Why are the French so rude?

Yeah, in the US, a lot of people in the southern states are still used to saying hello and being polite to strangers. Here in NC, it's expected. When I went to Jersey, everyone was a dick.
I haven't really spent much time in the South but yeah, I'd imagine people being friendly for the most part there too.
 
French here.
1. It's considered rude to speak a foreign language to a local right off the bat. Might get away with it in Paris but in most smaller cities, people do not speak anything else than French.
2. Saying hello to people randomly on street, you're not going to get a reply because people think you're weird. People don't say "HELLO, HOW U DOING" to everyone like in USA, in a fake ass manner. We usually say "Bonjour/Bonsoir" in a polite manner when entering a store or something, but not to random people lmao.

And besides major city like Paris and a couple others, where people are in stress mode, people are usually nice.
Just nice in a "European manner" which is usually more reserved than Anglophone areas.

And if you think France is reserved/standoffish, try going to Northern Europe, where nobody talks to each other and even being close to each other in public is uncomfortable.
bus-like-a-swede.jpg
 
TS specifically said he was greeting them in French. It's rudeness, not a language barrier, that was the reason for them ignoring him. The French are renowned for it, not just Parisians (although they probably are the worst).

You rosbeef call it rudeness, we just think the Anglo Saxon attitude is fake as hell, indirect, untrustworthy.
Leads to lots of misunderstandings lol.
 
Goes to a foreign country.

Expects them all to speak his language.

Rants on a karate forum.
 
They were super cool to me when I went to Paris.

Maybe because I tried to speak french fries to them.
 
Reading all these bad experiences with Paris makes me think that maybe I'm just an asshole and I was in my element.
 
As a born Parisian I have my own theory on why Parisians are legitimately viewed as assholes by other french- and by extension all the french by stupid tourists.
In addition to having a huge immigrant population - wich aren't always the most clean/polite people - it is the economical and cultural heart of the country and as so attracts careerists and wanabees from all over France, all happy to identify themselves as parisians as soon as they settle here and tend to be complete entitled assholes. Just my 2 cents.

Je ne suis pas Parisien, mais bizarrement, tous les Parisiens que j'ai rencontré étaient les gens les plus aimables rencontrés en France. J'ai parfois l'impression que les gens de Province font exprès de ne pas aimer les Parisiens.
 
When I go to the Netherlands people salute me with the index finger (mostly in the car), as if they were pointing up or indicating they want only 1. Funny, but very polite people the Dutch. Like you I also had bad experiences with the French and Belgians in general.
When I went to the Netherlands first stop was at a headshop, we took mushrooms, went out and saw everyone wearing orange clothes and wigs. Shit was unreal. We only later found out it was the queens birthday.
 
But also there are aspects of French culture foreigners don't understand. The "customer is always right" doesn't exist. French people are proud and refuse to be treated like garbage, no matter how low their job is. Service industry workers expect to be treated as equals, and with respect. It's a concept that keeps blowing up Americans' mind - they can't imagine NOT being rude and demanding to their "inferiors".

That's also a concept all over Europe I think except in Rosbeef land (Britain).
I still remember laughing so hard when Americans go to Germany and see how cashiers treat them ("SCHNELLER!" lol).
 
in Winnipeg where I live its common to greet people with a nod or a hello if youre passing on a non busy road/street and to hold open the doors to stores if people are close enough behind....but....we're called Friendly Manitoba so....

we have a fairly big french section here ((stop signs are in french lol)) and IVe seen many many many times where people are conversing in french and its pointed out to them that one of the people doesnt speak french and they just give that person a blank look and then go right back to speaking french again....as though it doesnt occur to them that speaking in english at that point would be the thing to do....its the older ones though...you dont really see it with younger people

never been to france and/or quebec because Ive never been very fond of french culture to begin with
 
Germans can be assholes as well

Friend was there and said they dont speak english on purpose
Yap, you either are an asshole or some spineless, waving "tschüss" person noone with a brain likes in Germany.
 
in Winnipeg where I live its common to greet people with a nod or a hello if youre passing on a non busy road/street and to hold open the doors to stores if people are close enough behind....but....we're called Friendly Manitoba so....

we have a fairly big french section here ((stop signs are in french lol)) and IVe seen many many many times where people are conversing in french and its pointed out to them that one of the people doesnt speak french and they just give that person a blank look and then go right back to speaking french again....as though it doesnt occur to them that speaking in english at that point would be the thing to do....its the older ones though...you dont really see it with younger people

never been to france and/or quebec because Ive never been very fond of french culture to begin with

Vive le Québec libre! <45>
 
Goes to a foreign country.

Expects them all to speak his language.

Rants on a karate forum.

I said hello in French dipshit. Learn to read. And I didn't rant.. I asked a question..
 
Childs Play!

Try dealing with the Quebec French.

When we visit Quebec, I only speak Italian.

My wife, who can't speak Italian or French, translates me into English. Folks shit themselves to help us.

Oh, the joyous confusion.

Visit Au Pied de Cochon for dinner.


just say Le UFC?

L' UFC...

<Gordonhat>
 
Last edited:
You're in France and you're talking shit about people speaking French.

<Manning1>

The French are rude because they earned it. They're French. Get over it, snowflake.

Earned what? France hasn't contributed much of anything of real significance to the modern world.
 
French here.
1. It's considered rude to speak a foreign language to a local right off the bat. Might get away with it in Paris but in most smaller cities, people do not speak anything else than French.
2. Saying hello to people randomly on street, you're not going to get a reply because people think you're weird. People don't say "HELLO, HOW U DOING" to everyone like in USA, in a fake ass manner. We usually say "Bonjour/Bonsoir" in a polite manner when entering a store or something, but not to random people lmao.

And besides major city like Paris and a couple others, where people are in stress mode, people are usually nice.
Just nice in a "European manner" which is usually more reserved than Anglophone areas.

And if you think France is reserved/standoffish, try going to Northern Europe, where nobody talks to each other and even being close to each other in public is uncomfortable.
bus-like-a-swede.jpg

i was in finland for 3 weeks, went to latvia and estonia. Everyone was frienldy and had no issues with speaking english. It's a french thing.
 
To be clear. I start in French. "Bonjour, parlez vous Englais?" So for the people who say it's rude to speak another language.. I have the decency to start in French. But all that aside. How do you get around when you're on holiday and you don't speak a word of English? What person doesn't at least speak some rudimentary English?!
 
Back
Top