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mamanpanda0809-blog · 5 years ago

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Chapter 1

How to be French when you are not

What comes to your mind first when you hear the word "France"? Most likely Paris with its massively famous tower. Or if you're more into gastronomy it might be their incredibly tasty pastries and dairies. Oh also you shouldn't forget the vineyards… And the historical buildings. Not to mention that half of the fashion industry is practically based in Paris.

These were just some of the examples we can possibly mention when we are to describe France itself. The so-called "clichés" are everywhere. However, is France really like that? Can one take a step without bumping into a "boulangerie"? Do you really feel obligated to wear your (in my case, non-existent) pair of Louboutin every time you leave home? And lastly, is it really true that they do not speak a word of English?

I'm here to give you a bit of an insight into the raw and real side of living in the South of France. I'd like to emphasize the fact that I only visited the southern part of France so I would rather avoid forming an opinion in general about the whole country.

To begin with, when I arrived in France, I promised myself that I am not going to use English while being out and about. Only French! Big words from someone that can barely speak and has never learned French from an actual teacher. But I knew that I would most likely put myself into several uncomfortable situations while struggling with not understanding a word of what my beloved Frenchies say.

Surprisingly, it happened just like that! :)

As soon as the plane landed in Marseille, I immediately switched to my " French mood". The only problem was that my "French mood" was not enough to ask a security guy at the airport about the buses going to the city. So I made up the second rule immediately, which was that rule number one will only kick in after I leave the airport. Desperate times call for desperate measures… :) Because let's just face it, the airport is so international, no one's gonna give me the look if I start speaking in English.

As I've already returned home, I am proud to say that I only said twice that I didn't speak French during my two months over there. Once on a train, and another time in a shop. My objective was not to say it at all, but sometimes it was just so inevitable. However, times like this will teach you certain tricks and tips on how to pretend that you are perfectly fluent in French. (But beware of the fact that once they do not work, they can get you into some real embarrassing situations…)

Here are some advices that can help you make the French think you understand them, what is more, you have a response to add to the conversation!

1. Always start with bonjour and smile!!!

Cliché, but the it's for the better. Although I have no idea what kind of reaction you would get if you didn't say it. But I'm sure it's no good.

2. Use your words!

Even the most basic word could be the game changer! If you got some French vocab, don't be shy to show them! You may end up sharing a laugh on the ridiculous mistake you've made, but believe me, it will just make you even more sympathetic to them!

3. Listen carefully!

Once you're lost in the flood of unknown words, just keep reacting! Nodding and smiling is always a good idea, but if you want something more challenging, you can always say "Ahh ouii?" when you feel like some kind of response is needed. Except when they say something rather negative, then you can just react by saying: ouulalaaa or when the situation seems to be reaaal bad you can add some lalas to it. So easy! :)

4. Ça c'est vrai??!

When someone tells you a story you don't really get, you can still get the astonishment from the tone of their voice. By saying "c'est vrai???" you just made it clear that you are just as surprised as the story-teller is and are so aware of the story he or she is telling you.

5. D'accord………

If you have absolutely no clue what you were told at the bus stop, on the street or at any other place where it does not really matter (well, if they're telling you you've just missed the last bus… embarrassing) you can just go with "d'accord" which can be translated as "alright". (This is my least useful tip, only use in case of emergency!)

6. Pardon….?

This is the better version of tip number 5. By saying pardon you can pretend that the reason you don't understand a word is because you couldn't hear it correctly. But good luck with the rest of the conversation…:)

7. Ouais…

Oui is probably the most regularly used word in French. Of course the French have developed a looser way of saying it. It's hard to express how "ouais" is pronounced, I think it's like saying oui but with zero articulation. Also you can say "bah oui" instead, so much more French!

8. Ça va?

Ça va (how are you? ) is someting you should always say in almost every situation. When you meet someone, it's never enough to only say bonjour. And the best thing is that the answer is pretty simple. In case things are going well for you, you go with "oui" or just say the same thing without raising your voice like "ça va". If you don't feel very well, say ça va anyway, unless you want to explain your problems in French. :)

9. Ça c'est drôle ça

Okay, this is probably the funniest thing in French. They LOVE to add the pronoun at the end. Honestly, you'll hear it everywhere! So you can basically say "Il est content lui" which can be translated as: he is happy, him. This is so ridiculous and SO FRENCH! Don't be afraid to use it, it's gonna level up your French game.

So here we are, my go-to tips for all the people wanting to visit France with no or little French knowledge. I think these tips will also allow you to learn something from each conversation you get yourself into. The best advice I can give you (which I'm also struggling with) is to be brave enough to make mistakes. That's the key.

Hope you enjoyed reading my first post about how to speak French when you actually don't, I will continue covering topics like this one and break the stereotypes about France and its people.

In the next post, I'd like to form my opinion on the quote below, it's from the movie "Vive la France" . If you're interested, don't hesitate to follow me. :)

"When the world was created, God decided to invent the most beautiful country of all and put all of the world's wonders in it. He called that country… France. But so that other countries wouldn't feel deprived, God decided to fill it with the French."

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