American Reacts France - The Don'ts of Visiting France
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2024
- Original Video: • France - The Don'ts of...
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I consider it arrogant of anyone to go to a country when they haven't learned even the phrases for greetings, booking a room, a meal, a journey. Most people have months between arranging a visit and travelling abroad. Learning basic everyday words shows respect, as does dressing decently, and being polite.
truee but then why do French people come to my country and don't know basic sentences in my language and know like 5 words of broken english ... I work season jobs on the coast in my country and deal with a lot of tourists and boyyy when i tell you the instant annoyance i get when a person (mostly french or italian) is trying to explain what food or drinks they want in their own language like tf bro? if not my language, then at least english. When i had my graduation trip in France,i was trying to ask if someone found my phone in a restourant and the dude who worked there clearly understood me kept smiling at me and responding in french. I understand being proud of your country but so is everyone else in Europe they just realise the world doesn't revolve around them, speaking english connects you to the world, not just usa or uk so i think everyone shoud get of their high horse and learn a bit of english. The double standards of the french not meeting the rest of the world half way are hilarious.
@@sanitycheck1828 it is even worst with anglophile people!
cool bro, u just sound arrogant
@@sanitycheck1828 You know the guy can understand you and not knowing how to respond in English. I dont think it is arrogance, It s just that French people are ashamed of their bad level in English and are scared to look stupid. So they speak French. With most of the French I know It s more about the lack of confidence than arrogance
Ah ah😂, it's clear, i wonder who is arrogant, french, it's clear that they are proud, no one asks why in many countries we speak french, even in Louisiana?😅
As a French I think the rude stereotype come from different social cues (I'm not saying we don't have jerks because we do). When we meet someone you we're usually more reserve because if we're overly excited it seems fake. Trying to make friends with the French takes time but once we are, we're loyal.
The cliché's come a lot from Parisians and they are really different than the others french .
@@gojosatoru_goat2971 false.
@@MrSombrecoeur Hell nah , you are just Parisian x)
@@gojosatoru_goat2971 I am not. instead of many people i lived in more than 10 department located in north south west eat. include paris for 10 years. french are the same everywhere. the focus on the parisian is just hypocritical and parisian suffers the same issues as every metropolitan cities. the main fact is their primary attitude is just to be french. honest and direct who is impossible for anglo saxons ethnicity who just speak hypocritical everytime " ho you made a sand castle with your hands looking like a hill aweeesommme".....
@@MrSombrecoeur As a french too i dont believe you cause you say so many bullshit we cant talk about the same country ..
I had the most helpful encounters in France. They wanted to know more about me and where I lived in Colorado. They helped me with my French.
Yes the French are proud and patriotic.
To a question that a news channel had asked all over Western Europe:
"If your country was attacked, would you take up arms to defend it?"
The French answered "YES" with the highest rate of all Europeans.
t’es un mytho, y’a trop de bagarre entre les « patriotes » et les gens de gauche, tout les français ne sont pas patriotes, je dirais même que c’est une minorité, pourquoi défendre un pays qui te dépouille
Hello there! Are you sure? I guess Finland was not included in the survey...
This is valid for many countries. As a French person, I am proud of my country, and I am proud and sincerely happy that Finland is part of Europe with its own culture.@@Gittas-tube
@@Gittas-tube He said the survey was all over *western* Europe.
@@GileadMaerlyn Hello there! Finland is definitely a Western European country and has always been, except for the period when we were an autonomous grand duchy of the Russian Empire (1809 to the Russian revolution). If you are under the impression that Finland belongs to Eastern Europe, take a look at the history of Finland and where it's at in the present. You will be pleasantly surprised all in all, I hope! Come and visit us to see for yourself! 😊
Napoleon's tomb is in Les Invalides in Paris. It was originally a retirement home for war veterans (invalide means disabled). It is a beautiful building, with a church and the Musée de l'armée (museum of the army). In addition to Napoleon's tomb, it contains the tombs of Turenne (greatest commander of the 17th century), Vauban (greatest military engineer of all time), Jérôme and Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleon's brothers, who were respectively king of Westphalia and king of Spain), Géraud Duroc and Charles Leclerc (both generals of Napoleon who were killed on campaign), Henri-Gatien Bertrand (a general of Napoleon who accompanied him in exile in St Helena until Napoleon's death and who brought back his body years later to France), Napoleon II (Napoleon's son), Ferdinand Foch (marshal of France and supreme allied commander in WW1) and Hubert Lyautey (Marshal of France and conqueror of Morocco).
Other notable figures buried in the underground gallery include four marshals of the Empire under Napoleon, 19 marshals of France and many generals.
Sorry Connor, but I've got to call you out about English not being understood in France, it's literally the second language of many French people due to it's history with England. Even in the smallest towns/villages, people do understand English and will, if they see you struggling in French, respond in English. Most Americans only know English, though it is good to see Spanish become the unofficial second language, and given the US tendency to think all things revolve around them, it can ruffle people's feathers in other countries. I was born in Montreal and I cannot tell you how many times tourists from the US would start talking loudly and ever so slowly in English on the assumption I only spoke French. The looks on their faces when I suddenly responded in English was priceless. Point being, what Americans may see as snobbery is more often than not a reaction to what they perceive as condescension on the part of American tourists.
Apologies if I'm coming across harsh, that is not my intent.
Not harsh but wrong. I've worked and travelled extensively in France.
@@kevanwillis4571 Um, I going to have to take your comment with a grain of salt given I literally lived in France for over 10 years (Reims, Limoges and Dijon) and it wasn't an issue to see the French speak English to people if needed.
@@JonInCanada1 Reims Limoges and Dijon are relatively big cities, of course you will find english-speaking people there. And sure, a fair bit of people do understand english and can more or less speak it (in a form named "franglais"), even in small towns (even more so if there is a historical site of note nearby. Even touristy villages can have tourism offices that will help you) but if you're expecting random citizens in small villages to be fluent you are very likely to be mistaken. There even are villages where people barely speak an understandable french.
@@JonInCanada1 I agree. I have a daughter who is in the French school system. The kids start learning English as early as the first year in primary school. Obviously for her being bilingual, she didn't learn anything new. In my experience, the knowledge of English is broken down firstly by the level of education. Generally speaking, the more educated someone is, he is likely to speak or at least understand English. Secondly the knowledge of English is based on the age of the French. Most younger French population speaks English while the older generation does not.
You can't compare Canada to France. Despite studying it in school, most French people don't feel confident enough in their English skills to speak it.
Despite a lot of exchanges, most of our history with England has been very conflictual. There's no hatred, but we won't miss an opportunity to ridicule and make fun of each other.
Some of us don't admire most aspects of the American culture despite what Americans may think. We don't hate them, but we often see them as being ignorant and full of themselves. I think some tourists expected to be admired and to recieve some special threatment for being American. They also expect French people to be rude as it's part of their stereotypes.
There's a guy who recently made a video called "Why Do Europeans Dislike Americans So Much?" where he laments that being American doesn't seem to be cool anymore. I don't think it ever was.
We have a hard time to admire a country who believes that it have some exclusivity on freedom and is worst than some 3rd World countries on so many aspects despite being the first World economy.
Hi ! These wooden houses are from Alsace region, but in France you have several differents styles of wooden houses, the most notible ones being Alsatian (obviously), Normandic (from Normandy, usually straight logs from ground to top), Britton (from Brittany, equally as colourfull as alsatian, except the colours are on the wood, not on the cob), Bourguignon (from Burgundy) etc... The first ones to have built wooden houses like these are the neolithic people, and it was a common construction technique during the roman empire, middle ages and early rennaissance.
On the wood ? Not at all, I don't know where you got that info from. 🤔
Don't expect them to speak English purely for your convenience. It's not that many can't speak English, btw. Just that they tend to adopt the perfectly reasonable position that as you're in THEIR country, the least you can do is make the effort to acquire a basic ability to communicate in French.
So at least TRY to do so and if/when you get into difficulties, THEN most of them who can, will happily use English in return.
The alternative, especially in Paris, is that you'll be the unlucky recipient of an interminable succession of classic Gallic shrugs. All delivered in complete silence and yet conveying effortlessly the impression of the perpetrator's absolute indifference to whatever it is that you may be asking..
.. and to whether or not you EVER manage to discover what the answer could be.
French here, and when a non-French-speaking tourist comes across me so ask me something, I indeed prefer to be stoped in French rather than English, even tho a have no major difficulties with English.
Because the person is not supposed to know if I know English or not, so I consider it being the minimum of politeness required. I'm gonna help the person anyway, but I tend to cringe when someone seem to think that English is granted everywere they go.
Why make other people's lives harder. Does it make.ypu feel superior?
@@TheDeldaisy And i send your comment back to you. Meaning, if politeness and respect are concepts that bother you, we don't need you to come, and you are uninvited. We are neither tourists' dogs nor their servants, and hence we naturally take issue with such a condescending attitude. Americans who believe that the world should do things the same as the USA in every way, and can't fathom that each place has its ways to do things, should stay at home and watch their reality TV while eating pop-corn. This is where those people are the most appreciated, and this is where they will have the best time. Have a nice day.
Bonjour. Vous avez tout dit. C'est exactement ça. Cela peut être même considéré par les français.es comme une certaine arrogance voire même de la supériorité ! Un comble, quand on sait ce que les anglo-saxons ont créé comme clichés dégradants sur la nature des français, la baguette sous le bras, le béret et leur manque d'hygiène notamment. Les choses ont changé. C'est c'est très bien comme ça. Merci pour votre ressenti. Portez-vous bien.
@@TheDeldaisyIt's a question of politeness when you go to a place where none of the laguages you know are spoken. It's not like I'm asking toursits to be fluent, just to say "Bonjour, excusez-moi" when they stop me. Nothing crazy to learn before going on a trip.
And no, I don't "make other people's lives harder", if you read me correctly, you should have noticed that I said "I'm gonna help the person anyway"
@@TheDeldaisyReste chez toi, ça sera mieux.
I don't know where you got the impression that the French don't speak as much English as other European countries, it's quite the opposite!
I'm English, but I spend a great deal of time in France each year and they frankley put most other countries to shame when it comes to speaking English.
Depends id you compare with southern European countries where people don't speak English of with northern Europe where people do. France is better than Spain in English but worse than Germany (just an example). And that's pretty consistent in other matters, including culture. They mentionned the perspective on being late, France really is inbetween Southern and Northern Europe.
Et toi tu parle français ?
Anyway, all depend if you learned English, Spanish, German or other language at school. If your native language is English and you learned German, you won't be able to speak French. So it is for the French people too if thgey learnt another language than English.
@@noefillon1749 I quote you: "France is better than Spain in English but worse than Germany (just an example). And that's pretty consistent in other matters, including culture. "
Do you mean to say that culture in France is worse than in Germany??? Very weird phrasing.
@@cleaner1984 That is not to say 'worse'. I mean France is often between a Germanic culture and a Latin culture in many aspects. The language is another example : Latin roots with Germanic influences on the pronunciation. The adjective 'worse' referred only to English level. I would not risk trying to rank cultures as a whole.
You could say the French are very much set in their ways, less open to change than other Europeans and Americans. They are more uptight about manners and politeness which, ironically, may look as being rude at first especially to Americans who, let's be honest, have done a pretty terrible job at portraying "the French" in general. The French are very confrontational in nature, you just have to look at their politics or their TV shows where debates between opposite parties are frequent and can routinely last for hours. Good presentation and thanks for avoiding the same old tired clichés from the start.
As a French I can tell you that people don't make the choice to not speak English because of some sort of pride to be French or whatever, but because most people are ashamed and scared to not have a good English accent, which seems to be VERY hard to achieve for most people (idk why though because I personally don't sound French at all when I speak English so I don't understand why it's so problematic). Not being able to reproduce the accent makes makes people dislike English and studying it becomes a pain, therefore people are bad at English, or at least orally, when they graduate. The fact that after school we can't practice English regularly doesn't help either. Some people are capable to speak a little bit but they don't understand the thick accents or when people talk too fast so what can they do ?
About the other countries like Germany, their language is close to English so that's way easier to learn the language, the Nordic countries have a better teaching system too, I believe. If you go in Italy, Spain, Portugal or in the East, I'm pretty sure that most people can't speak English.
I concur with everything. Spain is one of the 3 european countries that are worse than us french in languages. Obviously, the worst, by a landslide is the UK. English is probably as hard to learn and pronounce for us that it is for english speakers to learn french. While everything you say is true, there is always the question: "why should i be the one to go through all the struggle, just so that this english speaking guy doesn't have to bother? Especially in MY country?". Does not make any sense.
Hello there! Social codes are very important in France if you want to get good service.
In the mid-sixties when I lived in Paris (I'm fluent in French), I wondered why some shopkeepers seemed less than happy to see me come into their shop. Only later did I learn that when you enter a shop in France, you're supposed to say "bonjour" in a general manner to the shopkeeper and everybody else, that is, other customers in the shop at that moment. Also, you're expected to be very polite but at the same time affirmative. Good manners, table manners, in particular of course, are 'de rigueur', a must. Better learn what those are in France before you get there. Two rules, as examples:
-- learn how to hold your knife and fork properly and their placement during and after a meal,
-- in France you're supposed to keep your hands 'on the table' during the meal, not under the table or in your lap, which is the norm in many other countries.
Paris and Parisians are special they dont really represent France and french people .
Yes. In the video, i can tell the ladies are not french, because they aren't good at table manners. Enough that it bothers me when watching. Not enough for me to leave the place, though, just a tickling feeling that something is amiss (the left hand on their lap).
First time in Paris, I knew not to try and order in a coffee shop in English, you will be ignored. But I hadn't spoken French since school, so I had a go anyway. At the end of my trip, fourth coffee, another customer told me, "you're ordering coffee in Italian". In many places, they just hate the English who don't make an effort to speak the language. I also have had some interesting conversations with French people living in England. The non-parisienne French people I've met tend to distance themselves from Parisiennes, who they refer to as arrogant a-holes, which is consistent with my experiences.
Edit... have been charmed by lovely people from other parts of France. Reims in particular is somewhere worth considering a visit to.
Typical provincial complex opposite the capital.
You have to see the people who work in Paris, who live there.
In a place like NYC or London, people are rushed, stressed, tired and don't automatically agree to do selfies for postcards.
I worked 4 km from my home and I was obliged, given my job, to go there by car. 45 minutes every morning to go to work.
If an American or an Englishman had asked me to take a selfie or spend two hours asking me something, despite my rather open character, I don't think I would have even looked at it.
Life in Paris is much less cool than everywhere in France for working people
Well those conversations I had with french people were friends I used to meet up with in central London. Between train and tube, it took me 2 hours to get to work and 1 hr 40 to get home. That's south east london to north east london. Put Hither Green to Whipps Cross Hospital in a journey planner if you don't believe me. No point using a car cuz there was nowhere to park at Whipps Cross if you arrived after 7.30 (and I started work at 9.00). So, trust me, I do not have a provincial complex. I'd lived in cities my whole life at that point.@@olivierpuyou3621
Paris against the "real" France... that's an old story. Paris is a large city, and like in all large cities worldwide, life is more stressful to many people.
People who don't live in Paris tend to shit on Paris, mostly because they're jealous but they'll never admit it.
@@shizukagozen777 There might be some jealous people, but from my experience I can assure you that many "Parisians" would be happy to leave if they had a choice. I was one of them, I've lived and worked in Paris for ten years. I've never regretted going back to a more peaceful provincial life, not a second.
I spent time in France both at school and university, and have visited many times. It is a fantastic country with a great culture. It sounded as if, when you were asking for the toilet, you asked for the ‘salle de bain’ which is literally the bathroom and I guess is what an American might say. Maybe ‘Où sont les toilettes?’
If you're in a French home and need to go to the restroom, don't ask for the bathroom (salle de bain) because in many places the toilets won't be in there, just the bathtub, wash basin, shower. Toilets are generally in their own small room, often with a small basin to wash your hands. But unlike private homes, in most hotels the toilets will be in the bathroom.
the fact that the French in general are reluctant to speaking english or any other foreign language mainly comes from the education system. The teaching is not that much focused on the conversational level but rather on the grammar and orthograph, or text decyphering. Add to that some humiliation from not encouraging teachers and you have a perfect recipe to have people ashamed of speaking english, for fear of making mistakes and being ridiculed.
This is also the reason why some (not tactful) french people will correct your french the same way they exsperienced at school. Fortunately, they are not the majority and most French who lived abroad (like me in the US, Canada and Germany :)) will be benevolent, helpful and not judmental if you make the slighesty effort in speaking french.
In other words, the French take themselves too seriously. They don't know how to laugh at themselves or have a more laid back attitude when it comes to not being perfect at something. They hold everyone else to the same standards that they hold themselves to. That's probably why certain cultures find the French "rude" or "unlikeable"
@@knucklehoagies they are indeed very demanding, including to themselves, but it has nothing to do with seriousness. They have also the reputation of being critical, starting with themselves, hence the strikes, demonstrations, ...
@@zorglub20770 you misunderstood what I was saying. I said they take themselves too seriously. It’s not the same as “being serious.” It means they don’t know how to laugh at themselves. They think everything has to be perfect which in my opinion is ridiculous…. I think French people are quite boring.
@@knucklehoagiesWe do know how to laugh at ourselves (typically through sarcasms), I'm curious though why you actually came through that conclusion ...
Also we have no reason to please everyone that comes in our country, sorry if we are to boring for your taste ... Then again it depends what kind of people you interact with there ...
@@lhemnenn4713 it's just my interpretation. I am from the Philippines where being extroverted and openly expressive of yourself is normal and anything less is considered "snobby and borish." I very rarely see French people act silly and goofy the same way I am used to. I am not saying it's wrong or one way is better than the other. It's just a different culture and how I may interpret it on my end. I'm sure the French would look at extroverted and loud people and see us as a bunch of ignoramuses even though it's not necessarily true.
Let’s be honest: we French are universalists, our wildest wet dream is for the world to be French. Not to dominate it, not to own it, just for it to be French.
I wish I could be French. I hate being American sometimes lol.
@@knucklehoagies lol I feel you, mate. From afar, it genuinely looks exhausting to be an American nowadays.
WTF ? Where did you get that idea from ?? 🤣🤣🤣
No, this gentleman is slightly mistaken. If the French are slightly late for an invitation to dinner at a friend's house, for example, it's not because of the metro or transport, it's simply a mark of politeness.... Indeed, arriving a little late means that you haven't come to eat and save money, but that you've come to dine to meet your hosts and spend some quality time with them!
Yes, and arriving a little late is also considerate, because it gives the host and hostess a little extra time in case they would be running a little late, as well.
Really ? Where I come from it's to give a bit more time to the hosts to prepare themselves, the diner or whatever.
Mdr n'importe quoi je sais pas d'où tu sors ça.
@@simononinouai on est en retard car on sait que nos hôtes vont être en retard.😂 En fait ,j'arrive à l'heure et je ne tiens pas rigueur à ceux qui arrivent en retard , sauf dans un cadre professionnel et là il y'a des limites.
@@simononin ....faut apprendre la politesse bonhomme, c'est un standart. Ce n'est pas de ma faute si tu n'as aucune éducation.
At school, we were taught to summon a waiter by calling out "Garçon!"
Don't do that! It's as bad as clicking your fingers.
Yes, it used to be "garçon" but today you say "monsieur".
you can also say "s'il vous plait?"
@@Gittas-tube So you have to call the waiter "sir" in France? That's how they do service there!
Just raise your hand when someone looks in your direction and you're good ! 😉
@@BobbySands62... but it might come across as passive-aggressive/sarcastic!
"chauvinistic" is the word you are looking for ...
A very French word ;-)
@@williambranch4283Indeed. Jingoism is obviously the usual word but as a native French speaker, it always seemed to me jingoism didn’t really reflect how the French do it.
I lived for years in the U.K., and the Brits are a lot about being « world beating », being better than the others. It’s not really the case with the French, they don’t feel the need to beat the world at anything, to be better or whatever. We just know we are😂
From Nicolas Chauvin.
Every country he goes to, he has to explain that eating isn't the hustle that it is in the US. And without the tipping culture, there is no need to be sycophantic and interrupt all the time. Enjoy your meal!!
We live in the former province of Berry in the centre of the country. It used to contain the biggest expat community of Americans (outside of Paris) in the city of Châteauroux as it was where the American airforce was stationed in France in WW2....many locals today have American heritage! There is an American museum today in the centre of the city by the station
I spent years trying to learn French and find that I can ask for just about anything when I am there and be understood. Trouble is when they talk back to me, some of their accents are really hard to understand. Almost like the difference between London and Geordie for instance. Also the slang, there's lots of it....
In some area of france there is can be some accent but if someone want to talk normal he can .
Most of us understand very well english its just the respond part that we dont use a lot ;)
Mate, you need to understand that our accent gets us laid (figuratively and literally). Anywhere in the world. I used to speak with a fairly decent British middle class accent and I intentionally dropped it after a a few years when I realised that.
It works every time. Don’t ask me why, as a native I’ll never understand, but that’s a fact of life.
@@ikeettgaming Que fais tu ici au lieu de sortir des vidéos? Après on va dire que les Français sont des feignants.😂😂😂😂
Salut Ike.
héhé je me balade un peu , j'avais regardé sa video reaction sur l'enfer a verdun @@olivierpuyou3621
Don't worry, as a french it's hard for me too to understand some accents hahaha
I can speak english if you ask.
If you don't ask and assume I speak english, then I can't.
Bravo! Exactement! I'm glad that somebody protests against the global hegemony of English once in a while. And I don't see anybody else doing it except the French! Une seule langue n'est vraiment pas assez pour exprimer l'ampleur de la vie humaine.
C'est exactement ce que je fais.
I was a pizza deliverer ( in France, i'm french )
i had to deliver a couple of american tourists here. I didn't knew they were english, they ordered with the website etc...
I came their place, ringed, they both came outside, i said in french "hello, it's the pizza delivery"
They yelled at me in english that it was rude for me to speak to them in french, i told them that i couldn't know.
They said that yes since they were black americans.
I told them that USA isn't the only western country with different skin color.
The dude said "regardless of that, i don't like being spoken to in french, i prefer english"
i told him that if he doesn't like hearing french language, then why come to France lmao
Perfectly legit video (plus the guy is super positive, so what’s not to like). Every advice is relevant, I give the same when foreign friends want to come and visit.
And your both right, France’s main touristic asset is its landscape and climate diversity (3 distinct climate types: oceanic, Mediterranean and continental). That’s why the country is the most visited in the world (+/- 90m a year). Of course Paris takes its fair share of that (15m) but millions come here to ski, hitchhike, do whatever nautical sport they like, travel wines or food roads…
At the end of the day, monuments and large cities are just end-aisle display.
Tip. If someone starts hanging around your group, take some photos of the location, then suddenly turn around and take a photo of their face.
I'm French, I live in France and I will move abroad (Poland), my two sons too. Why? France is a gorgeous country, landcapes, food, castles, history, sea, islands, mountains, art de vivre, architecture, old villages, etc, etc. BUT the government is d3str0yng France. This country is now d4nger0us (certain people from the South are c0l0nizing and killlng us each day), prices are crazy, we can't buy food, gasoline and pay the rent anymore, France is dlrty and poor, Paris is full of garb4ge. What a pity, what a shame.
As a French, I can say that froglegs and snails are not dishes that we eat a lot, regularly.
It’s iconic, so you’ll find it in parisian restaurants who make a lot of their business with tourists... but in fact we eat it very rarely.
I like it, and yet I had to eat frogs or snails maybe ten times in my life, in about forty years.
Honestly, I believe today the biggest snail consumers are not the French, but foreign tourists who come to France and think to do "like the French"
I'm french and if i'm here its because you have lot of comun with us you are curious , relatively smart and we can hear the neurone making noise in your skull and good élocution so we can relate and have a real objective opinion , its very nice .
Agreed. Clever takes on stuff that stimulate the brain cells are always interesting. Those who react but only try to make faces in order to look shocked are a waste of time.
"relatively" smart? LOL!
@@Alex-mp1zb When a french like smthg he give it a 5-6/10
if he love it a 7
if its amazing 8
if its unique or out of this world 9
and if its the absolute with no discution or doubt 10 .
USA people tend to be at 10 to no upset people immédiatly after 4 :))
So yes its relatively ;)
Almost everyone learns English in school, most people have a good enough understanding of English in France. We simply don't want to speak it, idk why, maybe it's pride, maybe we are bored or scared of comments on our accent, we will always try to get you speaking French if you can
Hi, Connor, nice to see your videos and hear your comments that show you're an open-minded person, never judgemental.
About the houses you are talking about...
Yes they are more or less the image of what existed in the Middle Ages, unfortunately many have disappeared over the centuries except in Normandy and Alsace where they are still very present
In Brittany too !
French here. Nothing wrong in the video, on the contrary. I specialy like when he said that Paris isn't representative of all France, i'm tired of that stereotypes.
Paris can be great, but we also have great place outside of Paris. They are a reason why France is the most visited country of the world.
Hi @McJibbin, I was watching your video and want to give you a few quick answers.
In France, the teaching of English is very bad. Many English teachers are... English! Or worse, French people who know how to speak English! So, teaching English in France often boils down to trying to erase the accent that the French have. As a result, many French people, especially those born before 2000, are very reluctant to speak English.
There's also the fact that Paris is a very touristy city. For many restaurants and other tourist spots, you're just a stream of tourists to be served. These places are to be avoided! In fact, they're rarely frequented by French people. In Paris, look for the small brasseries. But you'll find that most of them speak very little English. You'll need to speak a little French, but nothing complicated. Don't try to speak French, just express yourself in French. The most important thing is to be polite: hello = bonjour, thank you = merci, sorry, my French is not good = désolé, je ne parle pas très bien français.
The best advice I can give a tourist who wants to come to France is to get away from Paris. France is a beautiful country with very nice people, but not in Paris. In France, it's said that Parisians are always in a bad mood, and not for nothing.
I hope you'll have the chance to come back to France and meet some nice French people!
yes about what you said, this problem of stéréotip for what i ve seen it's often people that don't know le langage or the culture that thing that and people that talk at least a little bit of french seem to think the contrary, (of course you can find jerks everywere and i admit that there is a little more as Paris than the average in France, big city and all of that)After in Paris, particularly near to touristic area there is a lot of street scammer, peoples that will try to agressively sell you something (put the thing they want to sell in your pocket and ask you for the money for exemple) on the street or ask you for money . and people tend to not stop when there being accosted also because of that i think.
Do you know "Le puy du fou"? If not i think this will be right your alley
17:40 These half-timber houses are mainly used in black forest in Germany and in the vosges in France.
At 18 min, the style of house you're talking about is typical of Alsace, the region on the border with Germany. They're called "maisons à colombages". Each motif has its own meaning and corresponds to a blessing for the occupants: fertility, prosperity, etc.
Houses that are smaller at the base it's because in a lot of countries there was taxes on the base of the house, bigger it is more expensive it is. Same with number of doors and windows, in some countries there were taxes for each one.
19:43 For a long time the French government tried to make people forget the Maginot line.
More than 90% of the forts are abandoned
Timberframed medieval and later houses in England where the upper floors protrude out from the lower ones are called "jettied". A house with two such upper floors is called "double-jettied".
In France it is called " maisons à colombages"
The tomb of Napoleon is in Le dôme des Invalides, a part of L'hôtel des Invalides.
In Paris.
The French are taught English at school just like the British are taught French at school. Most people can manage some English and others can manage well.
Whether or not they can be arsed is another matter.
There's also the amount of US TV and films so there's nowhere over the last 70 years with no exposure to it.
The British can pass for Americans fairly easily but most Americans couldn't pass as British.
Thank God.
Tv and films are dubbed😉
I think french people don't learn English because they speak already French. French is the only language with English to have been spread in every continents. However, when you have an "isolated" language as Swedish, you are less open to the world. So they are obliged to learn another language, a worldwide language. It is why in Sweden and Northern Europe they learn English and in Romania and Southern Europe, they learn French.
Napoleon's tomb is in Hôtel des Invalides in Paris
Hello McJibbin. If you are interested in architecture and military fortifications, and you are going to Alsace to visit the Maginot Line, I advise you (still in Alsace) to visit the town of Neuf Brisach. This city is surrounded by star fortifications from the 17th century. It is also one of the first Western towns to have been built in damnier, which was very modern at the time, hence its name of "New Brisach". There is also a large central square intended for troop movements. These walls can be visited today and you can move around as you want inside.
LOL in case if you want a military trip discovery in Alsace ! 😉
As a french, like you said, We can speak english ( especially young peoples ) but we like when you know litles things like bonjour, merci, s'il-vous-plaît, things like that. Acting like speaking english is a due for everyone, like americans are the center of the world make us angry.
Top tip to deal with France and/or the French? Make an effort, even a poor one so long as it is genuine, to speak French. Many of them speak English to a lesser or greater degree (many, the latter). But you are in their country, so why should you expect THEM to speak YOUR language. Try your best, and most will warm to you and give you assistance or advice in excellent English. By the way, Americans...it IS called English for a reason. You didn't invent it!
as someone who have travelled both germany and france I must say that the germans don't speak any english, you can find some for sure but I would say that germany and france are equal on the english level.
if you want to know where is this picture with street and the cathedral is in starsbourg on north-est of france. one of the most bigger catherdrale in france .
you can in fact go into the caves and see the prehistoric drawings, 40 min from where i live is cave des demoiselles, there is cave of Lascaux as well and cave cosquer and so on haha. So much to see !
You can't go into Lascaux nor Cosquer
16:12 yes you can, for example in grotte de Lascaux but there are similar places to visit where you can see the ancient paintings. Even in Toulouse we can see a lot of romans buildings
wooden "plaster" building exist since medieval time you know, it's not plaster, but weat straw and clay mixed with water
I would not take the advice of "being late is ok in France" for granted. I don't know many people there who would not become impatient if you're late for an appointment for example.
7:43 the street at the right of the sculpture is "Rue Sainte Catherine", the longest, busiest, commerce strip in Europe. It's in Bordeaux.
English is a language native to northern countries, so it is a little easier for them to learn it. For languages of Latin origin, this is more difficult.
Young people in France would like to speak english to help tourists nowadays I think, unlike olders generations, but yes we are always flattered when someone try to speak French
So why you don't try to speak french as I try to answer you in english ?....
In reality we all understand english you juste HAVE TO know some french basis ...if you dont do the effort to speak some words we dont do either
For the clothes ...we know while it's American from far away 😂
To finish with the video it takes m'y parents 20 years toi do all the France (1 week per year and somtimes with a roadtrip)
lol! "for such a small country!" that's so American... France isn't a small country, the US is just huge compared to anything in Europe 🤣
And i.i.r.c. Napoleon's tomb's at Les Invalides (one floor down, though you can view it from ground floor level)
Wow, an American video were there’s no French bashing because we didn’t want to follow them in the Irak invasion ! Still some respect ! That feels good. My son is currently studying in the US and he’s having a great time. Hopefully the new generation is going to strengthen our relations.
Hi, Connor! I love Paris, too! If you haven't seen Woody Allen's movie Midnight in Paris, do yourself a favor and watch it as soon as possible! Allen is a great fan of Paris. The movie begins with some romantic street views set to French music. Also, the music is all French well-known tunes that add a lot to the mood...
it's not all about language. I'm used to learn a bit about manner and way of life of a foreign country before travelling. and the thing is that american and french way of life, manners are very different. French can be considered as rude sometimes just by the fact that thing like small talk with strangers (even between 2 french persons) is really not a usual thing. Lot's of things like that but it doesn"t mean that we are not helpfull if a stranger needs help.
one point about the dress code, I must disagree that video. The way you dress isn't important if you are polite, that's the most important. forget about dressing nice. (yes and forget about Paris. lots of nice places to visite that are more pleasant ^^)
17:40 that kind of architcture is very common in Strasbourg (highly recommend to get there)
thank you for your reactions video and your open mind.
Napoleon’s Tomb is in « Les Invalides » in Paris :)
Some info regarding the history of half-timbered houses: first described by the Roman architect Vitruv 33 B.C., at that time the typical building style was used for the upper floors only. As the materials used where available and affordable in many countries around Europe different regional styles where established e.g. in Germany, Switzerland, France, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Poland etc.. The oldest half-timbered house in Germany was built in 1261 in Esslingen and it still exists. The oldest half-timbered-house in Switzerland is the Giersbergerhaus from 1420, the oldest half-timbered house in Sweden is the Pilgrändshuset from 1470. There are many older wooden houses in Europe but those were some examples of half-timbered houses.
French here, about few english speakers in france, it's not that we are more nationalists, it's just that we suck at english
French here, and to be fair we have to learn how to speak english. I grew up in France and from my experience the reason why peoples can't speak english is because they are too lazy.
The same way an american won't learn another language cause, why would i need to ? This mentality use to be widespread among every generations until internet arrived and new generations like me did not only got used to be exposed to english everyday but actualy needed to understand it.
I was born in the mid 90 and schools 20 years agos did a great job at teaching me the basics, you can't expect coming out of highschool being fluent, but you have everything you need to become fluent if you actualy wan't to learn how to speak proper english, but most french prefers the comfort of only consuming in french and therefore don't need to learn any other language, wich is kinda lame
I've witnessed many times American tourists in France talking to French people in Spanish or Italian just as if they assumed they would naturally understand... I thought it was so rude and ignorant.
qu'est-ce que J'aime ma france ❤
English is pretty widely spoken in France now, especially by people involved in tourism, a lot more than the first time I visited France in 1998.
Car drivers in France stop at pedestrian crossings now too, even in Paris!
Well... about the car stopping at pedestrian crossings, it's far from being systematic, especially in Paris and especially it's most busy streets.
what you say is completely false, a lot of French people speak English, then when a French person goes to the USA or elsewhere, he makes the effort to speak English, we want the same thing when a foreigner comes to France, that he make effort to speak French. When we see foreigners who have already been to France 5 or 6 times and they still don't know how to say simple words like "hello" or "thank you" in French
13:33 No. It's not.
And you'll find frog leg nowhere in France but in restaurants.
And If you come to France I can show you where to eat genuine French frog legs for genuine French frogs.
Oui
"French dress nicely" I guess I'm not french looool
Even French people think that Parisians are rude and snob (to an extent even Parisians themselves) XD
He's right, politeness goes a long way when talking to the French. Rudeness will just get you blanked. Learn some simple phrases, one I was taught was, "Bonjour madame, je voudrais un jeton pour la douce, s'il vous plais". (Hello madam, I would like a token for the shower, please). "Ah, qui monsieur!" "Merci madame, au revoir". "Au revoir, monsieur".
la douche*
Doux/douce is an adjective meaning sweet, soft or smooth depending on the context.
S'il vous plaît*
Never an S at the end of any third singular person verbs. Always a T.
Napoléon’s sarcophagus is in Les Invalides in Paris
Yes, and it's made of salmon-rose Finnish granite.
Napoleon is buried "aux Invalides"
It is important to avoid clichés in all aspects. As far as WWII is concerned, you should have in mind three things.
1. In WWI, France lost 1,4 millions men, and millions were severely injured, out of a population of 42 millions, and the fronts did mainly destroy France. Many French had good reasons not to want such an other awful war.
2. At the beginning of WWII, Germany had a population almost twice that of France.
In 1940, French and British troops were both and together defeated. Bristish troops could reimbark to GB in Dunkerque only thanks to the French troops which heroically protected them against much stronger German forces.
3. At that time, GB would certainly have be invaded if this country had not been an isle. The French have suffered 800 000 deaths at the end of the war. This is much more than the US who suffered les than 600 000 including fights against Japanese. 22 000 000 Russians died and 5 500 000 Germans.
Any joke on the subject is very irrelevant
Visited France about 40 times,I always try to speak a little French, even in very rural France many now speak very good English and will immediately reply in English. I’ve never had any worse experiences with people in France than anywhere else.
Thoses houses are called "maison à colombage". This construction technique was invented during the Antic roman era and used in France until the XIX century. But this technique is still used and really mastered in the region of Alsace, Normandy and Sologne. But u can find a lot in old part of towns
Hi
You will find Napoleon's tomb in "les Invalides# in Paris.
9:01: Cathedral Nôtre Dame of Strasbourg, Est of France, 1000 years old
9:02 = Strasbourg and its cathedral
American, The trouble with the French is that they don't have any word for Entrepreneur 😂😂😂
George w Bush 😂
lol
But if it is "entrepreneur" exactly the same as yours and who is also of French origin.🤣🤣🤣🤣
Comme bernard Arnault 😂
you said in the first minute of the video that you love france, our history, our culture and everything... so... you love socialism!!!!
one step more and you will love communism, witch is not what you learn at school 😅
bon baisers de france (kisses from france)
at 13:45 yes it is frog legs😉
16:36 napoleon's tomb is in "le musée des invalides" witch is the army museum in paris, an ancient hospital for the severly wounded/handicaped napoleonic soldiers
17:30 the triangular shape of the roof's is for avoiding the snow to crush the construction, the steep slope allow the snow to slide before it's too heavy
About Napoléon you can visit many places in Paris area mainly. But be careful about speaking about napoleon in cities, it’s not a consensual historical character and not every french appreciate the person (the heritage is another thing and it’s more appreciated)
You love France? Good 😁🇫🇷
Here in Spain everyone kisses everyone weather they are strangers or not lollllll
Les "Bonnes manières".are a bit stricter in France.😂😂
Lille best city in Europe
Don't speak English, they hate that. It is better if you know Spanish, to speak Spanish instead. But if you speak any French at all, they will love you!
Blablabla
false.... the beaches of the Landes in the south west of France... kilometers of empty white sand... and where you can go surfing....
@@AR-ys3xl les plages du nord ?? ... Avec son eau marron ?? 😂😂😂
@@AR-ys3xl la diagonale du vide ne passe pas par les plages des landes ... Faut arrêter de raconter des conneries .... Et tous les spots de surf des côtes landaises ... Je connais ... Mes parents avaient une maison à montalivet ... Nice ?? Ses plages de cailloux ?? Du monde à gaver ?? Sérieux ??!!
Personne connais France a part France 🙂🌠
???
Try to NOT going to Paris when you come in France , because Parisians are really special and different than the rest of France and French people so you will never know how France really are if you stay in Paris .
The French might be okay in France, but when in the UK they are not always so nice.
Person experiences, not just here in London but also in Sussex
Connor,
Although England and English_ are_ pronounced Ingland and Inglish.. but
Englais is pronounced Aunglay
First of all the motto of British royalty is "God and my king" written and pronounced in French. before criticizing the people of France, you should know that nearly 60% of English words have French Latin origins, then: Indo-European, West Germanic. Then the turbulent history of our two countries, especially in the 20th centuries, does not encourage the French to learn English, it is the same for the English towards the French. in May 1940 after ten days of fighting, the British professional soldiers fled and re-embarkated at Dunkirk! To save face, the English media treated the French soldiers as cowards, timid and that they surrendered easily. Number of French soldiers killed 68,000, number of Germans killed 57,000 dead in just 30 days; British losses 4700 dead only. Yes, the French were ashamed of their government and statesmen when they asked for an armistice and collaborated with the Nazis. my resistant grandfather was captured, tortured and shot by the Nazis on December 12, 1941 in 1943 my resistant father was tortured and sent to the death camps of Mauthausen but he survived you will understand that I am from a generation of the After the war, our grandparents and our parents passed on to us their anger and hatred towards the perfidy of the English. then it is wrong to say that English is spoken throughout the world. when I went to the United States many times I spoke Spanish, in South and Central America the English language is hated for a European and Americans it is better to speak Spanish or Portuguese for Brazil. outside the large urban centers whether in Asia, in Africa English is non-existent outside the capitals there are 8 billion human beings on the planet only 1 billion four hundred thousand speak English; It is good to also speak other languages: German, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese Portuguese which demonstrates a great general knowledge. Personally, apart from French, I speak: English but I master German and Spanish.
It is because your "food" would make everyone angry and upset. Is not their fault.🐸
Maybe because they try to adjust to the English...
@@Alex-mp1zb
*I wasn't talking about the language being used by the French students - I'm sure their English was / is better than my long- forgotten first-year French...*
I came First in the end of First Year French exam... Then was dropped from the 'A group' to the 'B group' due to my _then_ unknown condition, now known as 'dyscalculia' so Maths is and was a no no to me.
Hence my 'alleged inability' to further my classes in 'A group' French, Art, History etc too. 😐
*...but their rude behaviours.*
We're absolutley not "proud nationalistic" at all.. And it's a big problem here. You are alloowed to have the french Flag only for sports,or they call you racists.Nationalist here in France is a bad word. We're bad in English because we used to have the best Movie dubbing acting 😂 (with Spain and Italy maybe ) French prefer to use English words to look cool.. 🤷♀ The government wants us to be More European Union than French , I don't know why you call us arrogant or Cocky or Proud nationalist , we are just proud of our food.
When are you coming to Lyon ?!
Connor, I never know if you ever read the comments ... but here is an amazing documentary on one of the most beautiful castles in France. Enjoy: "Fontainebleau Castle, an Architectural Gem | FULL DOCUMENTARY" - SLICE Full Doc