Spanish or English in France?

[HBS60]

Greetings!
I’m planning my Camino in August, planning to start at SJPDP. I’ll arrive a few days earlier and plan to stay 2-3 days prior to starting the Camino, so I’m planning a little side trip to Cambo-Les-Bains (just 30 km away, and easy train ride if I understand correctly).
I’m a native Spanish speaker and speak English fluently, but…no French. Despite the common Latin origin, for the life of me I couldn’t make sense of French spelling or pronunciation, other than recognizing a word here and there.
I’m not worried about getting by on SJPDP, since they have visitors from all over the globe, but if I go outside that area, would it be better to speak in English or Spanish? French have the reputation (not necessarily deserved, but the stereotype is there) that they dont’ like English speakers, but that being said, I have no idea on whether I can get by in Spanish. As I understand it, they are also part of the Basque Country, they speak Euskera (of which I know nothing), but given the Basque history, I dont’ know how they feel about the Spanish.
I’ll try to learn the basic phrases, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to understand things like train announcements, etc.
I’m sure many of you are experienced travelers that have dealt with the similar issues, so know i should be fine, but any pointers will be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[trecile]

I also don't speak French beyond bonjour and merci. The important thing is to be polite and offer a greeting when you first enter an establishment.

There have been several discussions on this topic. This is a good post:

I heartily agree. My epiphany moment was years ago, when I was in the stereotypical mindset that French are rude. Then I learned that it was I who was being rude when I walked into a store and simply placed an order or asked for an item. My failure to say good day and engage on a human level with the person behind the counter or the cash register was received as extreme rudeness and responded to in kind. It has made all the difference, just another unintended cultural faux pas that is so easy to fix.

 

[oursonpolaire]

As @trecile notes, politeness and offering a greeting on meeting-- they love bonjour!! it never goes awry.
As far as I could tell, Spanish is little spoken in France but they could likely understand it. English is commonly understood by younger people but, for the over-30s and over-40s, little or not at all.

For trains, I have in places where I have no idea what is being said, written down my train number, departure time, and destination, on a small piece of paper, and sought assistance from railway staff or passersby. Many larger French (and Spanish) stations have a travellers' assistance desk. I have found them and railway or bus company staff all very helpful.

 

[CWBuff]

While vacationing in Antibes this past September my wife and I thought it was somewhat funny that we heard more English than French (well it IS a resort town after all)
I absolutely agree that "bon jour" or "cava" esp punctuated with a friendly smile goes a VERY LONG WAY!
Even if you butcher the language, the fact that you are trying to speak it also plays in.
Much as we love our English and it is an International Language # 1 - it is not "universal" and folks in another country are not obliged to speak it.

Most important words in French - baguette, cafe au lait, vin (rouge), cognac, escargots, éclair, je t'adore (Paris) and Metro. Everything else is l'eau sous le pont

 

[J Willhaus]

If all else fails and you need something specific, use Google Translate or some other translation app. Be polite and use please and thankyou in French.

 

[henrythedog]

If you’re buying you’ll get by in polite English with a few French civilities. The ‘French’ reputation for being sniffy about English speakers is really a Parisian reputation and it’s outdated.

The closer you get to the border the more possible it is that Spanish would be understood.

 

[HBS60]

Ah! Merci Beaucop per las respondez! ( I just made that up with the very little I know, pardon my misspellings!)
Cava? I thought that was a Spanish wine, is that another way of saying “bonjour”?
I think I’m most worried about not understanding train announcements and missing a stop.
I ran into a little language difficulty in Barcelona, as the train ticket machines were only in Catalan, not even Spanish, so I needed to ask a passerby in Spanish to help me out. I remember the train announcements were in Catalan and Spanish so I was fine with that. But France has always felt very foreign to me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled internationally, so I’m trying to update my understanding of navigating communications.
I remember once on a flight from Rio to Santiago (Chile, not Spain), the announcements were in Portuguese and English, which I thought was odd since they were servicing a Spanish speaking city.
So this is why I try not to make assumptions about languages.
Thank you very much for your helpful responses!

 

[dick bird]

(not necessarily deserved, but the stereotype is there) that they dont’ like English speakers,

In my experience, totally undeserved. As it happens, there have been recent articles in the press commenting on the fact that even the Parisians have got nicer over recent years. My French is not great, but travelling in France this has never been a problem and there have nearly always been French people able and willing to speak English. Even when they couldn´t speak English, French people were courteous and helpful.

Do the usual trick, learn a few courtesy words in French, smile a lot, and at least be apologetic that you can´t speak French. And use Google translate when all else fails, never as a first resort.

Spanish is not widely spoken in France, even in the border regions.

 

[dick bird]

ça va - my keyboard does the cedilla (not a dance, it is that little squiggly thing that turns c into s). It means roughly, how´s it going?

 

[SabsP]

Ça va? roughly translates as " all ok" or " how is it going". Rather informal so I would not immediately use it when I do not know the person well.
Ç = une cédille.

 

[Former member 104756]

In my experience, totally undeserved. As it happens, there have been recent articles in the press commenting on the fact that even the Parisians have got nicer over recent years. My French is not great, but travelling in France this has never been a problem and there have nearly always been French people able and willing to speak English. Even when they couldn´t speak English, French people were courteous and helpful.

And mine too. Totally undeserved. One hears it so often, including from people who have never set foot in France. Anyone can have a bad experience anywhere but it would be great if this stereotype were put to bed, at least on this forum where it is regularly repeated. These days I spend a lot of time in France, but my first extended time was walking the Le Puy Way solo in 2014. I was apprehensive about communication. Like many others, I had just a few words of French - I'd describe them as courtesy words - but I did my best. Few of my French hosts and fellow walkers were comfortable with English but they were kind and helpful, and seemed to appreciate my efforts and those of other walkers who could not or barely speak French.

As for Parisiennes, Paris is one of the busiest and most visited cities in the world. Perhaps over the years many Parisiennes have been exposed to an inordinate number of people speaking at them loudly in a language other than French with little attempt to use a few French courtesy words. I don't know that they were ever not nice as a group - but these days more Parisiennes (i.e. younger generation) are comfortable with English, so probably more able to understand and help.

Sorry @HBS60 - to go off on a tangent. Enjoy your time in the glorious Pays Basque.

 

[ChristheCanuck]

I have nothing to offer apart from the above in a general sense but I will give you something else specific to consider - politics. If you were going today, I would definitely tell you to use English instead of Spanish. Why?

You may have seen in the press that farmers throughout Europe are protesting. There is nothing particularly new in this but in France right now, the French farmers are particularly ticked off at Spain and the fact that Spain allows its farmers to grow produce in a way that is outlawed in France because of its environmental effects - but it makes it cheaper to grow the produce and the complaint is that “cheaper, poorer quality” Spanish produce is flooding French markets to the detriment of French farmers, French gastronomic culture, etc., etc.

I’m not going to get into picking sides but the point is that France and Spain are having a bit of a war of words through the press right now. So if you went today you might be looked at a bit less favourably if you spoke Spanish than English. That said, between now and August things could calm down between Spain and France but some fight with England could arise (maybe something post-Brexit) and people in France could be more displeased if you speak English than Spanish.

All of this is to say that you may want to look at some Spanish and British newspapers or news sources (RTVE and BBC) a few weeks before you go on your trip to see if France is ticked at the English or the Spanish at that time. Meanwhile, you could also check out the French press - in particular France 24, which has an English language news service for the news of France.

Bonne chance! Buena suerte! Good luck!

 

[Former member 104756]

So if you went today you might be looked at a bit less favourably if you spoke Spanish than English. That said, between now and August things could calm down between Spain and France but some fight with England could arise (maybe something post-Brexit) and people in France could be more displeased if you speak English than Spanish.

Gosh, that's not an angle I'd considered - or would be concerned about. The French people I know - like other nationalities - can draw a distinction between political issues within and between countries and day to day courtesy and communication to pilgrims and others.

 

[OZAJ]

I have intermediate French, so this has never been a problem for me.

In pilgrim accommodation in Bourges, the Frenchman in charge made the following comment to me - in English:

Q> What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?
A> Trilingual.
Q> What do you call a person wo speaks 2 languages?
A> Bilingual.
Q> What do you call a person who speaks 1 language?
A> French.

And this has been my experience in rural France - mostly but not entirely. Swap the final answer to Spanish and that was my experience on the Mozarabe and VdlP in 2008, again not entirely, but mostly.

And really, why should it be any different? What proportion of the population in the town where I live speak French or Spanish?

If you are going to spend any amount of time in France or Spain, off the beaten track, and not as part of a tour group, well ...

 

[markie6]

Always helpful to have the basic phrases ready and you have to be willing to try and look foolish. Then people often help you out

not trying is often seen as rude. Please , thank you, good morning , good afternoon , hello , goodbye .. these will all help and are easy to remember

 

[JabbaPapa]

Spanish is only very rarely useful in France, and only marginally even for things like deciphering a menu given the peculiarities of French gastronomic vocabulary.

English is far more useful on the Camino in France, though you'll still have frequent communication problems if you have no French.

However, as this is mainly just SJPP and Cambo-Les-Bains, and if you're just going to be using the shops, bars, restaurants, Albergues, ATMs, any touristy places and whatnot you should be fine -- and Spanish use in that border area is liable to be far more common than elsewhere in France.

 

[Kathar1na]

I think I’m most worried about not understanding train announcements and missing a stop.

It is hard for me to refrain from commenting on the stereotypes aired in previous posts and on some of the opinions that are obviously based on what one believes to know from the news while not living in the country .

Like probably 100% of the posters I have next to no practical experience whether Spanish would be more easily understood in a large country like France than English . My guess would be English, even in border regions.

I live and travel in Europe, preferably by train these days. BTW, I happened to walk through a major farmers' demonstration last week in a European capital and I am aware that a large part of the current demonstrations have to do with obligations of the agricultural sector to comply with new laws for the protection of the environment - the Spanish bio tomatoes are really not the main issue.

I understand French quite well but I share your worries about missing a stop on the train - in any country and anywhere where I am not familiar with the names of towns. There is an easy remedy: apps and online websites. They tell you in real time where you and your train are and it is the easiest way to make sure that you won't miss a stop. The next best help are the passengers in the train. There are always some passengers who know so ask them to alert you when the next stop is your stop. The third piece of advice: Trains do stop for a few minutes in larger stations and there are big signs on the platform with their names on it. Sometimes there are also screen in the trains announcing the next stop but I can't say for sure whether this is the case in France (it is the case on my local train). You will be fine .

Bon voyage!

 

[Kathar1na]

I’m planning my Camino in August, planning to start at SJPDP. I’ll arrive a few days earlier and plan to stay 2-3 days prior to starting the Camino, so I’m planning a little side trip to Cambo-Les-Bains (just 30 km away, and easy train ride if I understand correctly).

Cambo-Les-Bains is a stop on the regional train from Bayonne to SJPP. SJPP itself is the terminal of this train line, the train stops there before it turns back to Bayonne. Usually the train is full of backpack carrying pilgrims who get off the train in SJPP.

I mentioned already the utility of apps and websites for the French railway system SNCF. Below is a graph for the line Bayonne - Combo-les-Baines - Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The timetables remain much the same throughout the year, and they are even online in English:

Click to enlarge:

Source: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

As I understand it, they are also part of the Basque Country, they speak Euskera (of which I know nothing), but given the Basque history, I dont’ know how they feel about the Spanish.

There is no hostility between the people living on the two sides of the Pyrenees. In Spain, the historical issue is about the question of how the power between regional and national administration is shared and organised. The same issue does not exist in France. People often misunderstand linguistic issues (within Europe). It is not about the language that someone speaks and it rarely exists on the personal level. Although you will always hear anecdotes that may give you such a wrong impression. As a general rule, when people communicate on the private personal or commercial level they try to find the language that both sides know best.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

Greetings!
I’m planning my Camino in August, planning to start at SJPDP. I’ll arrive a few days earlier and plan to stay 2-3 days prior to starting the Camino, so I’m planning a little side trip to Cambo-Les-Bains (just 30 km away, and easy train ride if I understand correctly).
I’m a native Spanish speaker and speak English fluently, but…no French. Despite the common Latin origin, for the life of me I couldn’t make sense of French spelling or pronunciation, other than recognizing a word here and there.
I’m not worried about getting by on SJPDP, since they have visitors from all over the globe, but if I go outside that area, would it be better to speak in English or Spanish? French have the reputation (not necessarily deserved, but the stereotype is there) that they dont’ like English speakers, but that being said, I have no idea on whether I can get by in Spanish. As I understand it, they are also part of the Basque Country, they speak Euskera (of which I know nothing), but given the Basque history, I dont’ know how they feel about the Spanish.
I’ll try to learn the basic phrases, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to understand things like train announcements, etc.
I’m sure many of you are experienced travelers that have dealt with the similar issues, so know i should be fine, but any pointers will be appreciated.
Thanks!

Not true, I am not sure of what reputation you're speaking of.

 

[t2andreo]

Greetings!
I’m planning my Camino in August, planning to start at SJPDP. I’ll arrive a few days earlier and plan to stay 2-3 days prior to starting the Camino, so I’m planning a little side trip to Cambo-Les-Bains (just 30 km away, and easy train ride if I understand correctly).
I’m a native Spanish speaker and speak English fluently, but…no French. Despite the common Latin origin, for the life of me I couldn’t make sense of French spelling or pronunciation, other than recognizing a word here and there.
I’m not worried about getting by on SJPDP, since they have visitors from all over the globe, but if I go outside that area, would it be better to speak in English or Spanish? French have the reputation (not necessarily deserved, but the stereotype is there) that they dont’ like English speakers, but that being said, I have no idea on whether I can get by in Spanish. As I understand it, they are also part of the Basque Country, they speak Euskera (of which I know nothing), but given the Basque history, I dont’ know how they feel about the Spanish.
I’ll try to learn the basic phrases, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to understand things like train announcements, etc.
I’m sure many of you are experienced travelers that have dealt with the similar issues, so know i should be fine, but any pointers will be appreciated.
Thanks!

On the French side of the Pyrenees, you are in FRANCE. The French people speak French. I recommend that you obtain at least a Berlitz phrase book and maybe a CD (burn it to files to carry on your smartphone.) Alternatively, there are many, many online choices to learn basic tourist phrases and languages. You still have time to use Duolingo, coim , Babbel.com, etc. to pick some phrases up.

The stereotype you mention is largely correct. However, many people residing close to the Spanish border, and especially on Camino routes, can speak some Spanish. They also speak more English, in general, than the typical French person well inside France. So, the stereotype is not entirely correct, especially in SJPdP.

Do not worry about the Basque languages. Most all Basques can speak fluent Spanish, French and many speak Portuguese as well - especially in Galicia, where the local dialect is Gallego. We, Norteamericanos, are the relatively ignorant ones.

As a native Spanish speaker, you will have far less of a problem learning tourist / pilgrim level French than the usual gringo - like me. But, I consider it good form to speak at least a little of the native language when visiting - even for two days. It is a form of respect. The people you are trying to communicate with will appreciate your effort.

Over the fifty years I have been travelling internationally, I have amassed a library of esoteric foreign languages from all over the world. Before I travel anywhere, I practice at least the Berlitz phrases - I can play the entries on my iPhone, or listen to the CD in my car.

It is a good way to pass the time on the flight over. You will feel a LOT better on arrival if you can navigate, and at least ask a cogent question.

So, while I speak child-level conversational Spanish (Hablo Español como un niño), I still retain enough of my high-school French to communicate. Over the decades, I have used it, retaining only a phrase card in my pocket, or Google translate, as a memory jogger. I can ask for directions, read traffic and street signs, greet someone, order a meal, find my plane train or bus, ask for help, etc.

Of course, once you cross the Pyrenees into Spain, you are on familiar ground, lingusitically-speaking.

I hope this helps,

Tom

 

[CWBuff]

I have intermediate French, so this has never been a problem for me.

In pilgrim accommodation in Bourges, the Frenchman in charge made the following comment to me - in English:

Q> What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?
A> Trilingual.
Q> What do you call a person wo speaks 2 languages?
A> Bilingual.
Q> What do you call a person who speaks 1 language?
A> French.

And this has been my experience in rural France - mostly but not entirely. Swap the final answer to Spanish and that was my experience on the Mozarabe and VdlP in 2008, again not entirely, but mostly.

And really, why should it be any different? What proportion of the population in the town where I live speak French or Spanish?

If you are going to spend any amount of time in France or Spain, off the beaten track, and not as part of a tour group, well ...

Which is why there is that saying: "When in Rome...."
Now.... how to say that in Italian?

 

[Rmarkob]

When I walked into the Pilgrim Office in SJPP in Sep 2021, there was a volunteer wearing a University of Dublin sweatshirt. I said "Oh, Irish?" to him. He looked at me quizzically and said "Frances? Español?". Fortunately, I do speak Spanish and was happy to start using it to register my Camino.

Then I walked across the way to Beilari, where I met Flor (Argentinian) and Joseph (French Basque) who also both spoke Spanish (and French, and English, plus Basque for Joseph). The people at Orisson and the gentleman with the food truck further on were also French, but spoke Spanish. I just assumed this was common in the border region.

In May 2023 when I walked from Le Puy to Conques, I didn't meet any French people who spoke Spanish, and relatively few who spoke English. Those who did were very happy to help translate.

At the pilgrim mass in Le Puy (all in French), the priest started reciting the names of various countries, asking for a show of hands. Church volunteers were counting heads and jotting down numbers. I was preparing to raise my hand and was listening hard for "etats unis" or "l'amerique", but it never came. I realized (too late) that when he said "oosa" he was pronouncing the acronym USA in one syllable. I had never heard a French speaker say it that way!

BTW, I met a 73 year old Brazilian at Beilari who spoke very little English, but had spent the previous year studying Spanish with a tutor in preparation for his Camino. After the first week he was complaining that he should have spent that time studying English, because it was the one common language among all the pilgrims he was meeting along the way.

 

[JP]

Sometimes speaking French is not enough! On my first Camino Frances, I met a man from France, being from Quebec I naturally started to speak to him in French, but our French is a bit different than European French. After a few seconds, he told me rather pompously sorry Monsieur I can't understand your accent. I simply replied to him, that he was the one with an accent. He was left speechless and I simply walked away. Usually, French pilgrim are quite happy to speak to people from Quebec, calling us their little cousins from Canada.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Learn some pleasantries in Basque. I remember a morning walk downhill greeting a number of small groups of locals coming uphill to work with a cheery buenos días and not getting even a smile in return.

 

[naplesdon]

Cambo-les-Bains is not some back water resort town. It caters to all sorts of international visitors. So fear not about any language barrier, the Basque are very friendly and get by speaking both French and Spanish, so a few simple phrases in Euskara like "egun on" will amaze your host. If for some reason the train from Bayonne to SJPdP is not running the day you go, make sure the substitute bus is making a stop in Cambo!

 

[francesbe]

Ah! Merci Beaucop per las respondez! ( I just made that up with the very little I know, pardon my misspellings!)
Cava? I thought that was a Spanish wine, is that another way of saying “bonjour”?
I think I’m most worried about not understanding train announcements and missing a stop.
I ran into a little language difficulty in Barcelona, as the train ticket machines were only in Catalan, not even Spanish, so I needed to ask a passerby in Spanish to help me out. I remember the train announcements were in Catalan and Spanish so I was fine with that. But France has always felt very foreign to me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled internationally, so I’m trying to update my understanding of navigating communications.
I remember once on a flight from Rio to Santiago (Chile, not Spain), the announcements were in Portuguese and English, which I thought was odd since they were servicing a Spanish speaking city.
So this is why I try not to make assumptions about languages.
Thank you very much for your helpful responses!

“ca va?” (With a soft c) basically means “what’s up?” (One does not generally expect an answer) and it is one of five non-food things i know in French

 

[SabsP]

Can we PLEASE stop the stereotyping that I read here in certain posts.
The world can use more finesse, subtlety and certainly less generalities.

Sabs aka a Belgian which means more than chocolates, frites and beers.

 

[Sue127]

Sometimes speaking French is not enough! On my first Camino Frances, I met a man from France, being from Quebec I naturally started to speak to him in French, but our French is a bit different than European French. After a few seconds, he told me rather pompously sorry Monsieur I can't understand your accent. I simply replied to him, that he was the one with an accent. He was left speechless and I simply walked away. Usually, French pilgrim are quite happy to speak to people from Quebec, calling us their little cousins from Canada.

Haha. We had a similar thing in Quebec. Being English, with at that time only a little French, we approached a guide who asked us which language we would like I e the tour in. We answered that we were happy to try in French. However he told us that he could understand our English better than our French

 

[t2andreo]

Which is why there is that saying: "When in Rome...."
Now.... how to say that in Italian?

ACTUALLY, a version of this exists along the Caminos. "What do you call a pilgrim who only speaks one language . . . an American."

I first heard that in 2013. It was introduced to me by a Spaniard who spoke FIVE languages, including fluent English. He was amazed that Americans usually cannot speak more than one language.

Again, this is a generalization, as the US is a nation of immigrants and we do tend to move around a lot. It is almost impossible to NOT have picked up some bits of several languages along the way. But, as a general rule, most Americans speak only one of several English dialects, with a regional accent.

I also have learned over the years that many, many French people DO speak some English. However ,they are reluctant to do so, lest they speak it less than fluently. But, this is different than having no knowledge of other languages at all.

In my personal case, I am using the self-learning of Spanish on Duolingo to keep my aging grey cells percolating. Many professionals say that this is one way to keep one's brain agile. So, while I will never be invited to join the Spanish Academy in Madrid, I do hope to be able to communicate better with the many friends I have made at Santiago de Compostela, and across Spain.

Hope this contributes to the dialog.

Tom

 

[alexwalker]

The important thing is to be polite and offer a greeting when you first enter an establishment.

Not only in France: VERY important in Spain to be polite, beyond more common (un)politeness in many countries

I learned that when I was in a reception in Finisterre, I asked "Donde esta il banjo? (Where is the toilet?)" and the receptionist replied "POR FAVOR! (Please!)". Only after I replied "Por favor", she pointed the way...

Lesson learned.

Very important phrases in Spain:

Good morning: Buenos dias (Always use it when you are entering a place in the morning)
Good afternoon: Buenas tardes(Always use it when you are entering a place in the afternoon)
Thank you: (muchas) Gracias ((many) thanks). Always use it when you receive someyhing
Please: Por favor (always use it when you are asking a uestion)

 

[JabbaPapa]

“ca va?” (With a soft c) basically means “what’s up?” (One does not generally expect an answer) and it is one of five non-food things i know in French

The typical answer to Ça va ? is Ça va.

 

[CWBuff]

Can we PLEASE stop the stereotyping that I read here in certain posts.
The world can use more finesse, subtlety and certainly less generalities.

Sabs aka a Belgian which means more than chocolates, frites and beers.

You forgot waffles

 

[backpack45]

Ralph and I have done three of the four major Chemin in France--the LePuy, Vezelay, and Arles. And, all were done in sections (taking three or four years to do each). I love hiking in France and the people are WONDERFUL. Though we have on rare occasions stayed overnight where no one spoke English, we have never been made to feel unwelcome. We often use the Miam Miam guidebook to choose accommodations and there is a symbol and indicates households where English is spoken--not foolproof, but helpful. (We speak a smattering of French, which is helpful, but unfortunately have never gotten fluent.) Nevertheless, I can not say enough good things about the incredible hospitality we have received throughout France--and of course there is the bonus of the terrific food!

 

[Geebee]

I have intermediate French, so this has never been a problem for me.

In pilgrim accommodation in Bourges, the Frenchman in charge made the following comment to me - in English:

Q> What do you call a person who speaks 3 languages?
A> Trilingual.
Q> What do you call a person wo speaks 2 languages?
A> Bilingual.
Q> What do you call a person who speaks 1 language?
A> French.

And this has been my experience in rural France - mostly but not entirely. Swap the final answer to Spanish and that was my experience on the Mozarabe and VdlP in 2008, again not entirely, but mostly.

And really, why should it be any different? What proportion of the population in the town where I live speak French or Spanish?

If you are going to spend any amount of time in France or Spain, off the beaten track, and not as part of a tour group, well ...

We say that about Australians !

 

[SabsP]

The typical answer to Ça va ? is Ça va.

But I normally only use it in an informal setting. Otherwise I use "Comment allez-vous ? "

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Can we PLEASE stop the stereotyping that I read here in certain posts.
The world can use more finesse, subtlety and certainly less generalities.

Sabs aka a Belgian which means more than chocolates, frites and beers.

Gaufre?

 

[Bradypus]

Haha. We had a similar thing in Quebec. Being English, with at that time only a little French, we approached a guide who asked us which language we would like I e the tour in. We answered that we were happy to try in French. However he told us that he could understand our English better than our French

We bought our house in a Welsh-language hotspot in south-west Wales from a couple who had lived there all their lives and spoke Welsh as a first language whenever possible. They told us that on a visit to Anglesey they had to switch to English because the north and south versions of Welsh were so different as to be almost incomprehensible. That has changed a lot in recent years with modern communications but it is amazing how much difference a hundred miles of hilly country can make to a language or dialect.

 

[JabbaPapa]

But I normally only use it in an informal setting. Otherwise I use "Comment allez-vous ? "

On the Camino, that would nearly always be overly formal -- exceptions withstanding, especially in situations where some particular formality might be de rigueur.

You might vouvoie someone but still use ça va ... which is really more neutral than informal. It is very common to use ça va between complete strangers.

 

[SabsP]

On the Camino, that would nearly always be overly formal -- exceptions withstanding, especially in situations where some particular formality might be de rigueur.

You might vouvoie someone but still use ça va ... which is really more neutral than informal. It is very common to use ça va between complete strangers.

I always err on the side of caution .

 

[CWBuff]

I like "ça va". Yes its "informal", but... in a very friendly way IMHO. of course walking into a restaurant, bar or a store I do lead off with Bon Jour but perhaps on a 2nd visit to the same establishment and dealing with the same person I most likely will go ça va
I have not said "Comment allez-vous ? " to anyone perhaps since my 1st trip to Paris in '96.

 

[HBS60]

Thanks for all the helpful replies, much appreciated!
I think I’m most worried about not understanding spoken French. There are many words that are close enough that I can read them, and I don’t mind making a fool of myself when I try to speak a foreign language, but I need to train my ear to understand what is being said to me. I love the idea of learning languages, and I’ve dabbled in Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Galician, some Catalan, (I’m not fluent by any means in any of these), but French has always felt insurmountable to me.
Another wrinkle in this is that unfortunately, in the US some people aren’t comfortable hearing Spanish, so I’ve learned to be cautious even when having a private conversation, as some people feel offended if they hear me if they happen to be within earshot, even if the conversation has nothing to do with them. Since I don’t know how other languages are received in other parts of the world, better to make sure.
It warms my heart when people want to learn my language, and I wish I could learn even more languages!