What is faire la bise?

In France, faire la bise (giving a kiss on the cheek) is a form of greeting. In general, we greet acquaintances, and colleagues (sometimes) with a kiss. In business contexts, when meeting someone for the first time, a handshake will do. ils se font la bise : they kiss, are kissing each other on the cheek.

Why do French do La bise?

Anthropologist David Le Breton said that “la bise” gives adults a rare and important opportunity to touch the face of another person. “Children are the subject of countless kisses from everyone,” Breton told l’Express.

How many times do you faire la bise?

La bise is a French greeting where two people kiss each other’s cheeks two, three, and even four times. Contrary to what you might think, this kind of greeting kiss is not typically French!

Is La bise formal or informal?

La bise is a traditional, common way to greet family, friends, and even coworkers (depending on your workplace). It’s the equivalent of both a handshake and a hug. Basically, faire la bise consists of lightly kissing someone on the cheek or cheeks.

Which cheek do you kiss first?

right cheek
General Guidelines (No Matter Where You Are) In most countries where cheek kissing is the norm, you usually offer your right cheek first. No big deal if you both go in opposite directions — just laugh it off. Generally speaking, an air kiss is an air kiss. When in doubt, avoid planting your lips on the other person.

Which side do you kiss first in France?

left cheek
Distribution of which cheek is presented first when kissing in Belgium, France, and Switzerland. We can see that the territory is broadly divided into two parts. In the southeastern and eastern areas of France, it’s left cheek first. In the rest of the country, it’s the right.

What is the French greeting kiss called?

La bise
Nick Kostov. PARIS—In cafés, in offices and almost everywhere in between, it has always been perfectly normal in France to greet people by touching their face with your face. La bise, as the customary double cheek kiss is known, is so deeply entrenched in French life that it is deployed as casually as a handshake.