What this means for you: I mentioned before that French people don’t generally have “the talk” where the prospective couple decides if they want to be exclusive, so how do you know if you and your Parisian paramour are BF and GF? This doesn’t really happen in French dating culture.
If, during your courtship, you kiss on the lips it’s taken as a non-verbal agreement that you’re attracted to each other and are in a relationship.
This may be self-explanatory, but in most modern societies this isn’t really acceptable (at least butter 'em up and take them on a few dates before you put a bag over their head).
A few days ago, as an American friend of mine was telling me all about her new boyfriend and how he had asked her out with flowers, I realized how different courtship and dating is for teens in France and the US. Americans go on formal dates; we keep things secret. The word “date” has no equivalent in French, and it’s simply because we don’t go on them.
Americans only say “I love you” after months of dating. You might wonder how people get to know each other then.
The protocols and practices of dating, and the terms used to describe it, vary considerably from country to country and over time.
While the term has several meanings, the most frequent usage refers to two people exploring whether they are romantically or sexually compatible by participating in dates with the other.
Luckily you do; otherwise you wouldn’t be here, right?
So if you find yourself having a hard time understanding his culture’s idea of “l’amour”, not to worry, I’m here to help. No, probably not, but as a country France is pretty flirty.
Well, we usually go out in groups and meet within this social group. If you are already friends with the guy, you just spend more time together, get a coffee after school or share a meal at your apartment, and flirt a little bit.
If you just met at a party, well, you kiss, and things evolve naturally.
Dating as an institution is a relatively recent phenomenon which has mainly emerged in the last few centuries.