Bravo! Yes, when I first arrived, I was berated for launching straight into what I wanted at a DIY shop. The young man said, bonjour. I looked at him a moment and said I’m looking for the plumbing section. He repeated the words more slowly bonjour Madame. It dawned on me and I said bonjour before going on. I am lucky. I retired to France and live in a village where nobody speaks in English. Joining in has been the best part of my life.❤️
that's good that you are not surrounded by English. My tip: listen to French radio, watch French TV. Even just hearing it constantly helps. And yes, bonjour is obligatory. And quite rightly so.
That is great advice. You are right. I did that 23 years ago when I got here. I’ve earned my citizenship and I have a French partner. I watch a lot of French television! My favorite part about French life is the café every morning where the neighbors meet and we chat. (gosh I had to edit that. Apparently there is something called WeChat! 🤯)
OK, I’ve never heard it called that. 🤣The Frenchman is a relatively new addition to my life and it’s quite interesting to watch him trying to learn English. I know one thing about French. I will never stop learning something new. It is so complex and so very lovely. It is also quite frustrating sometimes! 😬
I always say Good morning/afternoon, or at least Hi!, then Goodbye when I leave, in shops and cafes here in Salisbury - on leaving, I’m often told “Have a good day!”, too. Maybe not when I enter bigger shops, like M&S, but definitely in small indie ones, and in charity shops. I also like that we thank bus drivers - it’s certainly not the case in Poland.
I can't bear "Hi." It's a problem. I think "have a good day" has replaced "good day" but I don't like that either. I'm such a grump. And don't get me started on "cheers" for thank you which to this day I have never used and never will unless I lose my sanity.
I don’t mind any of it, but yes, I prefer Thank you! instead of Cheers! What I really dislike is people calling me “Mate”, not that it happens much, but my old boss did, and let’s just say it didn’t endear him to me.
That's so odd, I find that "mate" is overwhelmingly a male habit. And very bloody annoying. Weirdly, I absolutely don't mind the northern habit of calling everyone love, I quite like it. But I probably wouldn't in a work situation. And there is a very young lad who works at the pharmacy who does it and it sounds very wrong.
So true...during COVID, people out walking in London for social purposes started saying "hello" to each other. It felt very weird. And yet, in that lovely little French village, even random passing through cyclists do a "Bonjour" or even "Bonsoir". I'll be watching & listening to find out if "Good day" catches on again here
I’d forgotten the Covid thing. I guess it’s about space; it’s impossible to acknowledge everyone in a town or city so we operate under what Erving Goffman called “civil indifference.” But when there is space, we should overcome that. And in any transaction, to acknowledge that it is human.
Bravo! Yes, when I first arrived, I was berated for launching straight into what I wanted at a DIY shop. The young man said, bonjour. I looked at him a moment and said I’m looking for the plumbing section. He repeated the words more slowly bonjour Madame. It dawned on me and I said bonjour before going on. I am lucky. I retired to France and live in a village where nobody speaks in English. Joining in has been the best part of my life.❤️
that's good that you are not surrounded by English. My tip: listen to French radio, watch French TV. Even just hearing it constantly helps. And yes, bonjour is obligatory. And quite rightly so.
That is great advice. You are right. I did that 23 years ago when I got here. I’ve earned my citizenship and I have a French partner. I watch a lot of French television! My favorite part about French life is the café every morning where the neighbors meet and we chat. (gosh I had to edit that. Apparently there is something called WeChat! 🤯)
Ah then you have a pillow dictionary. That's also an excellent way to learn. Sounds like you've done everything right.
OK, I’ve never heard it called that. 🤣The Frenchman is a relatively new addition to my life and it’s quite interesting to watch him trying to learn English. I know one thing about French. I will never stop learning something new. It is so complex and so very lovely. It is also quite frustrating sometimes! 😬
I always say Good morning/afternoon, or at least Hi!, then Goodbye when I leave, in shops and cafes here in Salisbury - on leaving, I’m often told “Have a good day!”, too. Maybe not when I enter bigger shops, like M&S, but definitely in small indie ones, and in charity shops. I also like that we thank bus drivers - it’s certainly not the case in Poland.
I can't bear "Hi." It's a problem. I think "have a good day" has replaced "good day" but I don't like that either. I'm such a grump. And don't get me started on "cheers" for thank you which to this day I have never used and never will unless I lose my sanity.
I don’t mind any of it, but yes, I prefer Thank you! instead of Cheers! What I really dislike is people calling me “Mate”, not that it happens much, but my old boss did, and let’s just say it didn’t endear him to me.
That's so odd, I find that "mate" is overwhelmingly a male habit. And very bloody annoying. Weirdly, I absolutely don't mind the northern habit of calling everyone love, I quite like it. But I probably wouldn't in a work situation. And there is a very young lad who works at the pharmacy who does it and it sounds very wrong.
So true...during COVID, people out walking in London for social purposes started saying "hello" to each other. It felt very weird. And yet, in that lovely little French village, even random passing through cyclists do a "Bonjour" or even "Bonsoir". I'll be watching & listening to find out if "Good day" catches on again here
I’d forgotten the Covid thing. I guess it’s about space; it’s impossible to acknowledge everyone in a town or city so we operate under what Erving Goffman called “civil indifference.” But when there is space, we should overcome that. And in any transaction, to acknowledge that it is human.