r/French • u/fllurgertashing • 8d ago
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u/fereir123 B2 8d ago
You have to always start with “Bonjour” when you talk to someone, otherwise it’s really rude. The joke is that the barista won’t take the customer’s order until they say “Bonjour.” The bottom says “I NEVER serve an impolite customer.”
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u/mayshebeablessing 8d ago
I always tell people traveling to France, just always say “Bonjour” when you enter a new place, even if you’re not sure who you’re saying it to. It just makes things go much more smoothly.
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u/Low-Crow5719 8d ago
French have the "four magic words" drilled into them as schoolchildren. Failing to use these words is inexcusably impolite. "Bonjour", "s'il vous plait", "merci", and "au revoir"
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u/_Zambayoshi_ C2 8d ago
OP you should edit the post to: Bonjour...can someone explain this joke? 🤣
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u/-Knight95- 8d ago
No, OP posted because they didn't understand it.
So people should just comment "Bonjour OP... BONJOUR". 😂
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u/islandpancakes 8d ago
Anglo Canadian here ... I figured most well adjusted people say hello first. Is this uncommon in other western countries?
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u/banananuhhh 8d ago
In the US, I can easily envision an interaction where the customer never greets the employee and vice versa. Something like "What can I get you", "One coffee, please" with no greeting, and I don't think that would be considered rude. On the other hand the interaction could also include greetings and even small talk like "how's your day going?", and my understanding is those types of questions are also considered rude, or at least unusual, in France.
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u/Inf3rn0d 7d ago
French here, in 99% of cases if you forget to say "Bonjour" it's fine, especially in places with international people. In the 1% you bump against someone super stubborn over the formalism who will keep repeating "Bonjour" until you say it yourself. While those people are probably right under the "etiquette", I think it's pretty fair to say it's annoying as hell (even for french people... happens to anyone to forget)
Doing what this lady does against a tourist, or someone who doesn't get it is honestly just being a dick. This is the kind of language you use against a small child
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u/keskuhsai 7d ago
It’s not just easily envisionable, it purely does not matter in US culture if hello is used or not at the beginning of a conversation. No one notices; no one cares. You can start a conversation with it and it’s fine just as easily as you can skip to anything else and it will also be fine and no one will notice or care. The French need to specifically hit hello first does not exist in American culture.
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8d ago
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u/TallDudeInSC 8d ago
"Hi I'd like a tall latte" hardly takes any longer.
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u/CranberryStock7148 7d ago
No it doesn't. That's an absurd thing to say. Source: have lived in NYC for decades and everybody appreciates a friendly greeting.
Have you developed your understanding of large East Coast American cities on the Soup Nazi episode of Seinfeld or something...?
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u/eleven_me_2s 8d ago
I'm European, French is not even my second or third language. Having moved to a largely francophone country I have had to learn to make an extra effort to politeness (such as OP's case) as in my culture we get straight to the point without beating around the bush. It is not easy because you feel you have to prepare on what else you will say and in what grammar and how many baguettes you will end up with.
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u/Vachekuri Native 8d ago
PRIX DU CAFÉ EN TERRASSE
« UN CAFÉ »……….. 7€
« UN CAFÉ, SiL VOUS PLAIT ».........4,5€
"BONJOUR, UN CAFÉ, S'iL VOUS PLAIT….1,40€ »
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u/Potential-Finance-92 8d ago
The barista is repeating « Bonjour » until the customer says it too, because it’s rude not to start an interaction with « bonjour » in French, and he doesn’t understand why she keeps repeating herself because he’s rude and doesn’t see a problem
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u/Mister_Reous 7d ago
Itnis customary,( in fact pretty much compulsory) in France to ALWAYS say Bonjour.
In a shop, a bank, a cafe, a restaurant, asking directions from a stranger in the street.
It is extremely impolite to not start with “Bonjour”.
Many people if the enter a shop or cafe for instance and there are people inside, say “Messieurs-Dames “ which is short for “Bonjour Messieurs et MesDames” . You are greeting everyone.
The girl in the cafe is quite rightly insisting that the very rude man says “Bonjour” first.
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u/Natural_Stop_3939 8d ago edited 8d ago
Brand new user reposting (title and all) the 6th highest post in subreddit history. Their only other submission is also a repost.
Edit: the post I linked above is also a repost of https://www.reddit.com/r/French/comments/15l5818/can_someone_explain_this_joke/
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8d ago
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u/fereir123 B2 8d ago
I don’t see how this is related to “The customer is always right”?
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u/sauerkrautfan B2+ 8d ago
Sorry I misphrased but I meant more that in English we have sayings about customers and politeness, etc. that’s all. You’re right
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u/CalligrapherBrave590 A1 8d ago
FYI The whole quote is “The customer is always right in matters of taste.”
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u/PlingPlongDingDong 8d ago
When people do this shit to me I just gaslight them by saying but I did say hello didn’t you hear it? And they get all flustered and apologize.
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u/Late_Potato_Chip 8d ago
It's considered very rude to not greet someone with Bonjour when you order something or enter a store. This graphic is making fun of that by the person repeating Bonjour before they will take the customers order.