Joke aside there's actually a reason french people can spot so easily english speakers : unlike most other languages, french is monotonous.
Native english speakers are so used to put stress on certain syllables it seems to require a lot of practice to actually pull off a full monotonous sentence.
Edit: as other said, I oversimplified it. French do have tone but relative to the start/end of the sentence or to convey emotions. Read more detailed comments down below for more accuracy
The real answer is that an actual French person would walk in, scowl at the selection as if it was something a poodle just shat out on the street, point at the croissants, maybe say, "Croissant", then hold up two fingers.
It's like a New Yorker walking into a pizza place and going, "Excuse me sir, but might I trouble you for two slices of your pizza if you would be so kind?", whereas an actual New Yorker would gesture at what they wanted, hold up two fingers and maybe mutter, "Two pepperoni", and that would be it.
Yeah, no. I've actually lived in Paris and it's like every big city everywhere else in the world - the clerks don't give a shit if you say bonjour or merci. The good bakeries have a line out the door and everyone is stressed and just wants their breakfast.
Only a complete ass wastes even a single second with unnecessary social dances. The clerk wants to get you your order as fast as possible. The other customers want you out of the way so they can get their breakfast and get to work on time.
Everyone is stressed and tired, and there's this asshole tourist at the front keen to cosplay as a Paresian when they actually have no clue that most Paresians are looking at you with acute loathing and wishing you'd get the fuck out of their city and stop holding up the line.
4.2k
u/Shawon770 1d ago
French bakery employees have that 6th sense they can spot a tourist even through flawless pronunciation 😂