savoir-vivre

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French savoir-vivre.

Noun

savoir-vivre (uncountable)

1. Familiarity with the customs of polite society.
   • 2018 June 28, Phil Daoust, “Never mind the Brexiteurs: why it’s time to learn French”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Like it or not, we are more invested in France, which has come to epitomise culture, good taste, style and savoir-vivre – even though that reverence is the product of ignorance as much as familiarity.

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sa.vwaʁ.vivʁ/

Noun

savoir-vivre m (uncountable)

1. politesse, courtesy

   Il manque de savoir-vivre.

   (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Further reading

• “savoir-vivre”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.