You know when you go to the nail salon .....

[paulapantsdown]

and you get acrylics, how do I ask for a subtle French tip? Is there a name for what I want? I want to get false nails with a French manicure, but i don't want the nails dipped in tippex look, I want it really subtle.

Bearing in mind that the very nice ladies in the nail bar I go to (to get the trotters sorted out) don't speak much English.

You ask for natural white tips not China white tips. Some places don't do this though. Is it a very cheap place? Good nail salons can apply white acrylic over the tip in any shade or sculpt the tip from acrylic. But many will just use a white tip and if they only have China whites then that's all they have.
Do you get acrylics regularly?

You can get white tips put on then have a light sheer pink paint on the top which will dull the bright-White and make it a bit more natural looking.

French ombre?

Take a picture with you.