Do you speak the Quebecois?

Question

Because nobody in France understands it. Would appreciate assistance with online dictionary or if you can get them all speak in English. Is it worth the struggle?

Well.... so I didnt make my point clear: I was actually trying to make a joke. haha, anyway. I wanted to say that, I feel sorry for those 7 millions dudes surrounded by 300 millions Yankees (sorry Canada, you're just one more US state, though a big one) and trying to speak 'le français' with such obstination that makes its charm and its absurdity altogether. When 'Jurassik Park' HAS TO turn into 'le Parc Jurassique' I do not see the point. At least, really hardly, considering the other tons of things you say in 'French' that are actually PURE ENGLISH. 'Tomber en amour' is the translation (not traduction, like we say here) of 'to fall in love'. In France we do not actually fall in love, we fall ''amoureux''. No other example, I'll run out of space. Love you guys, take care and take it easy. Bonjour (would rather say ''au revoir'' but this must come from ''good day''. Aaah nevermind)

Answer 1

Just for the record, I'm so fed up with people saying that Québécois is purer than French and uses "way fewer anglicisms". I spent a whole year in Laval among Québécois-speaking people and they use SCORES of English words - "C'est hot, man!" "C'est chill, ça!" "C'est nice!" "T'est trop cute!" "C'est de la grosse bullsh*t" "That's it, that's all!" "Donne-moi un coke" "C'est l'fun!" and MANY more.

This being said, Québécois is a nice and colourful language and it's definitely worth learning if you can already speak French.

Answer 2

Nobody in France understands Québécois??? Well I'm French and I have no problem understanding it, the accent and some words are different but it's just the same difference as between British and American English. Most Quebeckers can also speak English, and if you need a québécois-english dictionnary, any french-english dictionnary will do ;)

I don't really agree with Alpine about the anglicisms... It's not that French people use more of them, it's just that we don't use the same anglicisms! I'm French and I say le parking, le week-end etc, for which Quebeckers use French words, but I'd never ever say c'est le fun, c'est hot, c'est swell, le truck, le toaster, c'est de la ******** etc... that are very common expressions in Quebec. Instead of this I'd say c'est marrant, c'est chaud, c'est beau, le camion, le grille-pain, c'est de la connerie. I could give you many more examples but it would take quite some time ;)

Answer 3

When I was taking French in high school (in Alberta- based on the Quebec dialect) our instructor took a few students on a trip to Paris, there she was told that her French was like French from long ago ,it was is if someone was speaking English from Shakespeare All you have to do is listen carefully.

Answer 4

Ben oui, calisse. C'est practiquement le meme, tabaouette.
Swears are different, accent takes some getting used to and Quebecers use WAY fewer anglicisms (le weekend is la fin de semaine, l'email is le courriel, le parking is le stationnement).

I wouldn't say MOST Quebecers speak English, and certainly most don't want to. They (we) don't generally react well to being told their accent is bad, wrong, or 300 years old.


@Anonymous: Oh brother. French people use those kinds of expressions as well (not necessarily exactly the same ones) and ALSO use anglicisms in their STANDARD vocabulary. Your friends in she swallows would never say "le weekend" or "je porte des baskets" (they might say "je t'envoye un email"). None of which is to say Quebec French is "purer", just that it's different in that way.

Answer 5

Eh??? De Québécois 'ave an identity and a culture dat's all all deir own, independent of both France and de rest of Canada eh? Don't knock de Québécois!!!

Now, don't be confusing de Québécois wit' dose damn separatistes! Tabarnac!