la bise
the cheek kiss greeting
Intermediate Noun Feminine
🔊
Pronunciation
/la biz/
💡
Cultural Note
La bise is the French custom of greeting with light cheek-to-cheek contact and an air kiss. The number of kisses varies by region: two in Paris, three in Provence, four in some parts of the north. Since COVID-19, some French people have become more hesitant about la bise, but it remains a core cultural practice.
📝 Example Sentences
On se fait la bise ?
Shall we do the cheek kiss?
En France, on se fait la bise entre amis.
In France, friends greet each other with cheek kisses.