8 surprising bad habits of the French

1. Grumbling

Grumble, the French grumble a lot. They complain a lot. They are rarely satisfied and they let it be known. Any reason is good to grumble: politics, work, family, daily life, transportation, etc.

The French are often perceived as pessimistic people, especially because they grumble so often!
 

2. Being late

This bad habit is a realization I have while living in France. So, yes, I am French, but I hate being late and it often bothers me when people are late. I notice that when I have an appointment with someone, the person is always at least 5/10 minutes late.

Whether it is professional or personal, the French, the majority anyway, often arrive late.
 

3. Drinking alcohol

Alcohol in France is commonplace and normalized. It is a very cultural thing and it is not shocking to find a bottle of wine on the table for almost every meal. Unfortunately, if alcohol is not consumed in moderation, the consequences can be serious: health problems or road accidents.

4. Smoking

Even if according to the figures, the French smoke less and less. This is very good news. The French are still big consumers of cigarettes.

Personally, what bothers me the most is the presence of people who smoke in outdoor public places. Smoking is forbidden in enclosed public places: bars, restaurants, stores, etc. But, it is allowed to smoke on terraces, or for example at bus stops. For non-smokers, this is not very pleasant.
 

5. Eating bread

The baguette is recently registered in the intangible heritage of UNESCO, I think it's great, because the baguette, the bread is really part of the French culture.
 

But be careful not to overeat bread. Bread is very present in French meals, often at every meal. However, it is very high in calories and if you eat too much of it, it can lead to health problems. Like alcohol, bread should be consumed sparingly.
 

Are you interested in talking about this subject in French? This week, we're going to talk about this topic.

Yes, in my conversation group, we will talk this week about our good and bad habits in French.

At Ohlala French Coffee, you will practice your oral French with other students, you will learn to hold conversations in French on various topics and you will get corrections and feedback from the teacher on your vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

6. Going to bed late

Several studies show that the French, I would even say the world population, is sleeping less and going to bed later than before.

The French sleep on average 6 hours and 42 minutes each night. Knowing that you should normally have at least 8 hours of sleep per night.
 

7. Sulking

The French have this reputation of often pouting.

To pout is to have a face expression that is not very happy, not very friendly. The French rarely look happy and fulfilled. They are not all like that, fortunately, but often, if we compare with neighboring countries.

For the little anecdote: My in-laws are from Belgium and Italy. When they come to France, sometimes I ask them if the salesman or saleswoman in the store was nice and they answer me "yes, nice in the French way". The person is helpful, but not so friendly. It often looks like we are bothering them. Nice in the French way.
 

8. Go on strike

The French strike too much. It's well known and one of the true clichés about the French. It can be very disturbing, especially when it's a transport strike.