 | Paris Parlez vous francais? Reviews | 11 - 20 of 114 |  |
I doubt anyone would expect a tourist to be fluent in French.
I met virtually no difficulty with language in Paris, which was a surprise, given how often you hear people say the French refuse to speak English etc.
The key is to be polite and know the basic 4 phrases:
Bonjour
S'il vous plait
Parlez-vous anglais
Merci
You'll get around just fine with these;) Leave a Comment
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Before I visited Paris last year I took some French lessons and I think they really paid off. I will be the first to admit that my French is very limited but making the effort was often all that was needed to get a happy (most of the time) response. Many small shop owners didn't speak any English whatsoever so my few words were the difference in getting what I needed. At the Musee d'Orsay I got very prompt service (plus pronunciation help from the maitre de) whereas a couple that came in after me were astonished that the same man didn't understand their increasingly loud requests for a table.
Before I went, Angie bought me a French phrase fridge magnet set. I had the challenge of putting up a new phrase each week to help me learn a few vital words. A bit of fun when trying to learn the lingo.
Have a go!! It will make things more interesting. and probably less frustrating. Leave a Comment
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In general, it is not easy to meet people in Paris. People in Paris, like people in any big city, tend to be in a bit of a rush. Here's the tip: if you can speak French, you should definitely try to start a conversation with the OLDER people you might run into in a boulangerie, cafe, or park. They are a wealth of information of about the history of Paris and tend to have more time to talk than the younger people (who are busy pursuing their careers, caring for their children, or hanging out with their friends). In the last two days, I've had long conversations with two wonderful older Parisians - a man and a woman. (One conversation started when he offered to help me find my way, the other when she mentioned that she was looking for particular type of veal at the supermarket. )The man turned out to be a French teacher and offered me a few grammar tips. We discussed literature and travel and all sorts of topics. The woman and I discussed the cuisine of France, Salvador Dali's art, the Elgin Marbles, and the placement of the Victory of Samothrace in the Louvre. And she talked a bit about the French occupation which she had actually lived through. Don't worry if your French isn't perfect, as long as you can understand French fairly well you will learn a lot. Leave a Comment
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A few phrases in French will help you navigate the city better. Most people are friendly enough to help, but it is very rude to expect someone to know your language when you are the visitor. English is a widely known and spoken language, but most Parisians appreciate foreigners to be polite and at least try to say a few important phrases. Jot them down on a piece of paper and use them as needed. On the many visits that I have paid Paris I have never come across any rudeness or unfriendly people, on the contrary, they have all been very helpful. Leave a Comment
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So before I went to Paris, I was briefed by my close friend (and semi-guide for our trip) about the importance of attempting to speak French. It was the whole "when in Rome" lecture...and he was right. Without a doubt, I got better service, kinder reactions, and more worthwhile directions when I spoke (or more often than not, attempted to speak) French.
I'll say that I've not encountered that to this extreme before. Normally I'll try and mutter my way through a sentence then collapse into some sort of half English, half guidebook grammar, but in Paris it was different. I tried, and tried hard. It paid off.
As my friend said, French people are not rude, they are proud and shy. The are proud of their culture and lifestyle, of their language, and they should be! Not many travelers nowadays realize that before English was the "official language of the modern world" it was French. The French remember this. We should as well.
So take some time before you leave and download one of those free podcasts of French lessons. I promise it will help you out. Leave a Comment
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I think French are very proud of their language. If you start a conversation with a local in English, you are unlikely to have a pleasant reply.
If you need directions or help, start with "excusez-moi Madame" or "excusez-moi Monsieur". Thank him/her with "merci" Leave a Comment
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Always always start with "Bonjour" when starting a conversation anywhere - at the restaurant, at the ticket counters etc.. even though you don't speak the language. From then onwards you can enquire if they do speak English (Parlez-vous anglais?). Learning some French phrases would really help out as not all French people are conversant in English. And if you ever choose this path, do pick up an audio guide and not a French phrase book as english speakers sometime fail to connect the pronounciation and the spelling of words. So on an audio guide you memorise by entire sentences...
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Our French friends love their language, and who doesn't love French. It is a thing of beauty. Now, as you have learned from your friends that have been there - the kind people of France know you can't speak French and that does not bother them at all. What is considered rude is when English speaking folk - primarily Americans - don't even try a few words. Those people that try to speak a few words of French are going to have a better time than those that do not.
Here are a few key phrases to help you out:
Please S' il vous plait (ceil voo play)
Thank You Merci Beaucoup (mer cee bow coo)
Excuse Me Excusez-Moi (excuse a maw)
Pleased to meet you Enchantez (on shan tay)
I would like.... Je voudrais (je voo drey)
Where is the.... Ou est la/le (ooo a la/lay)
How much? Ca coute combien (sa coot com be yen)
The bill/check (as in bring the) L' additon (le dee teyen)
Bottle of water Une bouteille d' eau (oon boo tee el de o) Leave a Comment
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French people do NOT expect non-francophones to speak perfect French. However, just like every other nationality, they appreciate a bit of effort. Do not be afraid to get out the phrase book, pronounce things and generally look silly. Trust me, this will get a much better reponse than just asking "parlez vous anglais ?" immediately, which is not much better than saying "speak english please".
Lots of French people enjoy the chance to practise their English - I speak good French (with lapses) but most French people will automatically revert to speaking English with me, even though I always start the conversation in French. If you actually want to try and improve your French this can be irritating.
And to everyone that automatically expects people to speak English, how many of you could speak French if a French tourist came to your home town and said "parlez vous Francais" ? Or would you expect them to be able to manage to have learnt enough of the basics of the language of the place they were visiting to get by ?
Just a thought...
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I think that like most of us in the English speaking countries, most French people assume that if you come to their country, you must know their language. If you do not know their language, or do not know it well, the best thing to do is probably to say so right off the bat.
Pardon. monsieur/madame, parlez-vous anglais?
"Pardong, msyer/madahm, parlay-voo anglay?
Excuse me, sir/ma'am, do you speak English?
Pardon/Bonjour, y-a-t'il quelqu'un ici qui parle anglais?
"Pardong/bonzhoor, yateel kelkunn eesee kee parl anglay?
Excuse me/Good morning, is there anyone here who speaks English?
French politeness is legendary, what with the frequent use of "monsieur," "madame," etc. My sense is that this politesse is the French way of maintaining reserve.
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Destinations near Paris- Île de la Cité, 1.22 km / 0.76 miles
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