Parlez vous francais?, Paris

Je parle le francais un petit (I speak a little French)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You don't need to know fluent French in order to get around in Paris. I think not knowing French scares alot of tourists but this intimidation is unfounded really.

I believe it's because the French are very proud of their language and really they do not visit other countries and expect the natives to speak French to them. Therefore, they expect visitors to reciprocate.

Believe it or not, a simple "Bonjour madame" or a "Bonsoir monsieur" will be appreciated and you will find that the Parisians open up more to you. Be sure to say these greetings when entering any store, hotel, restaurant, anywhere. It is a matter of politesse too. The French are very formal and polite so they expect that you should be polite as well.

Do not ever launch into any conversation in English immediately. Instead politely ask "Bonjour madame/monsieur, parle vous Anglais?". Most times the person does know English but if not will be glad to help you out in any way he/she can. But not if you are rude and expect him/her to speak English to you immediately-you might receive a chilly reaction!

French may mean different things in our minds. Difficult to learn, enjoyable to speak etc... Though you can hear other European languages in the streets and markets, most of locals prefer French as only way of oral communication. Anyway obtain a dictionary or book for basic needs and start to learn. Because Paris is the right place for smelling a traditional atmosphere of culture and delight.

Not surprisingly, the French language is an important aspect of the French culture and their national identity.

Trying to learn at least a few phrases and using them will take you very far in interacting with locals. "Hey pal, you speak English" is not going to elicit the most positive response! The vast majority of the French speak excellent English, but they really appreciate when you at least make an attempt at communicating in the local language. But don't worry about needing to get through an entire conversation. Upon hearing that you are foreign, most will switch to English.

The website below is one (of many) in which you can find a few basic phrases that will prove very useful in Paris.

My French is horrible, but I've never been subjected to the alleged rudeness of Parisians.

I've found that there's a sentence that unlocks French friendliness:

"Excusez moi, j'ai un problem>."

When they say, "Oui?"

I say, "En Englais, s'il vous plait?"

They say, "Oui"

And we move forward in English.

I'm not even sure that the grammar (gender etc) is correct, but it's always worked.

In fact, I tested it once in Bon Marche. The first time I used the phrase, and the help was immediate and friendly.

The second time, I just said, "Bonjour" and then, "Je ne parle pas Francais..." and there was a distinct difference.

Here are a few useful phrases and sentences that may be helpful if you're visiting Paris:

1. Quelle heure est-il? = What time is it?
2. Je voudrais___s'il vous plait. = I would like___please.
3. Je prends un chocolat chaud = I'll have a hot chocolat
4. Ca coute combien? = How much does this cost?
5. Vous fermez a quelle heure? = What time do you close at?
6. Parlez-vous anglais? = Do you speak English?
7. Prenez vous des cartes de credit? = Do you accept credit cards?
8. Je ne comprends pas = I don't understand
9. Combien = How much
10. Aujourd'hui, demain, hier = Today, tomorrow, yesterday
11. Comment allez-vous = How are you?
12. Merci, pardon, excusez-moi = Thank you, pardon me, excuse me

If you really think you want to learn French, I would recommend the "10 Minutes a Day Series." It helped me learn German, when I bought the German version. They come with stickers, flashcards, and are very easy to learn from. You can buy them at any Chapters, and in most bookstores. They're available in several differnt languages. They cost just under $20 CAN. If you want to order one, here are the numbers. You can also visit their website.

When you walk into a shop or cafe, the merchant will greet you with "bonjour monsieur/madame"

You are expected to respond in kind.

The French expect people to be polite and follow a few simple rules.

We walked into a busy but small shop along the Rue de Rivoli. There were three salespeople behind the counter and they all looked a bit grim. I said "bonjour ..." and their faces lit up and they all responded with bonjour...

Ederly people don't speak English, but younger (let say 50's) speak English.
The younger they are, the better they speak foreign languages including/especially English.

So if you talk in English, most of the time they'll really try their best to understand you and to answer your questions.
BUT
Sometimes, they don't understand very well English and they don't want to concentrate a little bit. So they wan foreigner to try and speak a little of French... a lot of French.
Just bring you Frenc book with you ;-)

Eve if you don't speak French, French people (unlike anybody in the world) appreciate when you say just a few words, whihc you learned before you left your country.
No matter if you don't speak properly, nationals (in any country in the world) always love to hear foreigners talk their language. It's cute, and that makes them keener to help, because you made the effort to learn some words from the coutrny where you're going !

Make the effort to learn some french. It's not hard to learn the basics. Please and thank you's go a long way. The only time anyone was deliberatly rude was in a department store where I was looking for a hairdryer because mine wasn't working. I asked the saleswoman if she spoke English (because I didn't know how to say hairdryer), she made a face and said "non" and started to walk away. I finally managed to get what I needed because I knew how to say "it is windy and hot outside" and pointed to my head. She then smiled and said "oui" and pointed me to the hair dryers. Whew!