Les bises
Platonic French Kissing
Getting friendly with the French (and many other Europeans) means getting comfortable with les bises. 💋
These not-quite-cheek-not-quite-air kisses are an essential part of French culture, so being prepared to give and receive them is vital.
Today’s issue of Lawless French à fond takes an in-depth look at les bises: what they are, when and how to do them, and more.
Table of Contents
Characteristics
Introduction to la bise 🎬
French kissing has always been a fascinating part of French culture. Not in the sense of kissing with tongues (a topic for another site!), but rather the ubiquitous exchange of cheek kisses upon meeting and greeting in France.
How to do la bise 😘
Faire la bise is often translated as “cheek kissing” or even “air kissing,” when a more accurate - though decidedly less elegant - description is “lightly pressing alternating cheeks together while making optional kissy sounds.”
Which side to start on ↔️
I’ve never found any rhyme or reason as to which side to start la bise on. Some say that it depends on the region of France, but in my experience, it’s not that consistent - it seems more a matter of personal preference.
How many bises❓
The number of kisses varies by region and by other factors that are more difficult to pin down.
Related features
Some language lessons to go along with situations where you might faire la bise.
Listening
Bise à la française A2
La bise à la française a l’air simple vu de l’extérieur : les Français se disent bonjour en s’embrassant sur les joues.
La bise en France B1
Video introduction to la bise, that oh-so-French way of saying hello, with transcript and translation.
🙋 A2 - B1 ?
These are 2 of the 6 CEFR proficiency levels.
Juste pour rigoler
Comic courtesy of Malachi Ray Rempen, ItchyFeetComic.com
💗 Remerciements
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