View Single Post
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 9th August 2009, 08:56 AM
Bevdeforges Bevdeforges is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: deepest, darkest Essonne
Posts: 5,581
Rep Power: 1217
Bevdeforges is a jewel in the roughBevdeforges is a jewel in the roughBevdeforges is a jewel in the roughBevdeforges is a jewel in the rough

Originally from usa. Expat in france.
Default

You may want to try and find a book called "French or Foe" by Polly Platt, which addresses quite a few issues of "etiquette" at least among the Parisian circles.

Enchanté works just fine for meeting people. In most circles, you'll find people don't introduce their partners or companions to each other, and you wind up addressing people as "Madame" and "Monsieur" with no surname attached. (I always figured this for discretion, in case the person you've run into is out with someone not their spouse.)

With shopkeepers, you ALWAYS say "bonjour" (or bon soir) on entering a shop, and "au revoir, merci" on leaving. Same holds true when you enter and leave a restaurant. Often, you greet everyone in the shop (if it's a small shop and there are people standing in line) on entry and on departure. Oh, and when greeting older persons or anyone you should show respect towards, use "Madame" or "Monsieur" - saying simply "bonjour" rather than "bonjour, Madame" is considered terribly familiar by some.

Oh, and never just jump into the subject matter you called about when making a phone call. You always have to "chat" briefly - "oh, how are you? " "have I caught you at a bad time?" and general chitchat - before launching into your question or topic. This is one habit I have a terrible time getting into.
Cheers,
Bev
Reply With Quote