French Marriage-In French

Another Spring Festival has arrived. For many single young people, the Spring Festival not only signifies a holiday but also means returning home to face relentless questioning from relatives about their love lives and marriage. One topic that cannot be avoided is romance and getting married. For Chinese people, marriage is one of the most important events in life. But how do foreigners view this issue? Today, let's explore the marriage concepts of the French!

1. l’âge de marriage / Marriage age

Selon la loi sur le mariage de la France, si une personne a 15 ans ou plus, elle peut se marier. Par conséquent, en France, le phénomène que des lycéens se tombent amoureux est considérée normale.

According to French law, both men and women can get married at the age of fifteen. As a result, the phenomenon of "puppy love," often referred to by Chinese people, is quite normal and widespread in France.

Bien que l’âge légal du mariage soit plus jeune en France, les Français se marient tard. En 2018, l’âge moyen de mariage est 38 ans pour les hommes et 36 ans pour les femmes.

However, despite the low legal marriage age in France, the French tend to marry quite late. In 2018, the average marriage age for men in France was 38 years, while for women it was 36 years. 

Compared to this, the marriage age of Chinese people seems relatively optimistic.

Si les français se marient tard, c’est parce que les femmes deviennent de plus en plus indépendantes. D’une part, elles peuvent vivre de ses bras et sont même plus fortes que certains hommes. Ainsi, c’est plus difficile pour elles de trouver un homme idéal, parce que leur critère est plus strict. D’autre part, elles préfèrent la liberté et ne veulent pas être contraintes par le mariage.

One significant reason why the French marry late is that women have become increasingly independent. On one hand, women can be self-sufficient, with some even earning more money than men and having better jobs, leading them to have stricter criteria when choosing a partner and making it harder to find a suitable match. On the other hand, women also pursue freedom and are unwilling to be tied down by marriage and family obligations.

2. Condition et raison de mariage

En France, le mariage est libre. Ils se marient parce qu’ils veulent se marier. Ils n’ont pas besoin de considérer d’autres facteurs. Leur amour n’a pas de relation avec l’âge, composition et état de la famille et opinion publique.

Cependant, les Chinois ne sont pas si fortunés. Quand ils cherchent un compagnon, ils doivent considèrent les demandes de leurs parents. L’intervention trop des parents dans le mariage est un facteur important du mariage malheureux. Par conséquence, de plus en plus de chinois préfère vivre seul que se marier tôt.

The concept of marriage in France differs greatly from that in China. In France, marriage is a completely free choice, and the French marry because they want to, without having to consider other factors such as age, social status, or others' opinions. However, these factors are still important considerations for Chinese people when dating and getting married. Chinese young people often value their parents' opinions when seeking a partner, which has become one of the root causes of many unhappy marriages in China. Therefore, more and more young people today are unwilling to marry, preferring to live alone.

3.PACS(le pacte civil de solidarité)

Mais pour les français, ils ont un autre choix en plus de se marier, c’est le PACE. C`est une forme limitée d'union civile ouverte en France aux couples majeurs, et dont les partenaires sont de même sexe ou de sexe différent. Ces deux genres de cohabitation sont aussi protégés par la loi et ils donnent plus de libération.

However, besides marriage, the French have other options. For instance, France has a "Cohabitation Agreement" which applies to both heterosexual and same-sex couples. During cohabitation, the rights of both parties are legally protected, but it is not as strict as marriage in some aspects. For example, there are no specific regulations regarding property ownership, which can be determined by mutual agreement between the parties. Even fidelity is not a requirement. Additionally, the procedures for signing and terminating the agreement are much simpler than those for marriage, so many French people may choose this option over getting married.

That's all for today's little informative session. After reading today's article, do you find yourself drawn to the marriage model in France, or do you prefer the current marriage concepts in China? Regardless, I wish everyone can live in their preferred way and have a happy Spring Festival~

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