Are the french rude and arrogant to you?

Question

its all i hear about them,im not rude or arrogant, what are your views? im a french/british girl

Answer 1

I got off of the train and went to the information booth for a phone book.  They didn't have one....at an information booth.  I was nice.  I lost my address and was very screwed.  I went to the train station teller and said, "first I need a phone book"  My first exchange with a frenchman was "FIRST YOU SAY HELLO!"  I could see his point, but sh*t.  No one here would be like that.  

The second time I went, I was sitting with my fiance on the steps and two drunk homeless guys started saying "**** you americans!..then they followed us marching like they were in a parade.  Pretty funny now, but at the time, I wanted to murder them.  There were some nice people too, but the whole time I kept telling myself, this is just like what I hear about New York.  Paris is big like New York, so this must be some sort of big city culture thing found in every culture.

Answer 2

I've found Parisians to be just as abrupt as Londoners or residents of any capital city. The Bretons, the Normans and the Vendéens positively like us.  Whilst once, queueing at a Southern French water park, the actions of some English youths was soooooo embarrasing, I had to say to the local citizens  "Quel' que fois, je régret que je suis Anglais!"

Nuff said!

Answer 3

NO.

I've never had anyone french be rude to me..(oh except for my french catering lecturer who was rude to everyone so that won't count lol)

Answer 4

In my opinion, rudeness breeds rudeness. If someone is rude to another person, their reaction won't be very pleasant...there are a lot of misconceptions about the French I think.

I'm kinda biased though (because I'm French), but my partner is a New Zealander and they thought the French were very polite (compared to other nationalities). My partner had taken the time to learn a little bit of the language like simple phrases (please, thank you, you're welcome)...and that came across really well with the natives :)

Answer 5

Not at all, I'm Welsh and unlike most English people I have learnt a bit of French (not enough though) and I find that French people react more favourably towards foreigners if they make at least an attempt to communicate in the local language.

Malheureusement, je ne parle pas bien le français, j'ai oublié beaucoup.Je suis gallois et je crois les français sont très aimable.

Answer 6

I am Scottish but I live in France. I think the rude/arrogant image is partly due to poor understanding of cultural differences. There are three very important things that you need to understand about the way that French people behave to each other before you can understand how they are behaving towards you as a foreigner. Firstly, French people in general do NOT smile at strangers in the street, unless they are flirting. Which brings us neatly to point two, which is that they do look people up and down, both flirtatiously and in a judgemental (that top just doesn't go with those trousers) way - the amount of "staring" time which is socially acceptable is therefore much higher than it is in the US or UK. The third point is that there is much more formal politeness in France than in the US or UK, so when you go into a shop and you don't say "Bonjour", it's you who's being rude.

The impact of all this is that if you don't understand and follow the social conventions you will seem rude to the French and vice versa.

On the subject of arrogance, I would have to say that, to make a sweeping generalisation, the French, the English and Americans are all pretty arrogant. They all expect people to speak their language and they all think that their way of doing things is the best.

Years ago when I was living in England a french friend came to visit us, and every time we gave her something to eat or drink which she didn't know, she would try it and say in a surprised voice "Ah, c'est bon ça!" (Oh, that's good), as if she was expecting us to feed her something disgusting. My wife had already lived in France for seven years at that point, so it's not as if we didn't know what French food was like! I think this highlights the deeply ingrained chauvinism/arrogance that many French people have. As I said, English people and Americans can tend to have the same kind of attitude.

I am conscious that this all probably sounds a bit rude and arrogant if you are French, English or American, but hey, nobody asked my opinion on the Scots ;-) To summarise, I don't find the French rude (quite the reverse in fact), and yes they can be arrogant but it's hardly a unique trait. I have made more friends here than I have anywhere else I've lived, so they're definitely not unfriendly. Speaking french makes a big difference though.

Answer 7

No not at all. I think when I have been there I have seen and heard some foreigners to France behave attrociously to the French (mostly because they do not speak or understand French so they become aggressive and speak loudly) so obviously as anyone would the French react and show their disapproval. Can u blame them?

Answer 8

Maybe we are the best at being rude, or does that sound arrogant?

Answer 9

It's just a stereotype. People usually make comments like that for comedic effect.

My personal experience is no, French people are not rude.

Answer 10

depends on the situation and place.

some french are rude and arrogant in some situation or some places. but some not.

well,it just a human way,some are good,some are bad.

Answer 11

I moved to france to enjoy the people and the lifestyle...after 20 years I have encountered very few rude or "anti-rosbif?" people but as a well seasoned traveller- I can assure you that arseholes can be found in any country!!

Answer 12

Being French I was a bit scared of the answers I would find ro this question!

Actually most of the time people tend to assimilate "Parisian" and "French", when they are totally different, I think that without being rude parisian people are arrogant but not only to foreigners (believe me!).

As for the rest of France, usually we get annoyed when foreigner don't make an effort an imagine that English is enough to travel around the world. It doesn't matter how little french you speak, just he fact that you say "bonjour", "s'il vous plait" or "merci" makes a big difference, just because you tried we will warm to you more easily.

Also, what can be mistaken for rudeness or arrogance especially in north of France is the fact that we keep or distance.

There is a phrase for this "mains froides, coeur chaud" meaning, cold hands, warm heart, to say that (unlike the amricans for instance), we will not jump on you and pretend to be your best friend as we meet.

We need to get to know the people which actually takes time. But once you spend some time with us and we get to know you better, it does last forever.

We don't like superficial behaving people very much!

As for rude or arrogant, believe me you find them just about everywhere and they travel a lot to spread the disease

Answer 13

Not all are but when I was there last month most of the men there would stare at my chest. It was beyond rude.

Answer 14

Definitely not. Its only people who are rude and arrogant themselves that get that kind of treatment in return.

Answer 15

When I have been to France, all the people have been very friendly.

Answer 16

they are not rude or arrogant. they are lovely people generally. very helpful too. i think if you make the effort to speak french they will like you

Answer 17

They are fine

Answer 18

i am also french and i was for an exchange student in the us ...when i came back ....i saw ppls werent nice as americans..they are NEVER smiling for the majority ....its horrible !!  but i think i was really nice with americans and very open so really ... i cant say....but a lot are rude for sure !

Answer 19

After living in France I discovered that what is often mistaken for arrogance or rudeness is just an attitude of formality that some of us are unused to.  French people are much more reserved than we are. They initially seemed very cold and distant to me also, but I found them to be as warm and friendly as people the world over after they get to know you a bit.  They do not gush forward with strangers, nor do they make much eyecontact even amongst themselves.  It's just a national difference.  They frequently find Americans or Brits to be brash or loud and demanding.  Also a misunderstanding based on it being such a departure from the way they approach interaction.  We are all different depending upon where we grew up and people easily perceive each other as rude when it differs from their way.

Answer 20

My wife`s best friend is French and is neither rude or arrogant....

Answer 21

no. its really hypocritical . my french teacher said they been nicer to her, then americans. they are much warmer to people them americans are!

Answer 22

I am french, I am to shy to be arrogant, but I noticed when we go to Paris with my husband and we speak in English people are rude to us they only start to relax if I speak French but I can tell that they get annoyed when my husband don't make any effort to speak french or understand it.

Answer 23

The French were awesome to me when I was visiting.

Answer 24

i just went there on vacation and they didnt stick out to be a rude or arogant group of people. there were a few that were but your going to find rude people anywhere you go.

Answer 25

Parisians tend to be rude and arrogant to anyone who doesn't speak French the way they do.  Further North, if you speak a little French, they treat you as a guest.  Further South, if you speak a little French, they treat you as family.

Answer 26

The French have always been very nice to me.  I find them to be the most polite people on the planet.

But the British have been horribly rude to me many times.  Why?

Answer 27

I  have been to Paris november 2006 and last June. I was amazed. Parisians are NICE!!!!

Just remember to say " Bonjour" before asking for information or anything, that is it!  of course you will always find bad humored people, just like any place around the world, but my experience was very good. I will be back as much as I can.

Answer 28

I went to France and found one barman very rude he refused to acknowledge us as a group when we asked for drinks.

Another Frenchman said it was we did not speak French, I said that didn't seem an issued when we liberated France.

I was suddenly acknowledged and served politely.

A one off maybe but so rude.

Answer 29

Bonjour et Merci for all your nice comments !

I'am glad and relieved that our reputation is not as bad as it's said sometimes !

I'm French and lived abroad for some years and when I came back home, I was surprised to notice how much the French people had changed, for the better !

So a big hello to you all :-)

Answer 30

Hey nice to read all your comments !

I am also french and have already travelled to several countries where i stayed for months, and actually i think that French, espescially parisians are not polite, and when we got to live there we tend to become as any other parisian...! I am not from Paris, and do not like the way how Parisians behave.

Most French people cannot speak foreign languages (i is not (only) my thought but lots people from all over Europe said it to me), that is why they expect you to speak French, and even if they try to speak english... the conversation turns meaningless ;)

We might be arrogant when speaking about "french food", "french landscapes" and so on maybe...?!...

Answer 31

i wouldn't say arrogant but when in Paris i do find them rude but not all