Parlez vous francais?, Paris

My French is pathetic, to say the least. But it got me through both Geneva and Paris, so I guess the standard advice would be to attempt to speak the language even if you can only manage to squeak out 'Bonjour' or 'Merci.' (I couldnt even manage Je ne parle pas le francais) I found that a little effort went a long, long way, and my feeble attempts put me in good graces (even with the notoriously snobbish Parisians). The only problem is when they start talking back at you in machine-gun French...(but then again, once you've made the initial effort, they'll be glad to oblige you in English).

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	Parlez vous francais?: As suspected, local people... Tip Rating:

Updated By stonefree

on January 28, 2003

by stonefree
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As suspected, local people don't speak English. They speak only French. At least, their opening words are French. Why? Who knows? But if you once show them trying to speak French even a little, they will kindly try to understand what you are going to say and help you well.
I stayed in 19e where a lot of Asian people are living so some people didn't think I am a traveller. Such things often happend. Learn your host's language.

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	Parlez vous francais?: lingua franca, as it were Tip Rating:

By odysseus_23

on May 1, 2008

i have heard people say condescendingly that its not really essential to speak french in paris, as most people speak english.. yeah well, we would not like it if they came into our country and started rattling off in french either. it is nice to preface every query with excusez moi-m'sieur/madame, parlez vous anglais?? they then open up a whole lot more and are a truly friendly and helpful people.i really dont know much of francais- but i frenchified a lot of english words and got a lot of amused looks, but they really appreciated the fact that i made the effort and were very tolerant of my guaranteedly stupendous errors.it helps to have a laugh at oneself , once in a while too.

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	Parlez vous francais?: Speaking the language Tip Rating:

Updated By Jenniflower

on January 19, 2005

by Jenniflower
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Ordering in French for the
first time :)

Do yourself a favour and learn to speak (at the very least!) a few lines in French prior to arriving in France.

This will open up your conversation easier with the locals, and they really appreciate it when they see you are trying to speak French.

It can help you alot when ordering food too! The first drink I ordered in French was a Beer Shandy, a 'Panache', and the first food was a pancake with one sugar 'Crepe - uno sucra'... It still makes me smile when I think of this :)

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	Parlez vous francais?: In Paris, here are three quick... Tip Rating:

Updated By SilverVelvet

on August 25, 2002

In Paris, here are three quick tips for making new French friends. First, it's important to show respect for the language by beginning conversations in French, even if the only phrase a visitor knows is 'Parlez-vous anglais?' Second, it's helpful to show additional respect by adding a 'madame/monsieur' to the end of a question. Third, the most important word in French is 'Bonjour.' When visiting shops, always say 'Bonjour' when entering and leaving even if visitors leave empty-handed. Use 'Bonsoir' in the evening.

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	Parlez vous francais?: Lost in le translation Tip Rating:

Updated By davequ

on November 2, 2005

by davequ
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non merci, had lunch awready
....

Wonder what the special is here?

A cafe / brassierie south of Place Pigalle on rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle

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	Parlez vous francais?: French vs English Tip Rating:

By IIGUANA

on February 17, 2005

Since French is not a worldwide spoken language, most of the people do speak english, so don't worry about language. You should know at least the usual words (merci, bonjour, bonsoir, s'il voul plait, etc) so you don't look like the rude tourist. It's always good to know some local words.

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	Parlez vous francais?: TRy your French no matter how bad you think! Tip Rating:

By pedmar

on January 20, 2007

by pedmar
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village saint Paul in the real
Paris

trying to speak French no matter how bad you think it is will go a long way into making your Paris/France visit a memorable one.
Be aware of customs and manners: things are a bit more slower here, and we do greet folks entering and outing a store,restaurant, etc.
simple things in life but means so much to the folks here.

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	Parlez vous francais?: Speak That Broken French! Tip Rating:

By endzoearth

on June 27, 2006

by endzoearth
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When foreigners come to the United States many Americans would say that they should speak English. However, these same people are the ones who go to other countries and refuse to speak the language of that country. This has given Americans a bad reputation in France because so many Americans adopt this arrogant attitude that assumes that everyone should speak to us in English. Why should they? We are in THEIR country! In France they love everything FRENCH - their food, their wine, their culture, and especially their LANGUAGE. You would be amazed at how differently the French will treat you if you even just ATTEMPT to speak French! Learn some French before you go, or at least brush up on the little bit that you remember from high school. It will be worth it! Even speaking broken, poor French at least shows them that you are trying to fit in and break their stereotype of Americans. They will appreciate it and will respect you all the more.

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	Parlez vous francais?: Learn a Little French Tip Rating:

By fossettes

on March 24, 2003

If you would like to learn a little French before you arrive, check out the BBC website,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/

They offer an easy, interactive tutorial to learn travel French, and it's free!