Do you guys find French people rude?

Question

Not sure if it's just bad luck, but all the French people I meet seem to be really rude and unfriendly....I know this doesn't apply to a whole nation of people but I was just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences?

Answer 1

I'm going to Paris for the first time next year and I certainly hope I will find the people as wonderful as the  French travellers I have met in Australia. I think speaking some French does help. Personally I don't know any French women but I find French men to be very friendly and VERY s**y!

Answer 2

we have good and bad in every country.

I am from the deep south and the first time  I went up north ; I was appalled at the rudeness of some people .

In New york  There were quite a lot of rude people.   I  met some really nice people  too..

The same was true in Paris.

The times I was in Paris I met some really well mannered ,polite people.  The men were very helpful ,and attentive. They smoked a lot and red lights were only a suggestion.

Just like in the Unites States,  people were friendlier in  the smaller towns.

Answer 3

no they are kind

Answer 4

maybe but they have good food and romance, and so it totally outrules the rudeness.

Answer 5

Josie, ma cherie, you may be just too delicate! Plus I do not agree that Parisians are all mean. I have an adorable French friend living in Sannois, friendliest little thing. All New Yorkers aren't mean either..all generalities here.

Answer 6

Hmm, depends which area of france you were in, cause im also a french, but not central french im born in, im raised up in a region around Rennes called Brittany, quite a friendly and quiet place to live, you can even get free food there.

Last time i ate mussles with french fries and i didnt had enough i just go ask for more, they gave me without any suspicion, next time try Brittany, here ill give you the info about that place, oh and uhh Britanny hasn't been supporting the french government since napoleon's era, so they might be friendlier by that reason, and you might find that they are celtic and speak the old Brittany language, but now adays only 3 schools in Brittany are supporting the education of this language.

if you're intrested to go on another french trip, take my advice

Heres some info you might need http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britany

Answer 7

yeah..sometimes..

Answer 8

Actually I knew a girl from Paris, she was far from rude.  Friendly and outgoing. Always smiling.

Answer 9

Same as anywhere else; some are, some aren't.

Answer 10

There are nice French people and there are rude French people. There are nice Americans and there are rude Americans. There are nice German people and there are rude German people.

Answer 11

Absolutely!! The French people are so rude, I do agree with you about not the whole nation, but the ones we met while on vacation are very inconsiderate and very rude!!!

Answer 12

Parisian waiters give the rest of the country a bad rap.  I lived in Tours when i was in college (and was there when Sept. 11th happened), and I never had an issue.   Everyone was nice and polite, and I really never encountered someone really rude.  Then again, I speak French, so maybe that had something to do with it.

As a rule of thumb, if you at least attempt to speak french (at least learn "do you speak english"), you situation should improve.

Answer 13

French people are not all rude !!! okay some of them are but everywhere you can find rude people !!!!

rude french are the parisian !!!! if you come in a smaller city no problem !! trust me !!! i'm french and that's why I don't like Paris !!! héhé

Answer 14

Remember it may be a cultural response. They can seem abrupt and arrogant. take it in stride

Answer 15

My experience has been that a lot of them are rude. When i went to the Lourve (sp) the people there were stuck up and gave me and my friends dirty looks.... these were older people though so maybe that was more of the reson then them being French. But then we went to a local shop that had young people working and they were really really rude because we didnt say Merci with the right accent. But then... that could be because they are young.... maybe everyone is just rude.

Answer 16

I hear they also smell like chesses...

You know French people! Cool!

:D

Answer 17

They usually are rude if you start speaking English, you always must start asking in French, at least bounjour, they do not like people who think they should speak English. They love their language and you should respect their language. Most of them do speak a little bit of English, but they expect that you at least try to learn some French and use some French words.

Answer 18

Actually I find them insufferable so I ignore them totally.

Answer 19

I've had nothing but great experiences with French people.  But that's not to say there aren't rude ones out there, because there are.  I mean, there have to be, right?  But like anywhere else you have nice folks and not so nice folks.

Answer 20

Not as much as people in New York !

Both would stick an umbrella up your eye on a rainy busy day and don't say sorry or excuse me !

In france people are direct. not rude !

Answer 21

Rude? I beg you pardon... The most charming,s**y men I met are bloody french by all means!

Answer 22

I think that really depends on where they come from.

I'm french, from the south. And I must say I don't really like people from Paris because they are rude. Every time I went there I met rude people, in shops, bars or in the street. They are pretentious and think they know every thing. Unfortunately, Paris is the shop window of France. So, remember this, Paris is not France, parisians are not french (well, they are, but they don't behave like all the others!).

And you know, sometimes, this rude behaviour comes from how you behave with them (well, us). I remember one day, I was in Paris, walking in the street when an american woman stopped me and asked "Where are the Champs Elysées", without "Hello", "Excuse me", "Please", "Do you speak english". Nothing. Not even a "thanks". So don't be surprised if people (not only french people) are rude with you.

But don't worry, we are nice and kind people ;-)

Answer 23

No, I don't, but the people in Paris are.  I haven't found many rude French here in the states.

Answer 24

I'm french and I live in Paris. I will try to answer and tell my opinion :

- it's true that a great part of us don't like very much foreign people, because many think they know everything.

- like all latin people, french people are not very interested with learning other languages. Don't remember that France has been for years one the most important country in the world, with England. Many french people think it's always like that !

- fortunately, there are many exceptions who like to communicate with everybody (like me) and are very kind with everyone. Don't forget also the french tradition of eating and loving.  On these subjects, you can always find a good occasion to make good exchanges with french people !

Answer 25

I don't  know about all  of them  but the  ones I have been exposed to   cooks, waiters and servants usually are quite arrogant sounding perhaps its   a language thing where direct translations to English don't  sound the same  or have same connotations when  in their native language,  the  thing i noticed while  in France was that most of the women looked like they had buckwheat in a headlock eww hairy pits gross

Answer 26

I guess it depends on where you are and how you act. My experience with the French was great and it could've been because I tried to speak as much French as I could, or I was just lucky to meet many nice people. I noticed that the Parisians were more direct, and busy while in the countryside, they were more relaxed and open. However, they're people who are just trying to live life and not be bothered by tourists.

Answer 27

They were rude to us! But don't let that stop you from going we had a beautiful, romantic time.

Answer 28

When I was in Paris I noticed that often times people there were a bit rude to me as soon as they noticed that I was American. I don't speak French ( I learned German instead), but my friend did and they were very nice to her.  I love Paris, and think it's a beautiful city. Not everyone was rude to me, but there were quite a few that were rude and/or unfriendly. Others were very nice. I guess it depends on the person. I've also heard that people are nicer in the countryside. It was kind of a shock that I was treated so rudely just because I couldn't speak French ( If I had had time to learn French before going there I would have).  Of course, there are rude Americans out there that ruin it for all the nice Americans traveling.

Answer 29

Don't worry, we are not that bad. It's true there are idiots everywhere but most French people are welcoming especially in smaller towns. If you make the effort to try to speak French, they will appreciate it.

Answer 30

absolutely not.  Actually the rudest people I have met are all Americans.  Very self centred, holier than thou people in general.  Alot of the southern Americans are hospitable and kind but as a whole, the American attitude of thinking the American way of life is the only way, is rude and annoying.  When I have travelled throughout the world I am always sure to wear a Canada pin as otherwise people think I am American, and anticipate being mistreated.  On a vacation to Bahamas, I observed Americans snap their fingers at the staff and refer to them by the n word believe it or not.  Never seen a Frenchman do anything of the sort!!!

Answer 31

I've lived in France for 30 years, and find that perceived rudeness is largely a question of culture and situation... New Yorkers for example, in general, would you consider them polite and friendly?  I don't think so.  Go to a small town in Iowa and it's completely different.  Concerning cultural differences, when I first came to France I found it exceedingly rude that people asked me no questions about myself.. I concluded they were snobbish, impolite,  and just not interested...It took me some time to realize that to them, asking personal questions WAS rude...You cannot compare Paris (or London, or New York City) to small towns and the countryside in France where people are more generally polite and helpful.  Come visit us in Britanny !! :)))  Travel broadens the mind as they say....