The very common mistake Brits are making in France that 'makes locals wince'

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

France is a popular holiday destination for millions of Brits every year, with many heading there for the cuisine, beautiful landscapes and characterful cities.
Often people travel to 'live like the locals', and blend in with their surroundings.
However, there are some mistakes that tourists are guilty of falling into that 'make locals wince'.
Maryanne Sparkes, French River cruise expert at European Waterways, revealed the common error that many holidaymakers do.
She explained that UK travellers frequently mispronounce French words.
During a trip to across the Channel, it's common for tourists to attempt to order local cuisine.
However, the travel expert revealed this was one example where incorrect pronunciation can cause issues.
A popular item to order for breakfast might be a croissant, which when pronounced as 'croy-sant' instead of 'kwah-son' can lead to confusion.
Pain au chocolat is another example of where Brits often trip up, with many emphasising the 'T' at the end, making them stand out as a tourist.
Instead, the correct way is 'peh ah shoko-lah,' with softer vowels and no hard 'T' sound.
Though locals may be grateful for the effort, the mistakes can change the meaning of the phrase and cause some confusion.
'French people appreciate visitors trying to speak their language, but some pronunciation mistakes stick out and can change meanings or simply sound amusing,' Maryanne shared.
'It's one thing to learn a phrase, but another to get the sounds right.'
To overcome the issue, Maryanne advises visitors should listen to locals speaking and mimic their sounds.
It can make a world of difference, and shows locals tourists respect their way of speaking.
'Learning just a few correct pronunciations can significantly improve your interactions,' Maryanne explained.
'French people appreciate the effort, even if your accent isn't perfect, but avoiding common mistakes shows respect for their language and culture.'
Travelling around France can lead to communication problems too, with some tourists not saying the names of places correctly.
Maryanne has heard travellers refer to Bordeaux as 'Bordox'.
A trip to France isn't complete without a glass of local wine, but the expert explained how pronunciation can be a 'minefield'.
Cabernet sauvignon is often misspoken as 'cab-er-nay soh-vig-non', which can make tourists stick out.
Instead, it should be pronounced more softly as 'cabernay sovinyon'.
Similarly, many Brits call Champagne, 'sham-pain', while the French pronounce it as 'shom-pan-ye'.
Though some may think greeting locals with 'bonjour' is friendly, it's important to get it right.
'Locals don't expect fluent French, but you do need to say Bonjour and a couple of other key words to avoid offending,' Maryanne said.
Many say it with a hard 'J', but it should be pronounced with a softer 'zh' sound.
Another common mispronunciation is the saying, 'merci beaucoup', with many Brits adding a hard 'p' at the end. Instead, it should remain silent.
'In some places, one word is your ticket to being treated like a local.'
Some key phrases the expert advises tourists nail include, 's'il vous plaît', meaning please and 'excusez-moi', which means excuse me.
Another that may help tourists who have made a mistake is 'je suis désolé(e)' for 'I'm sorry'.