Things To Know Before Moving to FRANCE ! I StreetFrench.org
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ก.ย. 2024
- Bonjour!
------ WHAT IS StreetFrench.org ? ----------
- New videos every week on TH-cam
- e-Books and e-Courses to learn French
- Private French lessons in Paris and via Skype
- Online French learning community on Patreon
SUPPORT US ON PATREON : / street_french
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
/// Check out our PRODUCTS
our FREE e-Course : street-french.t...
our e-Books : street-french.t...
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
/// Follow us at:
Patreon
www.patreon.com/Street_French
Instagram
@street_french
/ street_french
Facebook
/ streetfrench
Twitter
@street_french
/ street_french
Teachable
street-french.t...
Website
www.streetfrenc...
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Music :
"Origins" by Lawless Productions
lawlessproducti...
/ lawlessprod
/ lawlessprod
In collaboration w/ Take Off Publishing
www.takeoff-pub...
/ takeoffpublishing
/ takeoff.publishing
-
Check out our Instagram for DAILY French posts :)
Instagram: @street_french
instagram.com/street_french/
FREE French e-Course: street-french.teachable.com
I guess im randomly asking but does anybody know of a way to log back into an instagram account?
I somehow lost my account password. I would love any tricks you can give me!
Dude, orange chicken for breakfast is weird anywhere :-)
haha :)
One thing I didn't know before doing my exchange semester in France is that it's very rude to say Bonjour more than once to the same person (on the same day). I knew that saying "Bonjour" was very important so at first I just kept saying it, thinking that I was being extra polite lol.
hahaha ow that's funny ^^
It is not "very" rude. It is just odd. Nevertheless, it could indeed be misinterpreted as you do not have noticed the person the first time.
You can say "reBonjour" though (it is not a genuine french word but I can use occasionally).
@@pounet2 Yes, saying bonjour twice makes it clear that the person you are talking to didn't make much of an impression on you the first time, hence why it's so ******* rude.
@@adamclark1972uk See this is why videos like this are so important. It's all nice and fun to say something like "just use common and sense and be respectful" but it would never occur to me that its considered impolite / disrespectful to not say bonjour first when speaking to someone, and then if you say it again if you see them again the same day, it's also impolite / odd to bonjour again. Something that seems to make perfect sense to a French person, doesn't make any sense to me. But that doesn't mean that when I am in France that I want to be rude, I want to learn what is polite and what is not. That is part of the experience of going to another country.
@@adamclark1972uk What if the person you met did make a great first impression on you (and perhaps you them) and you happen to see them again later on and say with delighted surprise, "Oh, well bonjour again!" Wouldn't that be a heart-warming compliment? (You noticed them twice and enjoyed meeting them twice.)
So true about Parisians being helpful! I’m beginner level with the french language and I have been offered rides, been taken by the arm and shown to the metro, had kindly people help me find things at the supermarket, etc. The people here are very helpful and friendly. I think they appreciate that you are making an effort to speak en français. In general, I have found Parisiens to be kind, sophisticated and humorous people.
I agree Not to worry too much about going to France. My French language is not strong. I don't have a formal lesson in French like most of us but I do noticed that when I really tried my best to speak proper French sentences especially when I always say Bonjour first or excuse- moi, most French are very appreciative I tried to speak French. In the end, some speak English to us instead.. I had wonderful encounter in September when my family stay in France for holiday in Paris speaking simple French when asking for directions for metro, changing lignes, toilets, ordering food at restaurants etc.. So relax.. Enjoy your holidays going to France..
Oh that's great Julie! So glad you had a good experience in France :) thanks for sharing!!
Yep.... "Bonjour" and "excusez-moi" are magic words in France. If you have two words to know before coming to France, this is it.
Out of curiosity, what’s your first language? You write English pretty well, but I get the vibe it’s not your native tongue
4:52 where I am from in Asia,it's completely normal to eat stuff like rice,noodles and "heavier stuff" for breakfast
Also my meals are pretty late,11am breakfast,4pm lunch, 10pm dinner.id imagine that if I ever visit France,I'd always have to buy my food in advance or starve!
ah yeah that's interesting!
yeah in France some restaurants are closed between 3pm and 7pm haha
I’m moving to Paris in a couple years for the rest of my life I’m so exited🇫🇷
ow cool !
Where are you from ?
It's been two years, are you there?
I really like these two, they are not pretentious, they just enjoy what they do,,I also like the fact that the boy has the same hair style as my Lego people.
thanks for this comment :) (not sure about the lego hair though haha)
StreetFrench.org je suis desole I wasn’t being mean I think it’s a nice style.
You guys have an amazing and informative channel. So different from the other channels thank you guys for your hard work
Awwwwwwww thanks for that sweet comment :') it means a lot!
Thank you from Los Angeles Tony mercie beaucoup
I love this "the metro closes really early, 1 or 2am" that is fabulous, j'adore!!!! Here in Australia, that would be very late!
A lot of things and customs in France are similar to my country, like when in a restaurant you have to ask for the bill, and the nightmare of administration, I guess is part of the latin influence , by the way I’m from Lima Peru.
Aha xD we really want to visit Peru one day! Thanks for watching :)
yuhhh represent,, my family is from Arequipa ❤️
Can you guys go over the whole process of getting visa, opening a bank acct and getting an apartment plz😊
Waoh! Appreciate for informing us that you have to start by greetings Bonjour' before asking your question. Because here in NY you meet someone and start with 'Hello, How are you? I wanted to ask you a questi..." and before you are done with the bushing around, the person will already be on the move. Oh la la! it's like 'say what you want and get to the damn point". Merci bop, next time I come to Paris, I will definitely give the 2 minutes pour les salutations.
Haha cool! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Fun. I had to get a carte de séjour. 6 photos. A metre long. In the sous-sol of the Conceirgerie on the île de la Cité. Took 3 visits. Actually a frightening experience. One felt the presence of the ancient donjons and even perhaps of the oubliettes. This was in the days of the active OAS so all the cops had mitraillettes. Maybe that was why it was so disturbing.
Salut! My name is Mary and Im from Mexico! thank you guys so much Im really enjoying and learning so much from your videos, now more than ever cause im trying to get an internship in France so if you have any more tips for all of us that are trying to move to france that would be very helpful Thank you and Happy New Year!
Merci! So glad you're enjoying our work! Ok we'll keep that in mind :D
Very helpful. One of my favorite stories is about Chirac and Mitterand. Apparently, Chirac said to Mitterand “On peut se tutoyer!” And Mitterrand said “Si vous voulez…” this story is best told in French and does not really translate into English at all. Merci encore et au revoir!
C'était une bonne question! Comme d'habitude, très bonne d'infos Maya et Charlie.
mercii😊😊
Very interesting to hear of these small matters of social interaction that make quite an impact in daily life. As we are very much considering buying a home in France, knowing these things early is a big help to avoid making bad first impressions.
ah great to hear that it helped ! :)
It may be different in Paris, but if you're moving to rural France (or dans le Grand Sud dans mon cas), you'll be forming a relationship with the mayor. I never experienced that at all in the states - - but "la mairie" is an office you'll become intimately acquainted with for all your administrative needs. Likewise "La Préfecture" of your department, which uniquely handles residency permits, driver's licences, etc., is equally essential.
Lastly, the role of your social worker, or "l'assistante sociale", can be crucial when starting out as a young family or in the case of financial or related problems.
They're available to assist in any way possible, & are very helpful without being judgmental.
La bise, is VERY weird and intimate for me 😅 Je suis Danoise 🇩🇰
Yeah I totally understand what you mean xD
It's even more weird as an asian.anything more than a handshake is weird for us
Anything other than a bow is rude and weird to Japanese. Culture crashes
Ca je ne comprend pas. On fait la bise au Danemark aussi. Je suis danoise aussi.
Hey guys!! This is probably the BEST video I've seen on basics of living in France as a foreigner. Super well done!!! I loved when you talked about administrative officials and needing to get in on a brochure, or in writing. It mad me think of my time in Ensenada Mexico when the total immersion Spanish language school told us, that when asking directions we should always ask 3 or more people. Because Mexicans don't like to NOT be helpful so they will tell you something about getting to your destination. Once you have asked enough folks that you get a consensus on how to get there then you know it's correct. I wondered if they were being racist. But no. My personal experience in multiple cities and many different times visiting the country it has always been best to ask several people how to get to X location. LOL...
Thanks for your great and helpfull video💗🙏🏻
you're very welcome! :)
Thanks for the informative video. Bravo! I'm currently learning French at Institut Français de Birmanie because I plan to go to France some time in the future. Y'all look super chill by the way....and also kinda remind me of Droopy and Dripple from Tex Avery cartoons in a cute way. hehe. Cheers!
:))
Bonjour, au revoir, s'il vous plait et merciii, c'est la base de la politesse 😊
ouai c'est clair :))
An another sentence to say "Est ce que je peux avoir ... ?" is "Puis je avoir ... ?" or also "Est ce possible d'avoir ... ?"
In case of need, yes you can ask someone, but, never forget to be polite, begin your sentence with "Bonjour" ^_^
One more point, compare to Asia for example, a waiter is not your slave, it means you have to respect him, for example, if he comes to your table to inquire about your choice, don't make him wait in wain continuing your private conversation ...
You guys are awesome!
thanks! :)
And finally , the girl started smiling !
“You should ask for the bill in restaurants in France”
=> It’s also similar to some restaurants in the US where the waiters don’t disturb you until you ask for their help.
“People are more willing to help you than where I’m from”
=> You obviously have never been to the Midwest where people are willing to help you with directions and automotive troubles. I live in Chicago where you can encounter rude people and bad drivers but the Midwestern niceness is still there. When I stopped by Nebraska on my way home from a trip to California last week, people actually held the doors for me even when I was far away. And when I visited Minneapolis last year, the people were very polite, helpful, and friendly. They even went the extra mile when they thought you were in trouble.
_ I have not stayed much in the Southern States but I visited Texas and Louisiana and the concept of Southern hospitality is still there. The locals generally wave at you inside their cars or in front of their houses when they see you.
_ Hugging isn’t really a universal concept in the US. It might be more popular in the Southern states. I don’t hug people whom I don’t know very well and what you have seen on TV might have been out of courtesy or feign politeness. I’ve even seen upper class people doing the “la bise” at formal events on TV but they are the rich and untouched from the rest of us. A handshake is more appropriate way of greeting for people of all backgrounds. (It is true that Americans are more comfortable with body contact and PDA though)
ow so cool for the southern hospitality :)
thanks for sharing about the other points too, it's really interesting. Yeah we can't generalise of course, I guess Charlie was speaking about his own experience being from LA ^^
StreetFrench.org
Yup, I know. To be fair, Los Angeles and New York city are notoriously known for having a lot of rude people and worst traffic. And hence, Charlie might have been experiencing the worst in people’s behaviors and manners. Bless his heart.
Parisians are often thought of by others as rude and haughty but hey, you are a lovely person.
P/S: Do French people often say “Bonne Journée” to others ?
@@ThePerksdeLeSarcasmeSiorai Haha maybe!
And yes, we say bonne journée/soirée all the time :)
If you meet the right person in any administration, who knows his job and understands everything, don’t be shy! Ask for his name, he’ll tell you and you’ll try to reach him directly next time 😁
ah cool ! :)
That was very interesting. Merci
Glad you liked it!☺☺
Bonjour! I'll be honest, I dropped out of French while studying it because I wasn't great, but I recently went to Disneyland and managed to start flirting with one of the ride operators. I already had a rough idea about making an effort to speak to her in French and so I practised some phrases and went back to her and told her she was beautiful, asked if she was single and then asked for her snap chat. To my surprise, this worked and we have been sort of messaging a bit since then and I have planned a trip back in a couple weeks. I told her I would be coming back which she said was really cool, but I haven't told her when. I am going from Friday-Sunday and would arrive on Friday just before the parks open at Disneyland. I know that she doesn't work on Fridays and so my plan is to go to the ride she works on and speak to the other people who work there and try to find out something like her favourite flower or something she might appreciate. I then plan to go away and get that to then go and surprise her the next morning while she is at work. This is where I am unsure though. Firstly, would this be appreciated? Is it weird? I've been doing some research and from what I've gathered the surprise would be nice, although being from the UK, everyone thinks I would be weird but then I keep explaining it's a cultural thing (I think). I also would like to greet her with a phrase in French, something to show I am making an effort (Although I think given I will be travelling 460 miles to see her that would be enough). She already told me she doesn't think she is that special and so was surprised I was willing to fly back to see her. I am unsure of what phrase to use, I looked up a few but they seem too cheesy to me or too forward maybe to her, I am unsure if just a simple 'Hey' with a smile and some flowers or maybe just a rose is the correct way to go about doing this. I also thought about saying something like 'At least I'm persistent' although I feel that is probably a bad idea. I'm trying not to overthink this as I prefer things to just happen naturally, but I also want to make a good impression as she seemed impressed and flattered at my confidence the first time we spoke. I forgot to mention that I did probably the most British thing possible and shook her hand as a parting gesture which from the reaction I think she thought was cute and found it funny but I would like to know if I made a blunder here. I personally look back and laugh at how much of an 'English idiot' I must have looked, but I wanted to be respectful to her as well. I would love to hear what you guys think about this. Great video though, I am enjoying watching through them, keep up the good work! Jolly good show! (Sorry had to interject some good old fashioned Britishness in there) :)
Haha that's really cool!
Well personally, I think going to her work and asking about her favorite flower is kind of uhhhh maybe not the best approach.
Maybe just take it slow, talk openly with her you know? No pressure ;)
Whatever happens, just be yourself, I'm sure it will be fine! Enjoy!!
@@Street_French I needed to hear that last line. Thanks for the advice. :)
@@armadillopie2621 You're welcome :)
I would love to go to France. Alas perhaps in the next life. :(
ow no keep that goal for this lifetime :)
what's holding you back?! you can do it :)
Actually the most important thing is reading the great French literature. I’m trying to read all the plays of La Comèdie Française. Can’t speak it here in the US.
Thanks for this video
de rien! :D
11:53 THIS IS VERY TRUE! Not only can you get several different answers to questions but many times, the person will either just say "no, it's not possible" to any request you might have because French people *LOVE* to say, "Non!" or they will just make shit up, anything to derail you.
I find when you go to (especially) a public office that you should know the answer and procedure beforehand - unfortunately you need to really be well informed. It’s so much easier now due to so much info on net.
@@mediterraneanworld Very true !
Very interesting. People in the south ... at least Arkansas usually are helpful like that... do you have an autumn 🍂 or fall season? I just wondered. I don’t think I’ve seen any pics like that if you do....
Yes we have autumn here :)
Quand j'étais à la gare, je ne savais pas quel train prendre, alors j'ai dit à une femme "excusez-moi, est-ce que ce train va à ..." et elle semblait d'accord avec ça. Je ne manquerai pas d’utiliser «bonjour» la prochaine fois!
Excellent !!!!!!!!!!!
Same! When I went to France I always let the other person make the kiss noise when we did “la bise” 😅
haha :)
Certainly you can eat whatever you want without being "improper" in France? Where I live, eclair is also dessert but I won't make a big deal of it even if someone eats it for breakfast...
yeah you can eat whatever you want. no one is making a big deal of anything :)
if you go up to someone with a question, do you say excusez-moi and then bonjour, or bonjour and then excusez-moi??
both are correct ^^
but usually, I think I say "excusez-moi, bonjour"
Ce qui me surprend est que les Américains et Anglais ne semblent pas capables de prononcer le " u ". Ils vont prononcer " ou ".
ouais c'est difficile pour eux. ce sont n'existe pas dans leur langue :)
Coucou tout le monde !
If you need to talk to a random stranger in the street, would it be OK to begin the conversation with "Pardon monsieur/madame ...", or is it more natural to start with "Bonjour ..."?
ah it's important to say both. I usually say "excusez-moi Madame/Monsieur, bonjour"
OK for me.
"Pardon monsieur/madame..."
"Excusez-moi..."
I will not say "Bonjour" in this case.
@@pounet2 no no you have to say bonjours too. You have to say everything :)
'bonjour, excusez-moi..."
@@Street_French Comme tu veux... je fais la distinction entre aborder qqun dans la rue ou dans un endroit plus défini (restaurant, etc...).
Enfin, cela ne peut pas faire de mal de dire "bonjour" :)
What tips do u have for one learning to speak French in a year? I will be moving to Paris in November and determined to work very hard at speaking, writing, comprehending and reading French. Should I do exams? Attend classes? Start a class myself? Join a club?
no matter what you choose : going to class, learning yourself etc... the most important thing is to dedicate time to practice speaking and having conversations, practice failing, making mistakes. you need to go back and forth between theory and actually using the language to understand what you're learning. you alse get to hear what other people speak,and you actually learn while practicing but it's just to so tedeous and boring as when you're alone in your room ^^
Nice tips globally but I do not totally agree with the fact that it is OK to drink anywhere in France. I will not advise you to drink in the metro or on the street (except at terrace of a bar or restaurant obviously).
It is true that you can see (usually young people) drinking on the streets but this was an habit imported from them watching american series (I think). Some of them go to the point where they wrap their bottles in paper bags ;)
There is some places where it is acceptable though : Seine Banks are OK. Public garden could be OK too.
We enjoy drinking in bars, during diners or picnics (and that is pretty all).
For the smoking part (if you are a smoker), it is nice (but not mandatory) to ask your neighbors if they would not be bothered by you smoking. On the other hand, if you are bothered by someone smoking at a terrace, I will not advice you to ask him to stop. If so, do it very very nicely and politely (some smokers will "fight" to defend their rights).
One thing I would like to point out though : Most foreigners find French to be rude. It is unfortunately often the case for waiters and taxi drivers. Do not draw any general conclusions based only on your interactions with them. We are most of the time very friendly and welcoming :)
Another weird thing in France : You usually do not ask for the name of a person immediately after meeting him. You have to small talk at least a little before. Sometimes, you can spend a whole evening talking with someone else and still not knowing his name at the end.
Well, there is a lot of "to do" and "not to do" things in France (it would take several videos to cover only part of it).
ah thanks for sharing all that. it's a cool insight of your experience :)
I am dating a French man for marriage purposes and we are both serious on this matter. Would that be easy for me to become a French citizen through marriage? I am a U.S. citizen at the moment.
ah I don't know enough about that
It is relatively easy but not fast...
Firstly : You have to be married for at least 4 years.
Secondly : You have to come to France regularly.
Thirdly : You can be called for an interview to check your motivations and knowledge of French langage and culture.
There is other conditions (but they should be OK).
Then, you will have to wait one year for the answer !!!
Bonjour. Is it ok to say "Je voudrais un café."? I would like a coffee? Merci
Bonjour, you can but most French wouldn't say that. It's much more natural to say "je prends / je vais prendre, etc..." ;)
@@merseltzer De rien :)
What about je veux un pain au chocolate? Is that ok for ordering?
I will disagree with StreetFrench.org on this point.
Saying "Je voudrais un café" is perfectly fine (do not forget to add "s'il vous plaît").
"Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît".
You can also say "Je prends un café" but I'll never use such a sentence, because it is imperative (it is not rude but not very polite either).
My way to order a café
"Pourrais-je avoir un café s'il vous plaît" (a little bit formal though)
Or simply
"Un café s'il vous plaît"
StreetFrench.org I’d say: Je voudrais prendre or J’aimerai prendre, Je prendrais bien un café
Drinking in the Paris Metro is not really 'fine'. You should not do it. Also, due to 'certain people' becoming abusive, many of the Seine River embankments are now 'dry' zones - no alcohol allowed.
ah I don't know about that, I've never had a problem with drinking next to the Seine River, never seen those dry zones. and yeah in the metro, I'm personally not super confortable doing it but I see people do it on saturday nights for exemple and it's fine. It's not forbidden that's what we mean :)
Usually, sign language would be more effective.. instead being smart! 😂
Is it terribly expensive to live in France compared to the United States? I know that is a broad question. Do you eat out often? What about foods from other countries, like German, Spanish or English? How hard is it to travel between counties?
ok so it really depends on what city you're talking about. Paris is the most expensive town, in some cases similar to LA and NY. but if you go to smaller towns in Normandie or anywhere else, the coast of living is really reasonable and cheap. but we do eat out often yeah. But it's a choice, we work a lot, we don't have a car, we don't go on little weekends, so we like to eat out often yes :) and for foods from other countries you can find pretty much anything in Paris :)
and travelling between countries, again it depends where you live and where you're going to. there a lot of flights going from Paris to all of over the US
@@Street_French you can travel by train, too. Fast train are easy to use, too.
Expensive compared to what? For a holiday or to live? What’s the income? It is all relative - could be more or less or the same. What do you mean by difficult to travel between countries? Which ones? Just in the EU?
On peut se tutoyer?
you should do videos in french
ok thanks for the feedback :)
❤❤❤
（pissed off) but I'm goint to Mars!!!anya tips,svp!!
Somebody knows her full name ? Maias’s
Honestly, Americans make such a big deal out of the bise I (from a place in Brazil where we have the bise -although only 1 instead of 2) thought you actually kissed each other’s cheeks instead of just the “cheek-bump”, relieved to know it’s not the case lol
haha yeah I mean for us in French the american "hug" is really weird too so I understand why they'd be weirded out by it lol
and for example in Russia they often kiss on the lips to say hello, that's pretty shocking for us too lol
StreetFrench.org yeah, it depends on the culture but it’s good you specified in the video people usually don’t actually kiss the cheek cause I imagine many foreigners must have made this mistake
(I mean, it can happen in Brazil but it’s usually reserved for grandmas lol)
@@dudamendesmili1071 ah yeah :)
Once you learn what "garcon" means, you should feel VERY uncomfortable addressing an adult like that!!
"Garçon" is the short name for "garçon de café" the waiter in a café, not a boy. It is not rude but just old fashion.
To call him just say "s'il vous plaît !" (Please !)
Regarding hugging - i never, ever hugged anyone in greeting after moved to the east coast. Not all American cultures will condone hugging. New Yorkers will never do that.
Oh really? I lived in NYC for a year, and I'd say I hugged a fair amount of people when first meeting them but usually they were friends of friends ;) thanks for watching!
Every comment I've made you've contested and then you thank me for watching. You seem very sure that you are right about everything. More power to you. I won't comment any more -- it doesn't seem to influence your overall perception so there's no point. I lived in NYC for nine years but I must have lived in a bubble.
Hey we're just sharing our experience, yours was clearly different and that's okay. And yeah of course I wanted to thank you for watching and even for commenting, it means a lot to us that you took the time to express yourself here :)
I wonder if that has to do with our age difference. I didn't move to NYC until I was 27 - that was years ago and my social circle was limited to people who were 9 to 5ers. Times could have changed - or its possible that college aged people are more openly affectionate w each other in New York. Kids coming from almost anywhere else, will more naturally hug. I almost always did the two cheek kiss in NYC, only very seldomly a hug. I think NYC is a strange example for things being "American" because its kind of an anomaly.
Yeah that could definitely be it, and my friends were definitely more hippie-ish haha. It was funny the other day I met a girl from Louisiana, we had an hour long French lesson and we really hit it off, so at the end we both naturally went in for a hug to say goodbye. But yeah thanks for reaching out again and getting a dialogue going :) we appreciate it!
I'm sorry, but she is soooo pretty.
Ok so i went to bus station to take the tickets for Brussels , i said to the women hello she said bonjour i said for about 3 to 4 times hello because she was just replying bonjour until i finally said bonjour i loved to frustrate her haahahahahahhahaahahahaha
Why would anyone wanna move to France?... Especially after this clip...