Quebec French lexicon

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There are various lexical differences between Quebec French and Metropolitan French in France. These are distributed throughout the registers, from slang to formal usage.

Contents

Notwithstanding Acadian French in the Maritime Provinces, Quebec French is the dominant form of French throughout Canada, with only very limited interregional variations. The terms Quebec French and Canadian French are therefore often used interchangeably.

Standardization

The Office québécois de la langue française believes that neither morphology nor syntax should be different between Québécois and Metropolitan French, and even that phonetic differences should be kept to a minimum. However, starting in the 1960s, it agreed to the use of words then called "well-formed Canadianisms (canadianismes de bon aloi)," that either are regional in nature (such as names of plants and animals), have been used since before the Conquest, or are justified in their origin and are considered to be equivalent or "better" than the standard equivalent.

A very small list of words was published in 1969, mainly containing words that were archaic in France, but still common in Quebec. This list especially contained imperial units and words from aboriginal languages. Subsequent lists have been published regularly since then.

Many differences that exist between Quebec French and European French arise from the preservation of certain forms that are today archaic in Europe. New words were also created for Quebec specialties that do not exist in Europe.

As with any two regional variants, there is an abundance of slang terms found in Quebec that are not found in France. Quebec French profanity uses references to Catholic liturgical terminology, rather than the references to prostitution that are more common in France. Many English words and calques have also been integrated in Quebec French, although less than in France. In Quebec, borrowed English words tend to have the same meaning as the English word. In France, they often have a very different meaning; for example 'le smoking' for 'tuxedo'. Borrowing from English is politically sensitive in Quebec and tends to be socially discouraged.[ citation needed ]

Gender-neutral usage

Formal Quebec French also has a very different approach to gender-neutral language than Metropolitan French. There is a much greater tendency to generalize feminine markers among nouns referring to professions. This is done in order to avoid having to refer to a woman with a masculine noun, and thereby seeming to suggest that a particular profession is primarily masculine. Forms that would be seen as highly unusual or stridently feminist[ clarification needed ] in France are commonplace in Quebec, such as la docteure, la professeure, la première ministre, la gouverneure générale, and so forth. Many of these have been formally recommended by the Office québécois de la langue française and adopted by society at large. Official government and state titles and designations always have official, mandated French equivalent terms for each gender.

Also, rather than following the rule that the masculine includes the feminine, it is relatively common to create doublets, especially in polemical speech: Québécoises et Québécois,tous et toutes,citoyens et citoyennes.

As an isolated anecdote, a Quebec labour union once decided to promulgate an epicene neologism on the model of fidèle, calling itself the Fédération des professionnèles, rather than use either professionnels (masculine only) or professionnels et professionnelles (masculine and feminine). This sparked a fair amount of debate and is rather on the outer edge of techniques for nonsexist writing in Quebec French.

Morphology (word formation)

Some suffixes are more productive in Quebec than in France, in particular the adjectival suffix -eux, which has a somewhat pejorative meaning: téter → téteux (thick, dumb, nitpicking, nerd), niaiser → niaiseux (foolish, irritating); obstiner → ostineux (stubborn); pot → poteux (a user or dealer of marijuana). This originates in the Norman language [ citation needed ].

The adjectival suffix -euse is added to verbal stems to form "the machine that verbs." For example, laverlaveuse "washing machine"; balayerbalayeuse "vacuum cleaner" (but "streetsweeper" in France). In France "vacuum cleaner" is "aspirateur"[ citation needed ].

Quebec FrenchEnglishMetropolitan FrenchNote
abatis
achiganblack bassperche noire
acreacrearpentIn Louisiana, an arpent is still a legal unit of measurement, and is not the same as an acre. Here, arpent is used both as a measure of length as well as area. Land was traditionally surveyed to either 40 or 80 arpents back from a river or bayou (1.5 or 3 miles). For measuring area, a square (English) mile contains 640 acres, but 512 arpents.
pinotte / arachidepeanutcacahuète
atoca / cannebergecranberryairelle / cannebergeIn Quebec, canneberge usually designates the fruit itself as well as the cranberry juice, whereas atoca usually refers to the cranberry jelly traditionally eaten with the Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. In France airelle is also used for lingonberry and shops selling cranberries imported from Canada increasingly label them canneberge.
avionnerieaircraft manufacturing plantusine de fabrication d'avions
banc de neigesnow bankcongère
barrerto lockverrouillerFrench colonists would use a crossbar to secure the entrance to their dwelling. Hence, barring rather than locking the door.
débarrerto unlockdéverrouiller
bebitte / bibittebugmoustique / insecte / bestiole / bêbetteIn France, the term "bitte" refers to a man's phallus. "Bitte" is not used in Quebec, though French terms such as this are recognized more and more. The younger Québécois generation can often use their own native terms and French terms alternately. The French on the other hand are more rarely exposed to Quebec French and so are less "accepting" of such deviations.
bicyclettebicyclevélo
bleuets [sauvages] lowbush/wild blueberries myrtilles / airelle à feuilles étroitessee Quebec specialities section
bleuetièreblueberry field or farmchamp de myrtilles
bordagesIce stuck to the bank of a river. Often used to designate the slushy mix of ice and snow pushed to the side of the road by snow plows.
bouscueilJostling of ice under the effect of winds, tides, or streams
brûlotnoseeumsnezA type of cranefly / tiny fly that causes a burning sensation when it bites, thus the name.
brunantenightfall/duskcrépuscule
cabane à sucresugar shackcabane à sucre
cacaouilong-tailed duckharelde boréaleA type of wild duck
carcajou wolverine (Am.), glutton (Br.)glouton
ceinture fléchée Assumption sashChâssis de l'Assomption
chopine pint pintePinte is used in Canada, but refers to a quart
coureur de(s) boisbackwoodsman, fur trader, lumberjackbûcheron, commerçant de fourrures
débarbouillettefaceclothgant de toilette (glove)
demiard/Demihalf-pintdemi
dépanneurconvenience store/corner storeépicerie / supéretteA small store serving the local community. Many of these are opened 24/7 and have a gas station attached to them.
doréwalleye/blue pike perch/saugerdoré/sandre bleu/poirier
épluchette / épluchette de blé d'indecorn roastrôti de maïsdesignates a social gathering where people husk and eat corn / To husk - éplucher
érablièremaple groveérablière
fin de semaineweekendweek-end
stationnementparking lot (Am.), car park (Br.)parkingThe word "stationnement" is the French word, but in France they replace many words by the English equivalent when it is shorter.
frasilfragile iceglace fragile
huard (huart)loon Plongeon Huard A type of bird typically found in lakes and ponds. In Canada, this bird is found on one dollar coins and is alternatively used to designate one dollar coins.
magasinage/ MagasinerShopping/To go shoppingcourses/Faire des courses / Faire les magasinsThe word for "shop" or "store" in all varieties of French is le magasin. In Quebec, the verb magasiner is used for "shopping", and was naturally created by simply converting the noun. In France, the expression is either faire des courses, faire des achats, faire des emplettes, or faire du shopping. No single verb exists as does in Quebec.
Maringouin / Picaouin / Moustiquemosquitomoustique
millage / kilométragemileagekilométrage
orignal moose (Am.), elk (Br.)élanThe word "moose" is also used in Britain by many.
ouananiche freshwater salmon saumon atlantique d'eau douce
ouaouaron bullfrog grenouille-taureau
outarde Canada goose bernache du Canada
poudrerie / rafale de (neige)blowing snowrafale de (neige) poudreuse
prucheEastern hemlocktsuga du Canada
raquetteur snowshoer celui qui fait des raquettes
souffleusesnowblowerchasse-neigeIn Quebec, un chasse-neige is a snowplow though the term charrue is mainly used for snow plow.
suisseeastern chipmunktamia rayéAlso sometimes, it is called petit suisse (tiny chipmunk) because when compared, it is smaller than a squirrel.
télézarda couch potato patate de sofafrom télé + lézarder
tire d'érablemaple taffytire d'érable
traversierferryboatferry / bac
tuque tuque bonnet
tuxedotuxedo (Am.), dinner jacket (Br.)smokingIn Quebec, the word tuxedo is used to describe a dinner or evening jacket distinguished primarily by satin or grosgrain facings on the jacket's lapels and buttons and a similar stripe along the outseam of the trousers. The word "smoking" is generally used to refer to a tuxedo in France.
verge / couryardAs in cour arrière, literally backyard
salonliving-roomsalon / (salle de) séjour

Preservation of forms

Many differences that exist between Quebec French and Metropolitan French arise from the preservation of certain forms that are today archaic in Europe. For example, espérer for "to wait" (attendre in France).

Cour in Quebec is a backyard (jardin in French), whereas in France cour has dropped this meaning and primarily means a courtyard (as well as other meanings like court). However, in some areas of France, such as in the mining regions of northern France, cour still means backyard.

The word breuvage is used for "[a] drink" in addition to boisson; this is an old French usage (bevrage) from which the English "beverage" originates. Breuvage may be used in European French, but generally indicates some nuance, possibly pejorative.

The word piastre or piasse, a slang term for a dollar (equivalent to "buck" in English), was in fact the term originally used in French for the American or Spanish dollar (they had the same value for a long period).

The word couple is used in standard French as a masculine noun (a couple, married or unmarried), but in Quebec it is also used as a feminine noun in phrases like une couple de semaines (a couple of weeks). This is often thought to be an anglicism, but is in fact a preservation of an archaic French usage.

It is quite common in Quebec French to describe something positive using litotes, such as pas laid (not ugly) for beautiful or pas pire (not worst) for good when standard French would suggest using the positive equivalent instead. However, Metropolitan French has its own commonly used litotes: pas bête or pas con (smart); pas mal (fine); pas dégueu(lasse) (tasty); and pas top, pas super or pas génial (bad).

Prepositions

The preposition à is often used in possessive contexts, whereas standard French uses de; le char à Pierre ("Pierre's car") instead of la voiture de Pierre. This is also found in the informal French of France, such as Hier j'ai vu la copine à Bruno ("Yesterday I saw Bruno's girlfriend").

In a number of cases, Quebec speakers prefer to use the preposition à instead of using a non-prepositional phrase with ce ("this"); for example à matin or à soir instead of ce matin and ce soir ("this morning" and "this evening"). Note also à cette heure, pronounced and sometimes spelt asteure or astheure (literally "at this time") for maintenant ("now") and désormais ("henceforth"), which is also found in Queneau [ clarification needed ]. These usages of à are considered colloquial.

Nautical terms

A number of terms that in other French-speaking regions are exclusively nautical are used in wider contexts in Quebec. This is often attributed to the original arrival of French immigrants by ship, and to the dominance of the Saint Lawrence River as the principal means of transport among the major settlements of the region in the past centuries. An example is the word débarquer, which in Quebec means to get off any conveyance (a car, a train); in France, this word means only to disembark from a ship or aircraft (descendre from other vehicles), plus some colloquial uses. Another example would be vadrouille for mop (in French it would mean wandering or a mop made of ropes and used on a ship, the regular house mop would be called serpillère).

Political terms

Since Canada uses the Westminster system, unlike republican France, many political terms devised in English have had to be imported or new terms created. This is not always easy, and can lead to awkward constructions, the most famous example being Dominion, for which there is no French translation. As well in Canadian English the first minister of the federation is called the Prime Minister and the first minister of a province is called a Premier. An electoral district in Canada is called a "riding" in anglophone Canada but a "comté" in Québec. However French makes no distinction and both are called Premier ministre in all cases. For example, "Premier ministre du Canada", "Premier ministre du Québec / de l'Alberta", etc.

Quebec specialties

There are also words for Quebec specialties that do not exist in Europe, for example poutine, CEGEP , tuque (a Canadianism in both official languages), and dépanneur (a corner store/small grocery; dépanneur in France is a mechanic who comes in to repair a car or a household appliance, which is called a dépanneuse in Quebec).

Blueberries, abundant in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, are called bleuets; in France, they are lumped together with myrtilles (bilberries) and bleuet means cornflower. (Bleuet is also slang for someone from Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.) Although very similar, these are not the same plants (i.e. myrtilles are Vaccinium myrtillus and bleuets are Vaccinium angustifolium or corymbosum).

Informality

French speakers of Quebec use the informal second-person pronoun tu more often and in more contexts than speakers in France do. In certain contexts it may be perfectly appropriate to address a stranger or even the customer of a store using tu, whereas the latter would be considered impolite in France. The split often runs across generations in Quebec: People between 40 and 60 years of age often feel that sales people, or service personnel giving them a tu instead of a vous are uncouth or uncultivated. People 60 years of age and older will sometimes feel insulted if a stranger uses the tu to them. Government employees (such as policemen or bureaucrats with some contact with the public) as well as employees of large stores or large chains in Quebec are usually instructed to use vous with everybody, unless some kind of camaraderie is in play or they know the person well. Sometimes the split is also across social or educational lines. For instance, young academics are usually hesitant in using tu with slightly older colleagues who have just a few more years of seniority.

A similar distinction in English, where, since the second person singular thou went out of use 200 years ago, might be whether to address or respond to someone on a "first-name basis". For example, one might say to a man that one has just met, "Thank you, Mr. Gibson" — equivalent to using vous. If Mr Gibson wants to maintain formality, that is, similar to using vous, he might say, "You're welcome", and if he wants to be more relaxed and familiar, he would add, "Please call me Jim". This gives Anglophones an inkling of the use of tu in Canadian French.

Metropolitan French public speakers such as politicians occasionally come across as stuffy or snobbish to certain Quebec Francophones. There is also a certain impression among the Quebec population (men especially) that Metropolitan French is quite effeminate - though this is not often directly discussed. This may explain why even better educated Québécois rarely try to emulate the Metropolitan French accent, though many probably could do so with relative ease. This is also true for people from southern France. Visitors from southern France who move temporarily to Paris and pick up the local Parisian accent may be derided by their friends who have remained in the south. This is all similar to the perception North American English-speakers may have of British English as "uppity" or "fancy".

Idioms

There is a huge variety of idioms in Quebec that do not exist in France, such as fait que ("so"); en masse ("a lot"); s'en venir (for arriver and venir ici); ben là! or voyons donc! ("oh, come on!"), de même (for comme ça).

Entire reference books have been written about idioms specific to Quebec. A handful of examples among many hundreds:

Dialogue in sitcoms on Quebec television often uses such idioms extensively, which can make certain dialogues rather incomprehensible to French speakers of Europe. Most speakers will use various contractions, omitting certain articles or even changing the pronunciation of certain words, which can be daunting for inexperienced speakers.

Slang terms

As with any two regional variants, there is an abundance of slang terms found in Quebec that are not found in France. Quebec French profanity uses references to Catholic liturgical equipment, rather than the references to prostitution that are more common in France.

The expression "you're welcome" is bienvenue or ça me fait plaisir in Quebec, though de rien or y'a pas de quoi is also used in Quebec. Note that the expression bonne journée (as opposed to bonjour) is also often used for "goodbye" in Quebec (similar to "Good Day"), which it is not in France (where it is more common to say au revoir or bye).

Some slang terms unique to Quebec:

QuébécoisEnglishNotes
benveryUsed informally for "Well...," on both sides. Ben, tu te souviens de cette encyclopédie sur Internet?. It is derived from the formal form Eh bien.
bibittesmall insectDerived from bébête for "small creature"
blondegirlfriendMay be used regardless of hair colour
bobette(s)underwear, specifically pantiesIn Europe, sous-vêtements
braillerto weep, to whineIn Europe, to scream, to speak very loudly (colloquial)
charcarComes from cart and horse days. In Europe, a char is an army tank or a chariot.
crosserto masturbate; to double-cross, to deceiveVerb is "to masturbate" in reflexive form only. crosseur = wanker, swindler. In Europe the French say (se) branler
crierto obtainIn Europe, to cry. See also pogner
déguidine!stop procrastinating, get on with it, hurry upNote that the second "d" is pronounced "dz". See also déniaise!, envoye!, enweye!, awaye!
écœurantwonderful (used ironically)Literally "nauseating", used ironically to mean something is overwhelmingly good, as an English speaker might say "so sweet I got a tooth ache". Note, someone calling you mon écœurant ("you bastard!") is not a term of endearment.
envoye! (enweye)(awaye)let's go, hurry up, come onOften pronounced with a "w" sound, not with "v"
faquethat said, so, that meansContraction of fait que or ça fait que. Also, in Europe, Ce qui fait que...
fifhomosexualfam. Osti quié fif ce gars la. ("Damn, he's gay, that guy there"). European French = PD / pédé
fin, finenice, sweet (of a person)In Europe = mignon, mignonne
floa kid (perhaps 10 years old or so)Might possibly be an anglicism from "fellow"; European French = môme / gosses / les drôles
fret(te)coldDenotes something colder than merely ça caille ! / Il fait froid
le funfun, amusing (adjective, not noun, despite the le)c'est très le fun; c'est amusant
gale or gallescabPossibly related to the disease.[ further explanation needed ]
garrocherto throw without caution, fling carelesslypronounced garrocher or goarrocher
genre"like"This slang is used as a parallel to the "like" word used by some American slang; the French word for "like", comme, may also be used.[ example needed ] These words appear often in the same sentence as the word tsé (tu sais = you know) as a form of slipped words within spoken structure. The use of voilà in this manner, although common in France, is not found in Canada.
gollétrench, ditchfrom English "gully"
grainecock, penisEille le gros, on voit ta graine! European French = bitte, queue
grouillerhurry up or moveThis verb is often used in grouille-toé, meaning "hurry up". Also used to mean that "you move" as in grouille pas (ne bouge pas), meaning "don't move". Same thing in Europe: grouille-toi, grouille tes puces (literally, "Shake your fleas")
guidouneprostitute, badly dressed woman, effeminate man
jaserto chat
lutterhit with a carCan be used as follows: J'ai lutté un orignal meaning "I hit a moose". Lutter in proper French means "to wrestle".
maganédeteriorated, used, wreckedCan also mean tired, sick or exhausted.
mets-en"totally", "for sure", "I'll say"Used to agree with a statement (informal)
pantoutenot at allContraction of pas en tout (pas du tout)
paqueté / saouldrunk
pitounebabe/chick (good looking girl); or floating logDepends on the context, from Occitan pichona [pi'tʃuno], meaning young girl
plateboring, unfortunateplat ("flat") with the t pronounced
pleumerhaving peeling skin after sun exposure; to vomit, sometimes also used instead of plumerJ'ai un coup de soleil, je pleume. (I have a sunburn, my skin is peeling). To vomit when having nausea; J'ai trop bu hier, j'ai pleumé partout ("I drank too much yesterday, I barfed everywhere")
plottevagina or promiscuous womanVery vulgar, similar to the English "cunt"
plumerTo pluck (literally, as plume = feather).Secondly, it can be used as a verb to describe a beating in a game; Je vais te plumer aux cartes in the sense of plucking the feathers of an opponent; similar to the English expression "to lose one's shirt". Finally, as a verb meaning "to peel", as in J'ai plumé quelques légumes ("I peeled some veggies").
pochebad, untalentedCan also mean "unfortunate" (c'est poche ça, similar to c'est plate ça)
pognerget, grabCan also mean to be sexually attractive, successful, or to have a loud argument with someone (J'me suis pogné avec mon voisin, "I bickered with my neighbour"). It may also mean "obtain", as in Je me suis pogné une nouvelle radio ("I grabbed myself a new radio").
quétainekitsch, tacky (not in a good way)
taper, tomber sur les nerfsto irritate someone, "get on one's nerves"Only taper sur les nerfs in France.
tête(s) carrée(s)English-CanadiansUsed only in Quebec, this term can be considered pejorative or even a racial slur. Literally "square head(s)" in English.
toé (toi)you (informal)
tsé (tu sais)you knowUsed in the same way the French use vous savez and corresponds to the English version "you know" or the American version "y'know" (abbreviated structure). Often heard in the same sentence as the word genre, as both are slang representing lack of clarity.
se tassermove overEurope: s'entasser: to be jammed in together. Ça se tasse, a situation where tempers settle down after a scandal or quarrel
v'nirto comeIn Quebec check les ben v'nir! In Europe, regarde le bien s'en venir

Words from aboriginal languages

WordMeaning
AchiganBlack bass
AtocaCranberry
Boucane old term of boucan (meat smoker) also root of buccaneersSmoke
CarcajouWolverine
ManitouImportant individual
"Maskinongé"Muskellunge "Muskie" (Esox masquinongy), largest member of the freshwater Pike family
MicouèneLarge wooden spoon
MocassinMoccasin
OuananicheLand-locked variety of salmon

Use of anglicisms

Loanwords from English, as well as calques or loans of syntactic structures, are known as anglicisms (French: anglicismes).

Colloquial and slang registers

The use of anglicisms in colloquial and Quebec French slang is commonplace, but varies from a place to another, depending on the English presence in the area. These words cannot be used in official documents or in academic writing, etc. Some examples of long-standing anglicisms include:

AnglicismMeaningEnglish word (cognate)
anywayAnyway, nevertheless
all-dressedWith all the toppings [pizza, etc.]
bécosseOuthouse, washroombackhouse
bines Pork and beans beans
blood(adj.) nice, generous [of a person]
chumMale friend; boyfriend [chum de fille = female friend, blonde=girlfriend]chum
checkerTo checkcheck
chiffe/chiffreA shift [work period at factory, etc.]shift
chouclaquesRunning shoes
cruiserMake a pass atcruise
cuteCute (good-looking)
domperTo dump (a boyfriend or girlfriend)dump
fakerTo simulate, pretend (e.g., orgasm)fake
fanA fan (of a band, a sports team), a ceiling fan
filerTo feel [guilty, etc.]; when unmodified, to feel good; negated, to feel bad (j'file pas astheure)feel
flusherTo flush (toilet); get rid of; dump [boyfriend/girlfriend]flush
flyéExtravagant, far out, over the topfly
frencherTo French kiss French
fullVery much (je l'aime full), full (Le réservoir est full)
gameGame, sports match or, used as an adjective, meaning having the courage to do something; Je suis game.
goodGood! [expressing approval; not as an adjective]
hotHot (excellent, attractive)
hot-chicken Hot Chicken sandwich hot chicken
lousseLoose, untied, releasedloose
moppeMopmop
pantréThe pantry or food cupboard; mets-ça s'a pantrépantry
pâte à dentsToothpaste calque of "toothpaste"
peanutPeanut or something of little value (Travailler pour des peanuts.) While the spelling ‘’pinotte’’ is valid, it is seldomly used, especially in formal contexts. [1] The alternate spelling ‘’peanut’’ is more widespread throughout Quebec including cities like Victoriaville.
pitcherto throw, to pitchto pitch
pogner le ditchto fall in the ditch with your car
partyParty, social gathering
scrammeScram! Get lost!
scrapperScrap, ruin, break, destroy, nullifyscrap
signeA sink
slackerto slacken, loosen; slack off, take it easy; fire [employee]slack
smatteSmart; wise-guy (either good or bad, as in "smart ass"); likeable [person]; cool;smart
smoke meat Montreal smoked meat (similar to pastrami)smoked meat
swompSwamp, bogswamp
toastCan be used as the verb for toasting (Toast mes tranches de pain or Tu as bien trop fait toasté mon pain). Québécois can also use the word toaster' instead of grille-pain for the appliance.toast
tofDifficult, roughtough
tofferWithstand, enduretough it out
touneSongtune
whatever(Indicating dismissal)whatever

It is also very commonplace for an English word to be used as a nonce word, for example when the speaker temporarily cannot remember the French word. This is particularly common with technical words. Since decades passed before technical documentation began to be printed in French in Quebec, an English word might be the most common way for a French-speaking mechanic or other technical worker to refer to the mechanisms he or she had to deal with. It is often difficult or impossible to distinguish between such a nonce anglicism and an English word quoted as such for effect.

One such example is the rural Québec pronunciation of North American car parts that are commonly used. Their pronunciation sometimes varies significantly and may even be found in written form as 'wipeurs, winnecheer, houde, top, galipeur, tchok, naqueule, gasquette, shaffe, cameshaft, sille de crinque, taillerode or térodenne. [2]

There are some anglicisms that have no obvious connection to any currently existing modern Canadian English idiom. For example, être sur le party ("to be on the 'party'", to be partying or to be in the mood for a party). Idioms like foquer le chien (to screw the pooch) are even used.

Standard register

A number of Quebecisms used in the standard register are also derived from English forms, especially as calques, such as prendre une marche (from "take a walk," in France, se promener, also used in Quebec) and banc de neige (from English "snowbank;" in France, congère, a form unknown in Quebec.) However, in standard and formal registers, there is a much stronger tendency to avoid English borrowings in Quebec than in France.

As a result, especially with regard to in modern items, Quebec French often contains forms designed to be more "French" than an English borrowing that may be used anyway in European French, like fin de semaine which is week-end in France, or courriel (from courrier électronique) for France's mail or mel.

Some are calques into French of English phrases that Continental French borrowed directly, such as un chien chaud for European French hot dog. In Quebec, the spelling gai to mean homosexual is standard. Note that in France, gai has kept the original meaning of "happy", "cheerful" while gay is used to mean "homosexual" but specifically in reference to mass gay-American subculture and by those usually over 35 who identify as gay. Gay men in France 35 and under usually label themselves as homo, not gay.

Although many (not all) of these forms were promulgated by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) of Quebec, they have been accepted into everyday use. Indeed, the French government has since adopted the word courriel (in 2003).[ citation needed ] The term has been gaining acceptance as it is now used in respected newspapers such as Libération .

Jargons and slangs

Several social groups, tied together by either a profession or an interest, use a part or all of the corresponding English jargon or slang in their domains, instead of that used in other French-speaking countries. English terms are, for example, very widely used in typically male jobs like engineering (notably mechanical engineering), carpentry, and computer programming. This situation was caused historically by a lack of properly translated technical manuals and documentation.

Recent translation efforts in targeted domains such as the automotive industry and environmental engineering are yielding some results encouraging to Francophiles. The most English-ridden Quebec slang without question is used among members of the gamer community, who are also for the most part Millennials and frequent computer users.[ citation needed ] In these circles, computer gaming slang is used as well as an enormous number of normal terms commonly found in computer applications and games (save, map, level, etc.).

Perception

The perceived overuse of anglicisms in the colloquial register is one cause of the stigmatization of Quebec French. Both the Québécois and the European French accuse each other (and themselves) of using too many anglicisms. A running joke of the difference between European French and Quebec French is that in Europe, on se gare dans un parking (one parks in a carpark) and in Quebec, on se parque dans un stationnement (one parks in a parking lot).

Quebec and France tend to have entirely different anglicisms because in Quebec they are the gradual result of two and a half centuries of living with English speaking neighbors, whereas in Europe anglicisms are much more recent and the result of the increasing international dominance of American English.

Other differences

Like most global languages there are regional differences. Even within Quebec there are regional uses of words or expression. Here are some other differences between standard Quebec French and France French:

Quebec termTranslationMeaning of term in EuropeFrance termNote
Char (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ])CarTank (military assault vehicle)Voiture
Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ])Water fountainWatering place for animalsFontaineUsed only for animals in Europe (or for comical effect)
Achalandage (pronounced [aʃalãdaːʒ])Traffic (of a store, street, public transit)Stock, merchandise, clientele (archaic)Circulation, Embouteillage, bouchon
ArrêtA stop or command to stopArrêtUsed on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc.
AubaineSaleOpportunityPromotionAn item is une aubaine but en promotion
Baccalauréat (pronounced [bakalɔʁeɑ], [bakalɔʁeɒ] or [bakalɔʁeɔ]) Bachelor's degree High school leaving exam or diploma Baccalauréat
Barrer (pronounced [bɑʁe] or [bɒʁe])To lockTo block or to strike throughFermer à clé, verrouillerQuebec usage archaic in Europe
Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t])Disagreeable (person)StupidDésagréable, impoliEuropean usage also used in Quebec
Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage)MaïsMaïs also standard in Quebec when referring to the corn, aka Mais éclatée (or soufflée)popped corn. Blé d'Inde is always used to refer to the whole stalk, aka corn on the cob.
BrosseDrinking bingeBrushCuite
CartableBinderSchool bag, SatchelClasseurSee also classeur
CéduleScheduleTax bracket (archaic)Emploi du temps / Agenda
Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj])T-shirt, sweater, sweatshirtKnit sweaterPull-over/T-shirt
ChoquerTo angerTo shockFâcher
Classeur (pronounced [klɑː.sɶːʁ], [klɑː.saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː.saœ̯ʁ])Filing cabinetBinderArmoire à dossierSee also cartable
Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk])Good, sufficient, kind, O.K.correctedbon, juste.
Coupe glacéeIce cream sundaecoupe de glacede la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc.An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier)
CrocheCrooked; strange, dishonestEighth notecurieux / bizarre / étrange
Crème glacéeIce creamde la glaceAn ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier)
DébarbouilletteDishrag, washcloth, (glove)gant de toilette
DébarquerGet out of (a car, etc.)Disembark (from a boat)Descendre
DébrouillerTo figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jamTo clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog")
DéjeunerBreakfastLunchPetit déjeunerSee also dîner, souper. Qc. usage same as in Belgium, Switzerland and Occitania (Occitan dejunar [dedʒu'na]).
Déniaiser (pronounced [denjɛɪ̯ze])To get one's act together, sexually to loosen up
Dîner (pronounced [d͡zine])LunchDinnerDéjeunerQc. usage same as in Belgium, Switzerland, and Occitania (Occitan dinnar [dinˈna]). Dîner as "dinner/evening meal" is standard in formal settings and upscale milieux, such as business, military, diplomatic circles, society dinner party, or an upscale restaurant. In Quebec, the evening meal is "le souper".
EffaceEraserGommeGomme is used for chewing-gum
Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s])Dumb, slow-wittedThickCon (male), conne (female)Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning.
Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj])Running shoesRope-soled sandalBaskets / Tennis / Chaussures de sport
Être plein (pronounced [ɛɪ̯t pʰlẽɪ̯̃], [eɪ̯t pʰlẽɪ̯̃], [æɪ̯t pʰlẽɪ̯̃] or [aɪ̯t pʰlẽɪ̯̃])To be full (from eating)pleine: to be pregnant; to be drunkêtre bourré / Avoir trop mangé
FamilialeStation wagonEstate carBreak (voiture)
FesserTo hitTo spankFrapper
Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t])BirthdaySaint's dayAnniversaire
Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américainThis usage of football to mean the local code or its closely related U.S. cousin is so uniform throughout Canada that the governing body for association football in Quebec is officially the Fédération de soccer du Québec.
Innocent (pronounced [inɔsã] or [inɔsæ̃])Stupid [person]Innocent, naiveImbécile
Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃])Stupid [person]Insignificant, unremarkableImbécile
Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ])ClothesLinenVêtements
Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ])Soft drinkLiquor, liqueurSoda
MagasinerTo go shoppingFaire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche-vitrine (fam.)
Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃])MosquitoMoustique
MouillerTo rainTo wetPleuvoir
Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze])Annoy, tease, kid, act up(doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid")Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseriesDéniaiser (Eu) is to make a man lose his virginity. J'avais juste vingt ans et je me déniaisais/ Au bordel ambulant d'une armée en campagne (Brel)
Niaiseux (male) (pronounced [njɛɪ̯zø] or [njɛɪ̯zø˞]), niaiseuse (female) (pronounced [njɛɪ̯zøʏ̯z])An idiot, a fool, an annoying and childish personniais="stupid", "simpleton"Can be said to describe a thing too, like : "C'est donc ben niaiseux ce film là!"(this movie is really dumb!).
Niaiserie (pronounced [njɛɪ̯zʁi]), Niaisage (pronounced [njɛɪ̯zaːʒ])Something that is dumb, childish, frivolous and a waste of timeConnerieUsually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does.
PatatePotatoinformal word for potatoPomme de terre (pronounced [pɔm dœ̈ tæːʁ] or [pɔm dœ̈ taɛ̯ʁ])Tu es dans les patates!, told to someone who acts out of, or makes a statement while being unaware of what is going on. Europe = Être à côté de la plaque
Peser sur (pronounced [pœ̈ze] or [pɛɪ̯ze])Press (a button)WeighAppuyer, enfoncer
La plaque (d'immatriculation)License plateLicense plateLes plaques (mineralogiques)The French license plate codes are based on a system developed by the mining authorities; Quebec requires only a rear plate on cars and pickup trucks. ("Les plaques d'immatriculation" is used on both sides, especially when speaking of vehicles registered in Switzerland, Ontario, Belgium, the Maritimes...)
PoudrerieBlizzard, blowing snowGunpowder factoryBlizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse
Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe])EnterRe-enterEntrerIn Quebec, "re-enter" is rerentrer. Note that colloquial French also uses "rentrer" and "rerentrer" with the same meanings as in Quebec.
Sans-cœur (pronounced [sãkɶːʁ] or [sãkaœ̯ʁ])MeanHeartlessMéchant
Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ])Association footballOriginally British slang for association football (see Oxford "-er"), but now generally considered an Americanism in most of Europe (however, in Ireland, "soccer" is the most common term for this sport)Foot / FootballSee note on Football above.
SouperSupperLate-night dinnerDînerQuebec usage same as in Belgium, Switzerland and Occitania (Occitan sopar [su'pa]). See also déjeuner, dîner. In formal and upscale settings, the international practice is followed i.e. dîner is the evening meal while "souper" is a late-night, informal meal.
Suçon (pronounced [sysõʊ̯̃])LollipopLove biteSucetteand vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec.
Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃])Soap operaA soap opera or a continuing seriesFeuilleton
Thé glacéIced TeaIce Tea
Touché (gridiron football)TouchdownNot used in this sense in Europe. (In all forms of French, the word is used as the past participle of toucher ["touch"], as well as a fencing term.)TouchdownSee Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football.
ValiseTrunk of a carSuitcase (also in QC)Coffre
Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ])GarbageAct of emptyingOrduresVidange in France is an oil change for the car (auto), and also an empty bottle in Belgium

Many, but not all, of the European equivalents for the words listed above are also used or at least understood in Quebec.

See also

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References

  1. "PINOTTE : Définition de PINOTTE". www.cnrtl.fr. Retrieved 2023-01-18.
  2. CAA-Québec, "Les pièces d’auto expliquées… en français!", CAA-Québec 6 Jan 2024

Further reading