FRENCH MANNERS

France is one of the countries that has a fairly strict protocol in terms of how to sit at the table or more broadly to behave in society. This is called “the label”. If you are going to France, it may be interesting to know a few rules. But don’t worry, most of them are now obsolete, in other words almost no one respects them.

  1. Don’t cut your salad with your knife

Why ? Before the knives were not stainless, and the vinegar soiled them. The hosts therefore cut the salad beforehand. If you cut in front of them, it’s like telling them they didn’t cut it properly.

  1. Don’t put your elbows on the table

This rule is a classic, it is known by most people. However, your hands should always be visible so that no one thinks you are doing something else. So the best thing is to have your forearms on the edge of the table.

  1. We do not refuel cheese

Cheese is usually the only dish that is not made by your hosts. To take it back is therefore to prove to them that what they cooked is not terrible, but that in addition you are still hungry.

  1. We do not want a “Bon appétit” before starting a meal

Contrary to many popular beliefs, it is rude to wish “Bon appétit” because that amounts to encouraging oneself for the digestion of the meal made by the host. So to say that he made a meal which is surely not good. So we don’t say anything, we abstain.

Some vocabulary :

  • a knife : un couteau
  • a fork : une fourchette
  • a spoon : une cuillère
  • a dish : un plat
  • a plate : une assiette 
  • the tablecloth : la nappe
  • a napkin : une serviette
  • cheese : fromage
  • cheese table : un plateau de fromage
  • the desert : le dessert
  • manners : les bonnes manières
  • wine : le vin 
  • a glass : un verre

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