French Stereotypes

 French Stereotypes

So far in Europe Language Café we have discussed Spanish, Dutch, German and English stereotypes. Of course, we can’t leave out French stereotypes! The french stick eating, onion wearing nation – or is any of that actually true?

French people wear berets

Yes, some people do still wear berets, but more as a fashion statement. Berets come from a Basque region in France and nowadays you can still see elderly people wearing them in that area. However, you are very mistaken if you think that the French wear berets on daily basis.

This stereotype is FALSE

french stereotypes beret

French women never shave

The only women that does not shave in France are elderly ones, because they just don’t care what trends are popular in the world at the moment. According to a survey more than 75% French women shave and 80% are against “all natural” movement. Even if women decides not to shave, there is no reason to judge it!

This stereotype is FALSE

french stereotypes women don't shave

French people wear striped shirts

The meaning of french striped shirt or its’ real name ‘Breton’ is much deeper than you think! It was an official uniform of navies and 21 stripes on the shirt represent Napoleon’s victories. Coco Chanel introduced stripes into fashion and nowadays it is still being associated with Parisian style, however not every French person wears striped shirts!

This stereotype is FALSE

Image result for french guy gif

French people walk around holding baguettes

No matter where in France you are, whether it be a small town or big town you will always see people with a baguette in their hand. It is a true French stereotype and not at all offensive!

This stereotype is TRUE

Image result for baguette gif

The French smoke a lot

Despite it being a very bad habit it is true. In France you are allowed to smoke almost everywhere, except a few places restricted by law. It must be a French thing, however we hope that soon enough this stereotype will change from true to false.

This stereotype is TRUE

French people drink a lot of wine

France has thousands of wineries and the wine there is super cheap, so it’s easy to understand why this French stereotype is true. Around the world French wine is known as the best in the world, so why not be a proud Frenchman and have a glass of wine?

This stereotype is TRUE

french stereotypes wine

The French eat croissant for breakfast

French people love sweet food for breakfast including croissants. It is a perfect combination with your morning coffee.

This stereotype is TRUE

Some of the stereotypes were debunked, some were proved, but these are what makes France such a special place!


If you liked reading this article, check out our video of expats struggling to pronounce French words: 

Europe Language Café

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