If you are an expat in France, you must have heard strange phrases like "stupid as his feet", "throw the baby out with the bathwater" or " you shouldn't push granny into the nettles "... Indeed, the French love to use expressions that are more outlandish than the others.
As it is not always easy to find your way around all these strange proverbs, I have gathered here some links on French expressions and their definitions:
In French, we don't like blank moments in dialogues or conversations. That's why when a French person is thinking or taking time to answer, they use little words to avoid silence. Called language tics, these filler words don't really make sense. It's typical of the French to use these words.
Why keep it simple when you can make it complicated? You can't argue with me, the French have a unique way of counting numbers. 70 is said soixante-dix (60+10), 80 is quatre-vingt (4×20). And what about 90? Get ready. It's pronounced quatre-vingt-dix (4×20+10). In fact, counting in French is almost like doing math.
12. The use of the informal and formal form of address
The formal "vous" is a unique feature of the French language. It is the polite way of addressing someone instead of using the pronoun "tu". Using "vous" is therefore part of the social codes of the French.
As a general rule, you use "vous" when you're talking to a stranger or if the person you're talking to is older than you. In reality, it's much more complex. The usage depends on the person, but qatar whatsapp number data also on the context (professional, formal, informal, etc.). In the end, even French speakers don't get it right anymore. It often happens to me that I address a stranger who is about my age formally, and that he, in return, addresses me informally.
Tourists and expats are often surprised by the number of demonstrations that can be seen on the Place de la République every month in Paris. There are demonstrations against police violence, against pension reform, against price increases... In short, the French love to take to the streets to show their discontent. I would even say that it is one of their favorite habits!
More seriously, in France, we take advantage of our right to demonstrate to claim our fundamental rights, hard-won by our ancestors. And that seems entirely justified to me.
14. Complain
“Oh no, it’s going to rain all day”, “Oh no, 35°C, we’re going to burn in this weather”… The French have a bad reputation for never being satisfied and for complaining about everything. This typically French behavior is in some way a product of the French Revolution of 1789. The French are revolutionaries . They are strong in emotions and they are not afraid to say what they think, even negative things.
15. Hate Paris
It is well known that all French people who do not live in Paris hate Paris. Why? Because of the poor quality of life compared to other cities in France. So, yes, Paris is the city of love, there is the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Arc du Triomphe… But Paris also means expensive rents, people who are often in too much of a hurry and streets that are not always very clean.
Here are the 15 French habits that most surprise foreigners. Do you find these customs surprising or funny? Do you know any others? The list of bizarre traditions is still very long: the obsession with baguettes or wine, the game of pétanque, the use of the word "cow" in vocabulary... Last question: do you think you can live like a Frenchman? Find out by taking our quiz "How French are you?"