindly hate People on a person stage.
I actually believed I’d be hated so it was a reduction as soon as I moved right here to know that’s not the case. I imply certain, you’ll be able to meet some idiots who’re hateful individuals on the whole and when you act like an entitled vacationer or are impolite, you may not be handled nicely and I feel that’s the case anyplace.
However French persons are not hateful towards People. In reality, plenty of French persons are interested by American tradition, love speaking about films, music, and meals, and I can’t let you know what number of instances I’ve met somebody who tells me about their nice journey to California or New York or wherever. My being American has opened some doorways and led to a bunch of nice conversations.
Now all that mentioned, there *is* a stereotype about People being dangerous vacationers, you already know what I imply, being loud or anticipating everybody to talk English, so when you present slightly effort and fundamental respect—like saying ‘Bonjour’ as a substitute of simply leaping into English—you’ll be simply nice.
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4. French individuals gown like they’re in a style journal
Truthfully, earlier than visiting, I assumed I’d be strolling amongst Parisians dressed like runway fashions every single day. The reality? Whereas model is necessary right here, not everybody seems like a Vogue cowl, particularly not out in small cities and villages the place individuals’s model decisions are surprisingly relaxed.
Sure, individuals have a tendency to decorate extra put-together than perhaps the typical American—you gained’t see many individuals in pajamas on the grocery retailer—however the concept each French individual is effortlessly stylish on a regular basis? Not fairly.
Folks put on shorts and t-shirts and never everyone seems to be trendy. I’ve a weblog put up HERE on how French girls gown and a few style ideas that I feel you’ll like for extra on this subject.
5. Paris = France
Earlier than transferring, I form of assumed that what I noticed in Paris was *THE* French expertise. However France is a lot extra than simply Paris. Identical to the US is rather more than simply NYC or LA.
The tradition, meals, structure, landscapes, costs, and even the way in which individuals converse varies wildly relying on the place you might be. A small city in la Bretagne? Completely totally different vibe from Marseille. Residing within the Loire Valley out the place I’m is a world away from Paris.
If there’s one takeaway from this put up, it’s this: Hold an open thoughts and don’t put a whole nation into one field like I did as a teen. Additionally, don’t assume 100% of every part you’ve heard is true, even what I’m saying right here and in addition don’t count on to know a rustic simply from the surface trying in or from only a quick journey there.
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Anyway, these had been 5 stereotypes I believed concerning the French and I’d like to know when you consider or used to consider any of them. Possibly you’ve modified your thoughts like I’ve after transferring to France or spending extra time right here. I’d love to listen to from you down within the feedback. Thanks for studying!
P.S. Oui In France was named one among Feedspot’s “High 100 French Blogs” on the internet, so thanks to them, and take a look at the full checklist right here!
