A French service encounter is a small piece of theatre with a fixed script. Walking into a boulangerie and saying une baguette, s'il vous plaît before saying bonjour is not just rude — it's a category error. You haven't started the interaction yet. The bonjour is the door; the request is what you say after the door is open. This page lays out the standard scripts for the four service contexts you'll encounter most often — bakery, restaurant, pharmacy, train station — and the cultural rules that govern all of them.
If you internalise the rules below, French service workers will treat you as a competent adult. If you skip them, even fluent French won't save you from chilly responses. The grammar is easy. The pragmatics are the actual content.
The two non-negotiable rules
Every service encounter in France is bracketed by two utterances: bonjour at the start and a closing formula at the end. Skipping either is genuinely impolite — not "could be more polite" but "you've broken the script." The shopkeeper or server will register the omission and adjust their warmth accordingly.
Bonjour. — Bonjour, qu'est-ce que je vous sers ?
Hello. — Hello, what can I get you?
Merci, bonne journée ! — Bonne journée, au revoir.
Thank you, have a good day! — Have a good day, goodbye.
The bonjour is the opening move and the customer plays it first. From around 5 or 6 pm, switch to bonsoir. The closing typically combines merci with bonne journée (during the day) or bonne soirée (in the evening), often with au revoir.
The second universal rule: vouvoiement is the default. Service workers and customers address each other with vous, regardless of age, friendliness, or how informal the setting feels. Even a teenage cashier in a casual snack bar will say vous. The only exceptions are bartenders in informal night spots where staff and regulars have settled into tu, and even then customers usually wait for the staff to initiate the switch.
At the bakery
The boulangerie is the most ritualised service encounter in French daily life — and the most useful to master because you'll do it nearly every day if you live in France.
— Bonjour. — Bonjour, qu'est-ce que vous voulez ?
— Hello. — Hello, what would you like?
— Une baguette pas trop cuite, s'il vous plaît.
— A baguette not too well done, please.
— Avec ça ?
— Anything else?
— Deux croissants et une chouquette, s'il vous plaît.
— Two croissants and one chouquette, please.
— Ce sera tout ?
— Will that be all?
— Oui, c'est tout, merci.
— Yes, that's all, thank you.
— Ça vous fait sept euros vingt.
— That comes to seven euros twenty.
— Tenez. — Merci. Bonne journée ! — Bonne journée !
— Here you go. — Thank you. Have a good day! — Have a good day!
A few details worth knowing. The standard request format is [item], s'il vous plaît — the item, then the politeness marker. Saying je voudrais une baguette, s'il vous plaît (using the conditional voudrais) is even more polite and entirely natural. The bare imperative donnez-moi une baguette sounds rude.
The expression avec ça ? (or avec ceci ?) is fixed shopkeeper-ese for "anything else?" Your reply is either another item — avec ça, deux pains au chocolat, s'il vous plaît — or ce sera tout, merci / c'est tout, merci to close.
When handing over money, the customer often says tenez (literally "hold" — "here you are"). Coming the other way, the shopkeeper hands over change and bread with the same word.
For a baguette specifically, you can specify cooking level: bien cuite (well done — crustier), pas trop cuite (not too well done — softer), blanche (very pale, soft). Bakers expect this question; not having a preference and saying peu importe (it doesn't matter) is fine too.
At the restaurant
A restaurant interaction has more steps than the bakery and runs over a longer period, but the script is just as fixed.
— Bonsoir, j'ai une réservation au nom de Dupont.
— Good evening, I have a reservation under Dupont.
— Très bien, suivez-moi, je vous installe.
— Very good, follow me, I'll seat you.
— Vous avez choisi ?
— Have you chosen?
— Je vais prendre le coq au vin, s'il vous plaît.
— I'll have the coq au vin, please.
— Et comme boisson ?
— And to drink?
— Une carafe d'eau et un verre de vin rouge.
— A jug of water and a glass of red wine.
— Tout s'est bien passé ?
— Did everything go well?
— Très bien, merci. L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
— Very well, thank you. The check, please.
The opening if you have a reservation: j'ai une réservation au nom de [name]. Without one: vous avez une table pour deux ? (do you have a table for two?). The server's suivez-moi (follow me) or je vous installe (I'll seat you) closes that exchange.
When the server returns to take the order, the standard prompt is vous avez choisi ? (literally "have you chosen?" — the verb choisir in passé composé). Stalling is fine: pas tout à fait, vous pouvez revenir dans quelques minutes ? (not quite, can you come back in a few minutes?).
The order itself uses je vais prendre (I'll have — futur proche) or je voudrais (I'd like — conditional). Je prends in the present is acceptable but slightly less formal. Avoid the literal English-style je veux (I want), which sounds blunt to French ears in a restaurant.
The water question: in France, une carafe d'eau is free tap water, brought to your table at no cost. Ordering it is normal and not cheap — ask for it routinely. Bottled water (de l'eau plate / de l'eau gazeuse) costs extra.
When you're ready to leave: l'addition, s'il vous plaît — the check, please. The server will bring it on a small dish or in a folder. Leaving change as a tip (a euro or two for a casual meal, more for fancier dining) is appreciated but not strictly required: service inclus means service is already factored in. Tipping culture in France is much lighter than in North America.
At the pharmacy
French pharmacies are more medical than American drugstores. The pharmacist is trained to give actual advice, and asking them about symptoms is normal — they'll often recommend an over-the-counter product and tell you when to see a doctor.
— Bonjour, j'ai mal à la tête depuis hier soir, vous auriez quelque chose ?
— Hello, I've had a headache since last night, would you have something?
— Vous avez d'autres symptômes ? De la fièvre ?
— Do you have other symptoms? A fever?
— Non, juste mal à la tête.
— No, just a headache.
— Je vous propose ça, c'est efficace contre la douleur.
— I suggest this, it's effective against pain.
— C'est sur ordonnance ?
— Is this prescription-only?
— Non, c'est en vente libre.
— No, it's available without prescription.
The opening complaint uses avoir mal à + body part: j'ai mal à la tête (headache), j'ai mal au ventre (stomach ache), j'ai mal à la gorge (sore throat), j'ai mal aux dents (toothache). For more general illness: je suis enrhumé(e) (I have a cold), j'ai de la fièvre (I have a fever), j'ai la grippe (I have the flu), je tousse (I'm coughing).
The pharmacist will typically follow up with vous avez d'autres symptômes ? (do you have other symptoms?) or simply autre chose ? (anything else?). Be ready to describe what's happening: location of pain, when it started, what makes it worse.
Two key terms: sur ordonnance (on prescription, requiring a doctor's note) versus en vente libre (over the counter, available without prescription). When you do have a prescription, hand it over with j'ai cette ordonnance pour des médicaments.
For specific items: je cherche un antalgique (a painkiller), de l'aspirine, du paracétamol (the French generic, equivalent to acetaminophen / Tylenol), un antihistaminique (an antihistamine), un sirop pour la toux (cough syrup), un thermomètre (thermometer).
At the train station
Buying a train ticket in person at the guichet (ticket window) is a quick interaction with predictable steps.
— Bonjour, je voudrais un billet pour Paris, s'il vous plaît.
— Hello, I'd like a ticket to Paris, please.
— Aller simple ou aller-retour ?
— One-way or round trip?
— Aller-retour, pour vendredi prochain.
— Round trip, for next Friday.
— Première classe ou seconde ?
— First class or second?
— Seconde, s'il vous plaît.
— Second, please.
— Vous avez la carte avantage ?
— Do you have the discount card?
— Non, plein tarif.
— No, full fare.
— Ça fait soixante-douze euros.
— That comes to seventy-two euros.
The two binary questions you'll always be asked: aller simple ou aller-retour ? (one-way or round trip?) and première classe ou seconde ?. Lock these in and you'll never be caught out.
The agent may also ask vous avez la carte avantage ? or vous avez une carte de réduction ? — whether you have a discount card (the SNCF Avantage card, for instance, gives 30% off). If not: non, plein tarif (no, full fare).
For more specific situations: à quelle heure part le prochain train pour Lyon ? (what time does the next train to Lyon leave?), de quel quai ? (from which platform?), est-ce qu'il y a un changement ? (is there a transfer?), je voudrais réserver une place (I'd like to reserve a seat).
At a café
The café encounter is shorter than the restaurant but follows the same logic. The greeting opens it, the order is direct, the closing is mandatory.
— Bonjour, qu'est-ce que ce sera ?
— Hello, what will it be?
— Un café et un croissant, s'il vous plaît.
— A coffee and a croissant, please.
— Sur place ou à emporter ?
— Eat in or take away?
— Sur place, merci.
— Eat in, thanks.
The question sur place ou à emporter ? is asked nearly every time you order something at a café, bakery, or fast-food place. Sur place means you're staying (often a higher price for table service); à emporter means takeaway.
A French café by default means an espresso. If you want something larger, specify: un grand café (longer/larger coffee — but still small by American standards), un café allongé (espresso lengthened with hot water — closer to American coffee), un café au lait (with milk, breakfast drink), un café crème (with steamed milk), un noisette (espresso with a dash of milk).
At a small shop
Walking into any small shop — clothing, bookstore, gift shop, épicerie — the same opening applies. Bonjour first, then orient yourself.
— Bonjour, je peux regarder ?
— Hello, may I have a look around?
— Bien sûr, faites donc. Si vous avez besoin, je suis là.
— Of course, go ahead. If you need anything, I'm here.
— Je cherche un cadeau pour ma mère, vous auriez une idée ?
— I'm looking for a gift for my mother, do you have any ideas?
The phrase je peux regarder ? (may I look around?) is genuinely useful — French shops are smaller and more personal than big-box stores, and shopkeepers do orient toward you when you enter. Asking permission to browse signals you don't need help yet.
When you do need a price: combien ça coûte ? (how much is it?), or shorter, combien ? If you're considering: je vais réfléchir (I'll think about it). If you're done browsing without buying: je vais voir, merci (I'll see, thank you).
Common Mistakes
❌ Une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
Walking in and saying this without bonjour first — major pragmatic error.
✅ Bonjour. (wait for response) Une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
Hello. (pause) A baguette, please.
This is the single most common tourist mistake. The opening bonjour is not a politeness flourish — it's the start of the interaction. Skipping it reads as rude or oblivious.
❌ Je veux un café.
Sounds blunt and demanding — never use 'je veux' for orders.
✅ Je voudrais un café, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like a coffee, please.
Je veux (I want) is appropriate for a child telling a parent or a strong personal assertion (je veux changer de travail). For service requests, always soften to the conditional je voudrais (I'd like) or use je vais prendre (I'll have).
❌ Tu peux me donner l'addition ?
Tutoying a server — wrong register in nearly all restaurant contexts.
✅ L'addition, s'il vous plaît.
The check, please.
Servers are addressed with vous even if they look young or the place is casual. Tutoying signals either a personal relationship or condescension; in a restaurant context, it'll come across as the latter. The vouvoiement default holds across all service interactions.
❌ (Walking out without saying anything)
Failing to close with merci/bonne journée breaks the script as much as failing to open with bonjour.
✅ Merci, bonne journée !
Thank you, have a good day!
The closing is as obligatory as the opening. Merci, bonne journée (or bonne soirée after dark) wraps up almost every service encounter. Walking out silently after handing over money will be noticed — and remembered.
❌ Excusez-moi, mais peut-être que vous pourriez éventuellement m'apporter un peu plus de pain quand ce serait possible ?
Over-stacked politeness — sounds awkward and slightly patronising.
✅ Vous pourriez nous apporter un peu plus de pain, s'il vous plaît ?
Could you bring us a little more bread, please?
French politeness in service contexts is sufficient with s'il vous plaît and a conditional verb. Stacking peut-être que, éventuellement, quand ce serait possible doesn't add politeness — it sounds tortured. Trust the conditional plus s'il vous plaît to do the work.
Key takeaways
The grammar of service encounters is minimal. The pragmatics is everything. Three rules to live by:
- Open with bonjour before any request. Wait for the response. Then proceed.
- Use vous with anyone working a service role, regardless of how young or casual they seem.
- Close with merci, bonne journée (day) or merci, bonne soirée (evening), and au revoir on the way out.
Add the conditional je voudrais for orders, the all-purpose s'il vous plaît for requests, and the mandatory question pairs (sur place ou à emporter ?, aller simple ou aller-retour ?), and you'll move through French service contexts as smoothly as any resident.
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