What a Parisian would and wouldn't say
YOUR ENTHUSIASM
In general, they speak negatively when they mean something positive: I had a bad time (not bad) when they want to show that something is great. You must learn to read between the lines, the tone says it all.
When a Parisian woman tells you how things are going with her boyfriend, many say with a neutral air, "that they're fine, that he's nice", after her expressive phrase they ask you if you have any, and if not, to do you a supposed favor, they let you know. "Don't worry, we'll find you one" ( seen the panorama to you the famous little phrase terrifies you) .
They do not usually say that something is beautiful or ugly, if it is good or bad to dry... there is always a well thought out explanation behind , since we were kids have taught them to critically analyze.
If you don't have a boyfriend they will try to get you to have one
THE MOST REPEATED
infinite use of sorry when they have to apologize for something; to make their way when they want to pass (accompanied by a gentle push) or when they drop into the crowd of the subway.
Monday mornings are like The Groundhog Day , "This weekend I haven't gone out much... more than anything I've rested... et ça fait du bien " (looks good) .
In the grocery stores, they say thank you non stop almost at every phrase or gesture they exchange with the shopkeeper. And in the bakeries they answer you with a question. You ask, “une baguette, please”, and they repeat in a questioning tone “une baguette?, three good …”
Undoubtedly the most heard phrase on the subway when someone answers the phone is the mispronounced one t’es où là , (where are you?) and in response to it, the corresponding reasonable lie pretending that they are at least 3 stops closer to the meeting point than they really are.
Don't miss a good baguette
NOUS SOMMES TOUS, MADAME OU MONSIEUR
A well-behaved child will address you like Madame even if you are 20 years old At first she imposes on you and you don't take it for granted, but once you've gotten used to it, she shocks you and even annoys you that you're on a first-name basis.
To the parents of your friends you owe treat them about you and if you marry one, if they are very classic you may have to call them my mother, mon pere as a sign of respect.
down the street, a racket , a badass from the outskirts of Paris to compliment you will not say one of those graphic Spanish phrases, but a subtle, “ give me your 06 ”(The first two digits of mobile phones), she will pronounce a Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle ...or a je vous trouve charmante (I find her charming).
In the eyes of a child you will always be Madame or Monsieur
PRECISION, ITS STRENGTH
If you say you have moved house, They immediately ask you if you have rented or bought it . If you tell them it's in an affordable neighborhood, they reply, "ah, but isn't it a bit far, is it?", and if it's in the trendy area, they'll make an exclamation like "How we live" , with a touch of jealousy and a bit of a tinkle. Then they will ask you the price, the square meters… etc…
The same story if you mention that you are going on vacation as a roadtrip , they will question you about the exact days… the specific places and the order. Which will totally throw you off balance because you realize you don't have even half the answers ready. at your return, You will almost have to explain your planning changes.
PRESENTATIONS:
According to the protocol when they introduce you, the famous is not mentioned charmed but a simple bonjour followed in any case by a Madam/Monsieur.
After meeting an inhabitant of Paris, one of the essential questions is let her know what district she lives in . The population and the way of life change from one to another and they consider that it gives a global idea of what the person is like.
A little chauvinism with the area you live in...
**CONTROL COOL LANGUAGE**
Teenagers, preppy-rebels or pimps indistinctly use the verlan _(à l'envers) _ which means "upside down", slang that consists of reversing the order of the syllables of some words. So woman: femme is meuf ; crazy: fou is oof and party: fête es teuf. Difficult to get into the rhythm when you've just arrived in Paris.
In their conversations they insert some words like party, drink, job, fun, hello ; Because of the French accent, at first you won't even realize that they speak English, after a while you may pronounce it like them. They don't stop saying cool and the coolest say frais.
Would you know how to recognize a Parisian hipster?
LANGUAGES
As soon as they hear your accent, they will ask you where you are from, when you answer “Spanish”, the next almost automatic question is “Madrid or Barcelona?”, with no other possibility. Afterwards, an interrogation about the good tapas bars in paris (and believe me, they are few).
On the other hand, the taxi drivers always speak to you in Italian and insist so much that they even make you doubt your nationality.
They are all bilingual, as soon as they find the moment to hit the thread they let you know “euhh, I'm bilingual, euhh, I speak Spanish, euhh where are you from?” And they are so happy. And the most daring ones sing to you refrains of great songs like “let's go to the beach”, “I have a black shirt”….
Cheese and wine: PLEASURE
THEY USE TAGS AND DIMINUTIVES
There are hundreds, dis donc, du coup, finally, bref, voilà … There are some expressions like “ ça coute que dalle ” (something like “it doesn't cost a dime”) that most of them don't know how to write. When you ask about its spelling, the answer is: “it is not written, it is said”.
Some unlucky say mash either punaise to avoid saying a bad word, it would be the equivalent of saying "Wednesday" instead of "M..."
And there are those who say “oui” as if they sucked in and had a few seconds of suffocation, a slightly destabilizing moment the first time you witness it.
They use many diminutives, champ (champagne) , Bible (library), rest (restaurant) , caipi (caipirinha) , Les Champs (Les Champs Elysees), Macdo (McDonald's)...
In addition, everything is preceded by the word petite, a petit resto, a petit dîner… a petit café, small or not…
Shakespeare & Co, there is nothing more... Anglo-Parisian
A PARISIAN HAS NO TIME
At work, in order to be respected, it is essential to protest, to say that "they are overwhelmed" it is a sign of importance in their language and is key to surviving in the office and outside of it. Winning phrase accompanied by a snort or pouting.
A Parisian is going to invite you to dinner at his house two months in advance. Spontaneity is not used and is almost frowned upon (It could be a symptom of not having an agenda or even worse, of not being requested). In case of not being able, the reasons vary according to the fashion of the moment, they will tell you something like I can't have bikram yoga, I am going to the retrospective of such an artist or I have the opening of an exhibition.
If on a fateful Friday night they run out of plan lying at home, the next day they will make you an ideal scenario of how comfortable they were on the sofa, reading a book, in chill mode, with background music.
ALWAYS UP-TO-DATE
When you arrive at the door of a fashionable bar, it is common for the security guard to look at you in surprise and ask you a question such as what can i do for you? How can I help you? for you it is clear, you hallucinate a little and you ask yourself if you have made the wrong place.
All are foodies , they will advise you on the best croissants in the city, the most authentic Italian, the dim sum that you must try, the finest oysters, the tartare that you cannot miss… And it is essential to discover it first, before it is democratized.
Ditto about art; it is almost obligatory to go to all the artistic manifestations. The Parisian struts to meet all the artists who have been exhibited in Paris museums in recent years and will not appreciate that another does not.
They pilot the latest trends, they know what a hipster is, a goof, what is normcore style, they know the bloggers, the latest cooks, the schedules of the food trucks … They are followers of trends, brunch, drinner, do detox and go to non-alcoholic cocktail bars.
Anyway, bref, voilà…
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Being Parisian is much more than speaking French