Why French people never hug (French with English subtitles) 

Oh I really like this way of learning you talk slowly French and just leave us to read subs whilst following your sounds. Watching sounds on a movie is too quick. I do hope you could have the patience to do more vids just like this.

I love the fact that french people happily kiss each other but draw the line at hugging 😅

This is a really GREAT way to present content. I had no difficulty following because you spoke articulately and clearly, and more slowly than you would have, if we were all already fluent.

Going to work with a French team was quite a cultural shock for me. I'm no American but even pretend-kissing (and it took me too long to figure out I'm not supposed to actually kiss!) is far more intimate than a hug. Additionally, how many kisses varied far too much.

J’adore que vous parlez doucement pour nous les Américains Bien jouer

I feel SO blessed as my French friends hug us anytime we are together. Multiple hugs. I believe once you establish good friendships, whether part of French culture or not, we always get hugged now and feel loved by our friends who are like family to my husband and I. In the early years of friendship I asked permission to hug as I took this 'culture thing' very serious and never wanted to offend.

I'v worked for an American employer in both Paris and Brussels, with both local and American colleagues (expats), for many years. So I was somewhere "in-between". But, as a Frenchman, each time an American friend hugged me, I couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed though I was kind of used to it. Here in Belgium people kiss even more than in France. In France "la bise" between men is usually for men of the family or close friends only. In Belgium before COVID it was rather common to see men, even colleagues, neighbors or teenagers at school, kiss each other simply as a form of greeting (obviously no French kiss, "la bise" only). During the peaks of COVID we naturally had to refrain from kissing, and that kind of changed habits a bit. Anyway, after over 20 years in Belgium, when I visit my native France I sometimes have to remember that men normally don't kiss besides close friends and family.

It is amazing how la bise is common in so many cultures.

Forget hugging. They do “la bise.” Viva la France!

You know, thinking about what cette dame says, it makes sense, that, they reserve hugging for the most intimate, more familiar relationships. Whereas, in other cultures, including here aux États Unis, it is "watered-down", making it less precious, less valuable! Merci beaucoup pour ces mots!

Good video spoken slowly. I notice that in France when meeting up with a group that it is important to acknowledge each other person with handshake, bise or at least "Bonjour" + name. Gets more approximate when the group is large. I am disappointed that the bise has largely stopped as a result of covid. I was never a fan of hugging for casual greetings. I like also the French habit of wishing somebody well when they or you depart. Bonne soirée, bon courage, Bon voyage, bonne promenade, bon appetit etc. It is a little thing that forces you to think just a little of the other person.

J'aime quand vous parlez en français!

This is one of the most learner-friendly methodologies.

il y a un mot en français pour traduire "hug" , c'est "accolade". Ca se pratique entre amis, plutôt entre garçons (par exemple dans un cadre sportif etc...)... on s'accole et on se met une tape amicale dans le dos. C'est moins tendre qu'un gros calin, qu'on se fait plutot en famille ou qu'on ne se fait entre amis que dans des circonstances particulières (on se retrouve apres une longue absence, l'autre est triste etc...). Dans ce cas on préfère généralement parler de "prendre dans les bras" plutôt que d'accolade.

Merci Géraldine pour ces informations utiles. Vous m’avez rappelé du vocabulaire que j’avais oublié.

As a German married to a French guy, I've always found "les bises", especially with people you meet for the first time, very uncomfortable. Among family and friends it's okay, but Germany is a country of hugging (close friends & family) or shaking hands (with strangers or in formal settings). Those "bises" always seemed too intimate for me, even though they aren't no real kisses. I've gotten used to them now after more than 20 years, but I prefer hugging by far!

Merveilleuse! I have many French and Quebecois friends and I always struggle to KNOW the right way to greet them. This was très utile!

I love these all French lessons! Merci!

Thank you so much for this very informative insight into French language and culture. I always try to learn as much as possible about 'local' customs and culture before visiting someone else's 'home'. Although I've visited France many times, I'm still learning. Despite the recent enthisiastic efforts of millennials and hipsters, Australian culture has not included hugging or 'le bise' other than between family and close friends.

Very useful and amusing piece. Can you do a piece on the history and practice of French kisses as a greeting? One, two or even three kisses?

Je suis si contente de voir que tu as maintenant des vidéos avec un peu plus d’immersion! En plus, c’est un sujet très intéressant! Merci bien!

This was so helpful, thank you! I knew about la bise but I didn't know they never hugged.

My goodness, that was very helpful! Thanks

A few years ago I was in Rennes and there was a group of people in the centre-ville who were holding signs saying "calins gratuits" and giving "free hugs" to whoever wanted them. Even in the U.S. that would seem a little bizarre although among friends we hug pretty freely anyway.

Merci beaucoup pour enseigner cette nouvelle themè et leçon du week end pour pouvoir comprendre et apprendre plus cette incroyable langue et magnifique grammaire française

What a voice

Thank you for taking your time & pronouncing each word, for a beginner like me, it's more doable this way. The spelling & pronunciation of the words are like night & day, very different. Now I will make an effort to follow your video's more.

That is so 3 years ago ! There’s lots of hugging now :)

just so helpful. merci

Great video! Learnt more culture an Vocabulary 🙏

Thanks for your lesson and your explanations about what to do or not do with french people. Very relevant. Let me just say that the kiss "faire la bise" is also only available between people of the same level. So if you're not french and read that - never kiss your boss even if you are (or she is) a woman 😄. It'sonly possible between pals.

Merci Géraldine!

Learnt plenty - thanks as always!

I am English and have lived in France for 5O years and when waving goodbye to even a friend they never wave back. It's all part of our education in each country. Never mind about the hugging, it's more American than English. The English tap you on the back like a dog. Luckily I have my French wife et donc vives les bisous bizous as we call them!!!!

I learnt the word "se figer" for "to freeze" in the sense of "to make oneself stiff and narrow because they find something strange" from your video. But I do not know if I understood it correctly.

Loved this!

My friend who is a French professor laughs about her adjustment to visiting her home in France and returning to the US. Hugs in France and bises upon returning; her friends in both countries now understand a delay in her cultural shift, but in the beginning it was awkward.

from japan here: hugging is usually only seen as a thing between romantic partners (also your channel has really helped me learn french and english, thank you)

Your lesson is very clear and I really appreciate it 🙏. Thank you so much🇫🇷🌹🇫🇷🌹

Merci. J’apprends le français et vos efforts m’aident

Really well done. Bravo♡ In my frenchie-us family we use the word 'calinou' for a hug. (Maybe this is not an official noun but everyone knows it.) I prefer les bises to hugs most often, esp with people I don't really like. They're faster!

Amazing I followed what you were saying - now you are going through individual definitions its impossible....lol.....

j'ai adoré cette vidéo en français et j'aimerais voir plus de vidèos comme ça! Merciiiiii

In my life, there is so much ambiguity with regards to French greetings. My neighbors (in the USA) from France are huggers and kissers. I went to their wedding in France and some people at the event hugged me (especially when I left) and others did not. So, I give up. Personally, I don't like being hugged or snuggled, but I cope with it. My new credo if I meet a French person, and I do in fact speak French fluently, I will just say. "hello'" -- nobody follows all these rules to the letter.

France doesn't uniformly agree which cheek to kiss first or how many kisses to perform. In the northwest part of the county only one kiss is performed. In various other parts of the country the number is 2, 3 or 4. A few people even do it five times. There are maps online that show which parts of France perform each number of kisses.

Good video!

This is the opposite of what I was expecting, because French people are known to kiss each other when they meet, and we don't usually do that here in England.

Always love your videos! Thank you!

This was really helpful! I only studied French in school many years ago, forgot most of it, but I am trying to pick it up again. Oh, and also. Doesn't "embrasser" really mean to wrap your arms around someone? I mean originally. There is the word "bras" in there, so... But today it seems to mean to kiss someone. And I guess "baiser" has gone the same way, it means something more intimate now, than it used to. Lots of options to make mistakes, for me as French learner!

They don't hug in france because everyone knows that a pickpocket is behind you waiting for a chance to grab your wallet.

Hugging is a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S. among strangers.

C'est super intéressant. Le sujet c'était une "défie" quand j'habitais en France. Merci beaucoup pour l'info. 💋 💋 !

What! I've lived in S W France for 30 years and all my friends hug and they are all French! Well, all my women friends hug and a few of their husbands, the others grab a shoulder when giving the kiss or handshake.

Very interesting lesson. Merci!

Excellent teacher❤

Salut Géraldine, Je me promenais dans la ville de Lille recemment et dans la place principale on offrait des "câlins gratuits" Ça m'a un peu surpris mais c'était sur un ton enjoué. Joyeux noêl, Tim

Excellent stuff!

Our family is French Canadian. Hugging was very much a custom. Maybe a North Dakota freezing temperature. A way to warm up. 500 years away from France. Maybe that was the case.

It was very interesting to know, because I used to discuss it with French people in France and they also mentioned that hug is more intimate then a kiss. One more interesting detail. In Russia we hug, but for example when I was in high school and university in St. Petersburg, which was in 2003-2013 period (I don't know about other cities) we always used to do such cheek to cheek kiss, like French people do, but only one time. Girl to girl or girl to boy only, and boys shook hands. Then it slightly disappeared, and people started hugging again, or in some cases kiss and hug :) When I see Russian people giving a kiss, I even can tell their age because of that years when it was used everywhere :) And I still don't know why we used kissing at that time. One of my friends says like what if it really came from French shows that were shown in Russia like Ellen et la garcons and others, but it is only a guess.

I'm Italian and I don't like hugging (or kissing). The Brits have started hugging and kissing in recent years, but it doesn't feel natural to me.

Il s'agit en effet d'une adaptation pour mes cousins d'outremer s'installant au Québec! Les Québécois sont fort similaires à leurs voisins américains de ce côté: plus rapides à former des amitiés et plus généreux sur les câlins. J'ai vu plus d'un "cousin" se figer ou sursauter en se faisant accueillir dans une soirée 🤣

Thank you for the video! Learning French in English speaking London Ontario, I learned that ‘s’embrasser’ is the word for hugging. Is this not the case?

As a guy I often tell women they can handshake if they prefer, most of the time they do handshake and I'm glad because sometimes I don't like to kiss strangers

La traduction de hug pour se saluer est une embrassade qui peut encore se pratiquer par les hommes souvent lors de retrouvailles particulèrement heureuses.

wonderful thank you!

I am Malaysian. I notice Malaysians rarely hug too, unless someone go for travel or study for certain period of time, they would hug their friends and family.

J'ai vécu en France pendant ma jeunesse et je parle couramment, mais très hors d'usage. L'expression《se figer》était nouveau pour moi.

Vous dites qu’il n’existe pas de mot pour «hug»; pourtant, on a le mot «accolade» et l’expression «donner une accolade», même si le geste n’est pas courant dans la société française, hormis dans un contexte plutôt intime ou très familier.

Je pose la question à notre professeur aussi ! En tant qu'Italien en France depuis 10 ans j'ai encore du mal à comprendre !! Nous disons "abbraccio" dans le sens anglais de "hug". En espagnol c'est abrazo... abraço en portuguais etc. Pareil. Alors d'où le mot "embrasser" est devenu une bise ??? Curiosité linguistique !

Très intéressant vidéo. Il y a quelque mois, j'ai retrouvé un ami français qui était mon étudiant. C'est très commun pour les gens se serrer dans les bras l'un de l'autre au mon pays and j'ai essayé de lui serrer dans mes bras et il est comme "non, s'il te plaît". Ça été un peu choquant pour moi. Hahahaha Maintenant je comprends.

I am a UK citizen living in France. While the correct behavior is to kiss either cheek (bissous) on meeting (and departing), I have French friends who provide hugs. So your tag line is incorrect.

merci beaucoup and thanks a lot! дуже цікава розповідь про культурні відмінності! дякую за урок французькою мовою з субтітрами англійською. коли ви говорите повільно, я все розумію ) пишу це українською, з великою подякою за вашу працю!

J'adore vos videos. Est-ce que vous pouvez expliquer votre arrière plan, les objets d'art/peintures/livres ? En particulaire ce lapin m'interesse beaucoup, c'est super!

C'est très interessant ce que vous dites et le niveau linguistique est bien adapté á l'auditeur que tient déjà de bonnes connaissances de la language. Alors c'est assez décévant lorsque vous vous sentez obligée de traduire pour nous une bonne partie de ce que vous dites en Français. Je vous assure que beaucoup de vos auditeurs seraient ravis de pouvour vous écouter parler uniquement en Français. Ceci dit, je vous félicite pour vos présentations sur la langue et la culture françaises épatantes!

Occasionally in UK someone will hug someone on introduction which makes no sense to me since you don't know each other before that moment.

This is why God brought me to the US 31 years ago! So that I could hug to my heart content and not feel that I am missing out on what pure intimacy is between human being. Especially during challenging times when you need comfort. 😅 Many of my fellow French citizens are missing out! I am grateful for my mom who gave me plenty of hugs as a child.💝❤️🙏 🇫🇷

As others said, the slow speed of your talking was Perfect! It was Just Right to pick up the words and meaning but still be challenged. One feels so proud to be able to understand it! And then one can go on to understanding more speech. I tried not to look at the subtitles unless I Had to. This was an engaging subject too. Thanks for creating such a useful and helpful lesson!

So this channel/video is for French language learners?

Les différences entre les cultures est un sujet intéressant. Moi, je suis alkemand et je vis en Espagne. En Allemagne on ne fait pas la bise gébéralenent, même aux familiers plus prochespaa necessairement. Ça depend de la relation familiaire. Même dans les cas dela bise ça va combiné avec un calin. Généralenent c'est un tabou. Ce qui est embrasser en France est la bise en Allenagne. Beaucoup de gens se paralysenr en état de choc. En Espagne la double bise est très commune. La première à gaauche et après á droite. C'est typique entre les femmes, les hommes et les femmes mais possiblement entre les hommes avec un lien familier. Ailleur ça peut confondre un peu. C'est aussi limité aux contextes de la vie sociale et familiale. En comparaison avec la France on a aucun problème avec l'embrasse. C'est très commun er normalement de façon différentes entre hommes et femmes. j'aimerais voir dans les relations plus de liberté personnel. On peut serrer la main des mil façons différentes, on se peut embrasser de mil manières et la bise aussi peut donner les impressions très differentes. Pourqoui on ne devrais pas choquer la main avec une femme comme les deportistes? Pourqoui pas faire la bise entre deux amis? Vive la liberté de l'expression affective!

I am from the United States but not all cultures hug that much there in fact the family I was raised does not have that much so I feel really strange when someone almost forces a hug on me. And they don’t know me that well or practically meeting the first time. I don’t have a problem with the French pretend kiss since I learned from a German who speaks French as a strong second language

Accolade, comme mentionné donc hug ça existe en français aussi :)

In the Netherlands I became accustomed to giving 3 kisses. Apparently in France that is excessive -- I was told that 2 kisses is proper.

"French people never hug. There isn't even a word for this gesture." Yes, there is. According to the little French I do remember, dear jolie French lady, the word is "embrasser." 0:34. Americans do not hug left and right either, but they are open to it.

Uy! I am mexican, and we hug everyone! But two guys never kiss hello nor goodbye

le mot existe mais n'est plus usité dans sa signification d'origine, probablement parce que le mot qu'il remplace aujourd'hui a aussi changé de sens pour le pire. quiconque a lu des ouvrages datant de 1 ou 2 siècles en arrière sait que "embrasser" c'est prendre dans ses bras, et "baiser" c'est donner un baiser. or "baiser" est devenu "copuler", donc on l'a remplacé par "embrasser" et il n'y a eu aucun terme pour remplacer "embrasser" dans sa signification d'origine. d'ailleurs le mot "brassée" existe toujours et signifie prendre un volume capable de tenir dans ses bras (une brassée de paille c'est autant de paille qu'on peut tenir dans ses bras). bref, le mot existe mais il n'est plus en usage depuis fin 19ème début 20ème.

Et pourtant au Quebec 'on se donne des caresses'. Google translate traduit ça comme: we give each other hugs. La bise (sur les deux joues) est aussi au rendez-vous.

Ahhh very similar to Brazilians. Girls always give kisses on the cheek.

Omg when i went to Bordeaux and offered my hand to shake instead of «la bise», i was looked at like i was an extraterrestrial 😂!

I actually find kisses more of an intimate form of greeting than a regular, non bear hug. Just leaning and patting each other on the back type of hug.

Sorry to contradict but « accolade » would fit as a good translation for « hug ». In English the same word hints at ceremony, not necessarily so in French although it’s not much in use any more. As for the French not being tactile, look at president Macron who awkwardly wrapped his arm around president Biden’s shoulder and gave him a pat during his recent state visit, as though they were old pals : it made me wince. By the way, the French president’s manners on state visits are often an example of behavioral hypercorrection born of a strong desire to please his audience. So, when adapting to your foreign hosts’ social habits, try but don’t too much.

Yes they do.

It was far less common and sometimes non-existent in the US. Only for meeting grandparents. And still lots of people never hug even today except when departing on a trip or after a long absence as at a family reunion, and of course funerals. AS a greeting, the practice is so uneven. Young people way more than middle aged people. Almost obligatory after a tremendous victory in sports, politics or after rebels destroy an Imperial weapon like the Death Star. Notice that older American movies never have people hugging unless it's in a situation where even French would hug--victories, triumphs, departures and arrivals.

No Hugs. I grew up in a family in California, and we did not hug. Then I dated a girl in high school, and the whole family were "huggers". It was awkward for me at first with her "huggy family", but I much prefer hugging now, as an adult. It is still weird for me to hug my siblings or my parents, and I'm 68.

Just curious: how about a woman greeting her boss (male or female)?

In Switzerland too

you are parisian je pense. en Charente? we hug.

We can hug with pir family or oir best friend

The French use madame & monsieur alot - as much as the Southern States in the USA.

So I’m Mexican but grew up in the USA and I genuinely hate the Mexican greeting of kissing every single person on the cheek. I much prefer the American hugging style but it’s usually reserved for friends and family. You would normally just shake someone’s hand at work.

I hugged a French girl, she froze.