France is known around the world for their cuisine, history, art, and romantics! I grew up watching French cinema, wondering if life in France really was as poetic and spectacular as the movies made it seem. I dreamt of living in Paris for years, studying French, and keeping faith I would get to discover for myself what life was like in the city of love. After years of living in France, I’m happy to share with you the dating culture differences I’ve found between France and the U.S.
How do the dates compare?
Whereas in the U.S., a guy might try to sweep you off your feet by taking you out to a nice restaurant, I’ve found that in France, the men try to woo more with their cooking skills. I don’t think I’ve ever had an American man try to impress me with his cooking skills, but this started to become an expectation for me when going on dates in France.
Almost every French man I met would let me know how great of a cook he was either in conversation or by sharing a meal he made with me. It was a nice change that I happily and quickly got used to. The French love to talk about food, share recipes, and savor every bite of their edible pride! Therefore, being a skilled cook is the most dreamy attribute one can have in dating culture in France.
How to get a French boyfriend
In American dating culture, people tend to go on dates with different people until they find the person they decide they want to go steady with. Then, the two of you have a conversation and decide you want to be in a serious relationship. This is so different compared to how dating works in France. In France, as soon as two people are spending lots of time together, it is assumed the two of you are in a relationship.
I was not aware of this when arriving in France. Unaware of this cultural difference, I teasingly asked a guy I was seeing at the time, “So when are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend?” He looked at me blank-faced as if I had just slapped him across the face, “I thought you were my girlfriend this whole time…” Luckily, I wasn’t seeing anyone else, and was very happy that I had been his girlfriend all along, after all! I personally prefer the French way of dating. It’s easier and more respectful, and I feel as though there must be fewer misunderstandings thanks to the girlfriend/boyfriend “assumption” that couples respect.
Cultural differences are always interesting, but I find them to be especially amusing when we compare how different countries express love. There can be different understandings of what love is, how it should be conveyed, and how it should be received. I believe the most important part of love and relationships, however, is that two people have the desire to make the other happy. This, along with a lot of love and understanding, I’ve found can surmount any cultural difference!
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