Are french people actually rude?

Some cultural commentary and GIFs put together

Coucou!

Your favorite Mexican is back at it.

There were too many things I wanted to write about, but after a TikTok comment war I unintentionally incited, I decided to focus today on a specific french stereotype.

Are French people rude?

If you had asked me 6 years ago when I first met my now-French husband, I would have said yes without hesitating –It was a long process to get to where we are, no need to talk about it for now. However, after befriending more french people, analyzing my interactions with them, and slowly falling in love with the french lifestyle, I no longer think they're rude.

Instead, I would say that they are honest and direct. Chances are you won't have to wonder where you stand with a french person. There is no sugar-coating of things, no fake politeness, or superficial friendships. If you're friends, you're ride or die, if there's a problem or a misunderstanding, you sit down and talk about it until it's resolved, nothing just gets shoved under the rug, and I love it.

I do not miss people asking me how I'm doing when they have zero interest, suggesting plans that never happen, getting tongue-in-cheek compliments, and many of the social pleasantries I experienced in America. After all, not everything in life is truly amazing all the time.

Then there is the language part.

If you don't make the effort to speak French, they probably won't make the effort to be nice, which I can stand behind. If you are in a foreign country, try to speak the native language, it's polite.

I remember being scared to try to speak French because they would giggle a little if I mispronounced something. But now that I live here I no longer care, most of the time they meet me halfway and appreciate it when I really try.

I do love seeing how they cringe a little when people do not even make the effort to pronounce things correctly. Think of the infamous main character of Emily in Paris –A Netflix show you should not watch if you want to learn about the real France– trying to say "Bonjour” without even trying to pronounce the "R” properly. R's are tricky in French –And Spanish–, but we can all try a bit harder.

The Parisian service industry does have a reputation for being rude to tourists, although I have not experienced this as much as I thought. I understand where it comes from, though. Paris is full of tourists from all over the world, it's a very fast-paced city, and they just don't have the time and patience to help every single tourist practice their conjugation. Also, since there is no tipping culture, they don't really have the incentive to be nice to you if you aren't to them. Just don't take it personally and move on.

Coming from a background of keeping our mouths shut and judging behind people's backs –Yes, Latinos AND Americans do this more than they'd like to admit– I was caught off guard by how judgy the French can be. You might notice stares if you step out wearing something they think is odd, or people may ask you directly why you did something a certain way. They give honest opinions and tell you what they really think when you ask them. If you ever want to know how something looks on you, ask a French person and they will tell you the truth.

Just while writing this, I asked my very direct husband what he thought. His response? “C’est pas mal”, which I now know is one of the greatest compliments you can get from a French person. Forget “I love it!”, and “It's great!”, if you hear “Pas mal” consider yourself on the safe side and keep going.

Ultimately it all comes down to perspectives. When I changed my point of view I realized the French are not rude, they're just not fake, and I learned to like that.

---

What are your thoughts?

This is my first official post so there is a lot of room for growth. Feel free to reach out and tell me what you think, subscribe if you haven't, and share it with friends, family, or anyone who you think could be interested. I'll keep learning and making certain changes to the frequency and length of my posts as I move forward, it's a fun ride!

If you're into social media, here's the link to the aforementioned TikTok that got a little more popular than expected. Follow me if you'd like to see more!

Have a great week and enjoy a GIF of the best character in Emily in Paris ✨