Greetings
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French Dating Culture and Romantic Relationships | OptiLingoHow To Impress French Women - Live LinguaAdieu to “Mademoiselle”?Madame or Mademoiselle ? A Delicate Question 💍- Greetings are important in France. Thus, it is necessary to greet others correctly to make a good impression.
- Handshakes are the norm in a business setting or with acquaintances. It is expected that you will shake hands with everyone present when arriving and leaving.
- Among friends and relatives, the most common greeting is the ‘la bise’ (kiss on both cheeks). The labise consists of placing one’s cheek against another’s, making a kiss noise, then repeating it on the opposite side. A labise is sometimes accompanied with an embrace.
- People generally kiss twice during a labise; however, this varies depending on the region in France. In this instance, follow your French counterpart.
- One should remove their sunglasses and/or hat when doing a labise.
- Respect is shown in verbal greetings by referring to the person as ‘Madam’(‘Ms’) or ‘Monsieur’ (‘Mr’).
- Though previously the title ‘Madam’ referred to a married woman and ‘Mademoiselle’ referred to an unwed woman, this practice is no longer commonplace. Instead, ‘Madam’ is the title used to address any woman, regardless of her marital status.
- In formal contexts or when speaking to elders, use last names and appropriate titles until you are invited by your French counterpart to move on to a first-name basis. It is important to acknowledge someone by their academic title (if relevant).
- In a formal setting, addressing someone by their title always precedes any conversation or request (e.g. “Madam, would you like a drink?”).
