French people are rude?

• Hello,
  
  I want to visit France this summer, but I have heard of some friends that French people are considered to be very rude. Especially when you don't speak any French at all (like in my case). Should i be worried to travel in France now? cause this is the first time that i am travelling alone.... Anyone bad (or good) experiences with french people?
  
  tnx,

  28 May 2007, 05:58 Nathalie

Replies

• French People Suck

  The French are incredibly arrogant, rude, deceitful and cheap. I had the misfortune of being involved with a French woman for a year, and she was the most difficult person I have ever had to deal with. She was mean and downright horrible. I have met her friends, and they were no different. They think they know everything and will argue their point to the death even if they have no clue what they are talking about. Also, they think all Americans are wasteful slobs.

  Americana 20 Apr 2009, 11:51 - Report

• A poor little frenchman lost in a big turmoil concerning his little homeland...

  Hi everyone !
  
  As a dirty foreigner from Paris, I make (obviously) the effort to be understood by the others. Sorry for the bad level of English.
  
  It's amazing to see how a little part of earth called France generate so much frenzy from american, British, Italian people and so much more... We French, are we so important that a lot of blogs or forum have to be made so that everyone can tell everyone what they think about 60 millions French inhabitants stretched between Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Great-Britain ( Since 2003, "french bashing is a national sport, doesnt it)?.
  Arrogant, rude... Always the same cliché ... You will have to give your signification in a sharpest way for these words because I think it doesn't have the same meaning on the two parts of the Atlantic Ocean or on the two parts of the British Channel.
  Have you ever read the comments in a well read English tabloïds the week before France & England meet in a Rugby match (A kind of American Football with no protections where you have to score touch-downs, but you can't give the ball in front of you, to make it short )? It smells like they wanted the Hundred's Year War (1337-1453)to erupt again! They cry for hate against the F...in' froggies, You will never see the same in a French newspaper about English, American or anyone else because we will complain about this kind of uncivilized behaviour!
  
  Does everyone love everyone in America ? If a foreigner have troubles with his rude american neighbour, would he be right to claim that all American people are rude ? It will be stupid of course!
  
  Here in France, we make more and more efforts to accept that others are different. Yes we are not perfect, and we know it ! Yes, we know we have to accept that once powerful, we are not anymore the 1st or even 2nd greatest land in the world and we dont talk about the past "Grandeur de la France" with tears in the eyes ! Napoleon 1st is more a tyran than a heroe to us ! And we try to point out and contest some basic anti-americanism whenever it spreads through networks, because it's unbearable even in a land with freedom of speech.
  
  And last but not least : ALL FRENCH KNOW (EVEN YOUNG GENERATION) WHAT THEY GET FROM THE SACRIFICE OF YOUNG AMERICAN SOLDIERS (WITH BRITISH,CANADIANS,POLISH AND EVEN FRENCH COMMANDOS)1944 JUNE THE 6TH ! COME IN NORMANDY AND IF YOUR FATHER, OR GRANDFATHER DIED ON OMAHA BEACH OR UTAH BEACH, BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT IT STILL REALLY MEANS SOMETHING FOR US ...
  At the opposit, no French will tell you about La Fayette and the "French help" to the Insurgents.
  This succesful "help" doesn't give the French any right on Americans...Honestly, do you really believe that this helping hand from King Louis XVIII was for free in his mind ? Before helping the Insurgents, the most important was to break the growing power of the British and wipe the English out of its American colony. It's not as romantic as we would like it, but it's truth...
  
  There are more reasons that could explain why relations are not easy between Americans & French.
  
  It's like a couple : love & hate !
  
  If you don't like French, I know there is nothing I can say that will change your mind...
  
  Anyway : Long life to America.
  
  Rodolphe

  Rodolphe 05 May 2009, 06:34 - Report

• Bye bye France

  I got kick out. Now I got back to US but I lost evererthing changed. Peopele are angry and not friendly anymore.

  Ivan Abell aka big pain in the ass Cowboy 11 May 2009, 10:48 - Report

• Retards of Europe

  Statistically speaking......the most retards are borne out of France. Maybe not the type you see in wheel chairs, not those kind of retards, but the ones who can't think logically. I don't need to understand the characteristics of the French, they over anaylze their food, and their laws, when in the in end, it's crap! Plain and simple. They struggle so hard to define themselves, when if something is so great, you simply can;t define it. BOUDIN!!!

  MODERN WORLD 23 May 2009, 03:02 - Report

• AMERICANO

  Another idiot....you are a wussy!

  AMERICAN 23 May 2009, 03:04 - Report

• oO

  lol

  hehe 23 May 2009, 04:41 - Report

• Some reasons

  Hello,
  I'm a french guy from Bretagne, France.
  I think that we haven't the same meaning of the rudeness. As sayed before, French people aren't ruder than any other people around the world. By the way, saying that french are rude is a stereotype as those we use for american (idiots, obeses) or italian (liers, thiefs).
  Nevertheless, some facts which explain this stereotypes :
  - French People, especially the olders, don't speak well english. They might don't speak with english speakers.
  - A number of workers, such as bus drivers, waiters, policemen, are quite rudes, especially in big city (Paris), even with french.
  - It's true that we give importance to such words : Bonjour (Hello), S'il vous plait (Please), Merci (Thank), Au revoir(Good Bye).
  _ Lot's of French people are racists. It's very sad. Very Shameful. But it's true.
  
  Hope that'll help.

  gwen 26 May 2009, 02:54 - Report

• The pathetically rude French

  Hi,
  My heart goes out to you people because yes, its true, the French tend to be an exquisitely rude and aggressive people.I am a student living in France for the year and am looking foward with avid anticipation to leaving it.I have visited many other countries including America and have never encountered any problems like I have in France. Their level of rudeness and arrogance is shocking. I am a polite person and am constantly overwhelmed by the level of rudeness and general ill- will on the street, in shops, in everyday life. Also, the level of unwanted attention from men is absolutely repulsive. I dress in a classy way pearls etc. and just because I am seen as attractive I get men shouting comments out of car windows in a very aggressive manner. I have never experienced this in my life prior to coming to France. By the way, I never way skirts or dresses and I dress in a very conservative style. I am saddened because I had thought France was all about culture and elegance and I loved studying the French language. Now, I question my career with the French language as I cannot bear to associate myself with a language belonging to such an arrogant, aggressive people. It does'nt take Einstein to get a glimpse into the French mentality: Look at Nicolas Sarkozy who has illustrated himself as an aggressive, imfamously tempermental statesman across world media.

  Maire 26 May 2009, 07:53 - Report

• this strang county makes me sad!

  I am not European but as a university scholar lived in England (3 years) and Germany (4 years) and now I am living in Paris, for last year. I can talk Farsi, Urdu, Arabic, English, German all flunet and I know French for everyday life.
  
  France is rather strange country and I think the average french knows extermly little about even Europ! Average french person cannot talk any other languages and they tent to correct your french without considering they put pressure on non-french native speaker! One might notice a huge ignorance of people in the main cities and great deal of conservative way of communicating with other people.
  
  Average French might seems rude as they don't show any degree of tolerance to other people. One might wildly observe dual rules for french and non-french although it is against the law. It is hard for forginer to get solve the legal problems and you would feel very huge discrimination.
  
  In not big cities people are more down to the earth and try to understand you a lot better!
  
  In general, I certainly dislike to live in France and looking forward to go away from it.

  farzad 27 May 2009, 03:35 - Report

• artus

  Not sure, but there must be a reason as to why so many people think of us as rude etc. I have had many opportunities to meet french people outside France, and can add a few more adjectives to the above. Cheap is one of them, they just don't like to part with their money and think services are just owed to them no matter what. They do not mix with the locals even after many years in a foreign country. Must be coming from the colonies mentality. As far as pompous intelectuals, make no mistake they are still there and very active. Unfortunately.

  artus 11 Jun 2009, 11:53 - Report

• and the oscar goes to...

  Ivan. Seriously, what an imagination. I got lost a couple of time in the plot, the several origins of his father, the royal blood, the police, the mayor, etc. Did the movie come out yet?

  artus 11 Jun 2009, 12:22 - Report

• Hola isabel

  Yo tambien soy de Venezuela, si vienes solo por una temporada chevere, sino, preparate psicologicamente porque son super complicados etc ...
  puedes escribirme al correo
  [email removed] y hablamos. Suerte!

  anonimo 20 Jun 2009, 02:24 - Report

• Why THE French ?

  There are 65 millions of French, why should be the same and then all be rude ? Some are rude, especially in Paris (I belong to them)! People of Paris have the same kind of life than in any other 10 millions inhabitant cities in the world, like in NYC or in London, they must sometimes be rude.
  PS : Anyway, people who say or thing "THE" French must be considered as idiots and treated rudely !
  PS2 : Charlotte shows herself an example of French idiot, please be rude with her !

  Nicolas from Paris 22 Jul 2009, 02:37 - Report