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Faire la bise est une coutume en France.

Faire la bise est une coutume en France.
Kissing on the cheek is a custom in France.
From Lesson 142:Giving advice (tu devrais, vous devriez)·French

Questions & Answers about Faire la bise est une coutume en France.

Why is the verb Faire in the infinitive here when the English translation says "Kissing"?
In English, we often use "-ing" words (gerunds) as the subject of a sentence, like "Kissing". In French, you cannot do this. Whenever an action is the subject of the sentence, you must use the infinitive form of the verb, which is Faire in this case.
Does faire la bise mean any kind of kissing?
No, la bise refers specifically to the traditional cheek-kissing greeting used in France and other French-speaking countries. It is a platonic greeting. For a general or affectionate kiss, you would use the word un bisou.
Why is the preposition en used in en France instead of à or dans?
In French, the preposition you use for "in" or "to" a country depends on its gender. Because la France is a feminine country (like almost all countries ending in "-e"), you must use en. When using en, you also drop the "the" (la), making it just en France.
Is une coutume the only word for this concept?
You will also frequently see une tradition (a tradition). Une coutume specifically emphasizes a widely accepted social habit or practice within a given culture, making it the perfect word for greeting someone with la bise.

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