Salut,
Ca va super ?
When a French person says “no”, she often means “yes”. Ouch.
A false “non” is a polite habit. We honour our guest or our friend or a stranger by saying “I can do it myself” but help is of course always welcome. Or we would actually LOVE to say yes but politeness urges us to say “non”.
How to spot a polite “non” that means yes?
Click to watch “What “non” really means”:
Et toi alors ?
Have you ever encountered a polite “non” that meant “oui”?
When did you notice it?
Tell me in the comments how it went. Share your story so we can discuss in the comment area below the video.
If so, did it cause you trouble? How did you identify it?
We can all discuss and share good stories in the comment area below the video.
—->Your Vie en Rose is coming back THIS WEEK!
Starting this Thursday, be ready for extra activity on Comme une Française.com!
A jeudi,
Géraldine
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Hello
The video was interesting but I feel that it would apply in England too. It would be rude if the person offered help secretly was festering a grudge against the person who offered it !
This isn’t meant as a criticism but it was just what I felt.
Regards
Yvonne Bird
PS. I find all your tips and videos very interesting
Thanks Yvonnebird!
I am not able to open the video link – so still don’t know the difference between polite no and no! Can you perhaps include it as text as well?
Merci
Bonjour Susie,
Here is the link to the transcript: http://www.commeunefrancaise.com/2012/10/10/the-true-meaning-of-the-french-non/
Thanks !
I can relate to this: when I was first married to my French (ex) husband, I would offer to help his mother in the kitchen. She had a big job bringing all the dinner dishes to the table and feeding a family of men. She would always say “Non, non ma petite, assieds-toi!” but I soon realized that if I simply got up and helped anyway, it was much appreciated.
Hi Lichen,
Thanks for sharing your story!
Géraldine
I too am unable to open the video link. Includu=ing the text this time would be useful. Thank you.
Bonjour Patricia!
Here is the link to the transcript: http://www.commeunefrancaise.com/2012/10/10/the-true-meaning-of-the-french-non/
Thanks !
Géraldine
This is the best video of Comme une Française!!!!!
Well done!!! and thanks for those tips.
Steph from Tours.
Merci Steph!
Great video. The same applies in England too, though, so I wouldn’t imagine it would be too much of an issue (or maybe that’s just me!)