This video has been making the rounds of my friends in France. Probably because it’s true!
#2 cracks me up the most. The examples may seem a bit exaggerated, but I can vouch that all of these “mouth gestures/sounds” have a basis in reality. (Oh la la! Pfff!)
Funny thing is, I *do* speak French now, but I unconsciously make the mouth sounds, anyway. Guess I’m really authentic!
Enjoy!
paris (im)perfect 
It’s great, isn’t it? Talk about THE viral video of Paris Peeps this week… Yeah, I catch myself doing the “Pffffffff” a lot now, even though I am not even close to fluent.
I have an acquaintance here who says when he first got here, he used to answer every question with a mysterious-sounding “peut être” (“maybe”) mostly because he was trying to fake like he understood. The effect was that people thought he was very intellectual and a bit of an enigma (and therefore cool). He worked that angle, lol.
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Oh, that’s a good strategy, too!
This weekend I found myself at two very different gatherings where I had to speak French for several hours. I understood just about everything the first night, but there were a few moments when my mind just went blank. I employed some of the above steps and no one was the wiser.
The next day I was just flat out tired (my French becomes increasingly worse the more sleep-deprived I am). I didn’t say much and think I was working your friend’s intellectual/enigma angle. “I’m a writer” is just about all I said and then never spoke again. Yep, I have a way with words! 🙂
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I hadn’t seen this video yet but it’s perfect. So completely accurate too. These girls are genius!
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I know, I love it!
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I agree – #2 is the best! Nice to know I survived Paris by myself before this lovely advice surfaced! 🙂 Next time should be even better. They should have one about style – or at least at footnotes to the video since the one girl is wearing polka dots.
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Ha! I think style would have to be a whole other video!
Glad you’ll get to test out your French on a return visit!
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What a shame! They forgot the most very French stuff! (read “one year in the merde! again). Where is the so annoying shrug (haussement d’épaules) for foreigners ?! What an oblivion ! Mais j’ai bien ri. I felt closer to the blond one. I think I come to often on this blog… hum.
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I could also add pouting, smoking, and carrying around a tiny chien. Ooh la la – tsk tsk. Must go eat my brie et baguette!
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Teehee. All of those will appear in a future video, I’m sure. Enjoy your brie and baguette 🙂
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I am the male version!
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Ha! Please make a video!
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Actually it’s like a excerpt from my new book. LOL.
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Ah, fellow wordsmith! That’s how I record my misadventures here, too 🙂
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I am late to the party, but this is hilarious! I am guilty of the “pffft,” from time to time as well. Anyway, this was perfect for a rainy Monday afternoon–merci!
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It’s never to late to come to the party! Welcome! Yes, “pffft” is part of my repertoire now, too. I guess it’s called assimilation!
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