🇺🇸 Are Americans really fake? Is French culture cold and harsh? 🇫🇷 In this street interview, I ask 4 American expats living in Paris to reveal the biggest cultural differences between the USA and France (and Europe in general). From how people communicate to how they think about money, food, and relationships—what they said may shock you!
💬 Topics Discussed in This Video:
✅ Are Americans superficial and more focused on entertainment than deep conversations?
✅ Why do French people love talking about politics, philosophy, and intellectual topics?
✅ Is “How are you?” just fake politeness in America?
✅ Why do Americans say “yes” but actually mean “no”? 🤯
✅ Direct criticism vs. indirect politeness – Why French people don’t sugarcoat things!
✅ Materialism in America – Is making money a personality trait? 💰
✅ Loud vs. Quiet Cultures – Do Americans talk too loud in public?
✅ Food Culture: Why Americans snack all the time while the French have strict meal times!
✅ Do French people cheat more? Open relationships vs. traditional romance… 😳
🎥 If you’re an expat, have traveled, or are just curious about cultural differences, drop a comment below! What do you think?
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#FranceVsUSA #CulturalDifferences #LivingInFrance #ExpatsInParis
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25 Comments
But are they right? Either the Americans or the French? Or anyone else for that matter. Opinionated, yes. Who cares what you think or say except yourself?
le pays du capitalisme, consomme, consomme, consomme peut être que ça vient de là ??
oui, la France devient de plus en plus américanisé, capitalisme, argent, argent, consomme, consomme, consomme…
J’imagine qu’avec la guerre commerciale que veut lancer Trump contre nous, en Europe, cette américanisation va ralentir. Il va y avoir un sacré rejet de tout ce qui est américain. Surtout si Trump decide de nous mettre dans la m…. Déjà, ça a commencé. L’opinion publique sur eux a viré à 90º au moins, et je suis gentille, comparée aux années 70 ou 80, où on en avait plein la bouche, et les yeux brillaient rien qu’à l’idée de voyager là bas.
Si la Chine devient plus encore forte et qu’elle offre les mêmes produits que les américains, je pense que l’Europe se tournera vers elle, bien que ça va prendre du temps, et qu’il lui faudra faire des efforts en termes de droits humains.
La vision de la Chine (pour l’avoir expérimentée en Afrique), est donnant -donnant, mais pas toujours de manière très honnête, et souvent avec des vices cachés. Il faudra etre constamment sur ses gardes.
Mais avec Trump, c.eet pareil, il est incapable de maintenir un accord sur du long terme (réf nafta canada-Mexico). On ne peut lui faire confiance sur rien. Et. Été mentalité est en train de se propager dans le reste du pays.
Donc en Europe, en qui faire confiance à présent?
Being a bit late while invited for lunch or dinner is of being well mannered. Being ponctual, in these cases, might be a bit rude.
It's common in France to say that French people hate and envy rich ones . That is not true, we just not buy the telling that someone got rich thanks to his hard working and merit. You get rarely rich just by working honestly. There are usually 3 ways to get wealthy and have big money : you found it (an heritage, a winning loto, etc) , you crooked people (stealing ideas, using politic friends , fake news …) or you robbed it. Most of the "wonder entrepreneur's" stories are made-up when you look closely and check the facts (Gates, Trump, Ford, Rockfeller, Zueckerberg, Musk and so many crooks).
-In fact for judo it is the opposite. It's because all the kids are registered for judo that we have the best judoka in the West.
When Shozo Awazu arrived in France in 1950 to help Mikinosuke Kawaishi develop judo in France he developed a culture around judo. Unlike Japan, very focused competition at a young age. Shozo Awazu emphasized the moral code of judo, education of respect, modesty, self-control etc. In addition to being a form of gymnastics, it greatly attracted parents to enroll their children.
-For being late in France we have an expression "the quarter of an hour of politeness". Since there are always unforeseen events, we consider it polite to give the host 15 minutes in order to them not to be stressed.
No differences. Racisme, consumption, lies.
Les Américains….comme s'il n'y avait que les U.S.A en Amérique ….et bien entendu ils mâchent tous du chewing gum et se pète à la bière en bouffant des hamburgers , comme les Français avec leurs escargots et leurs grenouilles ….hé ben …c'est pas encore gagné .
you should do similar interviews outside Paris, in smaller towns (around 50k people, not in Marseille, Lyon or Bordeaux where it is quite similar than Paris) and in the country side. Yes you have american living outside Paris, I am in the south west of France and there are a lot of expats here from the US, UK, Netherlands, etc etc … Paris is like any big city, crazy … I know that for a fact I lived there during 30 years and then moved out at the age of 52 8 years ago … the way of living and thinking differences between Paris vs Outside Paris are huge !
Nice markets three times a week to buy fresh food happens in all big center city. But if you live in thé suburbs you go in supermarkets.
beeing on time or early will may put the hosts in a difficult spot if they're not ready and may put some pressure on them. An extra 15/20 mn is nice to have
Some Americans today seem to me to be aliens. Especially the president and some members of the government. Were there no escapes from Area 51? The deep state seems to be back on the surface ! Those in the video are very friendly.
As an American, we say yes and mean no…… This reminds of The Donald….. I mean Trump….. No, I never had sex with a porn star, I am worth $10Billions…..Blablabla…..Love It!
I am retiring/moving to SW France in May. I can hardly wait to make the jump, especially in this hellscape that is unfolding before mine and the world's eyes. As an introvert with AuDHD, there is so much in the French habits (quiet, more reserved, clear and direct as just a few examples) that I admire. I won't miss anything except a few dear people, and the missed opportunities to see some of the big national parks on my punch list – which may no longer exist as the current federal admin rapes the country.
Boycott USA. They're not our allies anymore.
Paris is not la France…
If they live here with no intention of returning to their home country, they are not "expats", they are "immigrants".
If in France we turn up late to a dinner invitation, it's actually a rule of "savoir-vivre" that's called "the diplomatic quarter of an hour" (le quart d'heure diplomatique): that's meant to allow the host/hostess to be fully prepared and not stressed to welcome his/her guests.
I ended up skipping the parts with Erin from San Diego because she has so many language tics even if what she says is interesting.
0:09 We said "no" and mean "yes" ? 😏
Punstuality: In France, when you invite guests, it is UNPOLITE to arrive just on time but rather 15 minutes to 30 minutes later. In that way you leave a little fresh air to the inviting party (in case they are behind schedule). It is NOT a lask of punctuality.
In France when you are invited for an apéro or a dinner let’s say at 7 pm, it’s recommended to arrive 15 minutes late, in order to let you host having the time to prepare everything without being stressed, we call it « le quart d’heure de politesse ». If you arrive an hour late that is not ok though! I find Americans, especially in Ney York, very intellectual and sophisticated.
Peaches and coconuts
I've found everything here to be true, more or less, although the generalizations on America are just that. I found that I fit absolutely none of them, but some people do. Many of the Indians I know fit them far more. The French tend to be fairly polite and quiet, definitely. There is also the stereotype that they can be polite while lying and underhandedly stabbing you. I have also experienced that. In the end, people are people, and stereotypes are sometimes true, and sometimes dangerous. I knew a French woman very well who once lived in rural America, and she would often say "Americans are X," and remember thinking that was true of 20% of the population.
So many moved abroad to have a chanage and yet expect to be how it was before? Makes perfect sense 😅