Popular French salutations

1. Bonjour – Good morning / hello

Use bonjour to say “good morning” or “hello” to someone when you’re seeing them for the
first time today. If you encounter the same person again later in the day, it’s appropriate to use
a less formal version of “hello.”

2. Enchanté(e) – Nice to meet you

In a more formal setting, it’s polite to indicate that you’re delighted to meet someone after they
introduce themselves, and this French greeting is the perfect way to do so.

3. Bonsoir – Good evening / hello

This greeting is used in similar situations as bonjour, but reserved for the evening.

4. Salut – Hi
Considered one of the more casual French greetings, salut is appropriate when you see
someone again later in the day.

5. Coucou – Hey
Close friends use this French greeting often. You can skip the formal bonjour and use this
word, or even ciao, when seeing close comrades.

6. Ça fait longtemps, dis donc – Long time, no see

An ideal greeting between old friends, young French people tend to use this phrase often.

7. Âllo – Hello
This French greeting is used exclusively for conversations on the telephone.

8. Ça va? – How are you?

A very simple way to ask someone how they are doing is to say Ça va? It’s a condensed
version of the question Comment ça va? – How are you doing? Either version is correct and
can be used in formal and casual settings.

9. Tu vas bien? – How are you doing?

Literally translated to “are you doing well,” this is a polite way to ask someone how they are
when you’re expecting a positive reply.

10. Quoi de neuf? – What’s up?

This one of the very casual French greetings, so we recommend using with close friends.

11. Au revoir! – Goodbye!

Rather formal, this is a safe way to say goodbye in French no matter the social setting.
12. Salut! – Bye!
This French word for “goodbye” is much more casual than au revoir.

13. Ciao! – See ya!

This phrase is Italian in origin, but is popular among the younger French population.
14. À plus! – Later!
This is one of those easy greetings in French that is a simple way to indicate you’ll see
someone later, but at an unspecific time.

15. À demain! – See you tomorrow!

The word demain can be replaced with any day of the week if you know that you will see the
other person soon.

National holidays in France

The 11 public holidays in France for 2019 are as below:

 Tuesday 1st January - New Year's Day (Jour de l'An)

 Monday 22nd April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)
 Wednesday 1st May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
 Wednesday 8th May - VE Day - (Fête de la Victoire 1945)
 Thursday 30th May - Ascension Day (l'Ascension)
 Monday 10th June - Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte)
 Sunday 14th July - Bastille Day (Fête Nationale)
 Thursday 15th August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (l'Assomption)
 Friday 1st November - All Saints' Day (La Toussaint)
 Monday 11th November - Armistice Day (Armistice 1918)
 Wednesday 25th December - Christmas Day (Noël)

 Where a public holiday falls over a weekend, by local agreement employees

may be given an extra day paid holiday in lieu, but this is not obligatory.

 Only May Day is classed as a statutory (paid) public holiday in France.

 When a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday many people make a

'bridge' holiday (faire le pont), creating a long weekend.

 Alsace and Lorraine have two extra public holidays - 30th March and 26th
Dec.
Popular food in France

 Baguette (French Bread)

 Baguette Sandwich.
 Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée (Onion Soup)
 Croque-Monsieur (Ham and Cheese Sandwich)
 Quiche au Saumon et Crevettes (Salmon and Shrimp Quiche)
 Mousse au Chocolat (Chocolate Mousse) ...
 Fromage (Cheese Board)
 Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

A few years ago, French food in India either meant massively sauced steaks and blotchy

macaroons served by local cafes, or ostentatiously priced, strictly non-vegetarian food, served

in celebratory restaurants. The cuisine has come a long way since then. There are serious

connoisseurs of French cuisine, and restaurants have evolved to put together wholesome

experiences. Chefs are making persistent efforts to popularise French cuisine.

But making Indians fall in love with French food wasn’t easy. “India is not a bread eating

country, (at least leavened breads), and the same goes for cheese and wine. So, it took a while

for French to become popular,” says chef Prem K Pogakula of The Imperial. Indians found

French food too ‘cerebral and celebratory’, and therefore, intimidating. “Complex

presentations, too much fanfare and high prices often prevented people from trying it. Limited

knowledge of wines that pair with French food also became an obstacle,” says chef Bobby

Jacob, The Lalit New Delhi.

 The absence of fusion dishes also put off many. While Italian and Chinese

cuisines had their ‘Indianised’ versions, fusion wasn’t a possibility with French.
 “French cuisine is a form of art. An Indian spin would have made it lose its

authenticity.

 The presence of vegetarian options on the menu is also creating new fans.

“Vegetarian/vegan French restaurants are doing well in Paris

 Chefs adopted an anti-elitist, informal approach. Myths that French food is

about fat-laden dishes and strange looking snails were debunked. “There’s nothing

mind boggling about French.

Pop culture in France

Language ; The official language is French, it originated from vernacular Latin of the Roman
Empire, and is divided into 3 historic and linguistic periods, Old French, Middle French, and
Modern French which is what continues to be used today.

Sports ; Some of the most popular French sports include football (soccer), tennis, basketball,
and rugby. With football being the most popular then tennis being the second.

Papaoutai released June 6, 2013 on YouTube meaning "Dad Where Are You" refers to what it
is like growing up without a father. This song hit the number spot in France.

Music ; Few French people listen to opera, most of them listen to hit songs from R&B.

Religion ; For most of the past thousand years, France has been one of the principal "Catholic"
countries of Europe. Slightly less than half of the French population now call themselves
Catholics. 45% claim to be Christians, while 35% claim to have no religion, and just 3%
proclaim themselves as Muslims. Yet it is an undeniable fact that France remains a country
whose "culture" is Catholic.

Clothing/Dress ; The french are known for their stunning taste in clothing and effortless
elegance. One of the cardinal rules of the French dress code is wearing understated, well-
fitting clothes. Home of some of the world's most successful design houses, its no surprise
Paris is considered to be the Fashion Capitol of the world.

Hobbies ; People in France like to cook, go fishing, watch TV, during the summer they like to
go camping, surfing, to the beach, and canoeing.

Art ; Some of the most important art work to the French include paintings such as The Mona
Lisa. She was painted by the famous Leonardo Da Vinci and she is kept in The Louvre.Most
cities in France revolve around ancient buildings. Such as the Eiffel Tower located in Paris

Food ; The French only eat 3 square meals a day. Their breakfast consist of bread, croissants,
perhaps some cereal and a glass of orange juice, tea, or coffee. Their lunch and dinner are very
similar they eat foods like mixed salads, fish, meat, or soup, with a glass of wine.

Television/Movies ; One of the most popular films in France has been Amellie (2001) It's
about a young French girl who decided to help those around her and along the way finds love.
Ranked 9/10 stars.Another known well French movie has been "The Beauty And The Beast."
(2014)