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Canadian French (French: français canadien, pronounced [fʁãˈsɛ kanaˈd͡zjɛ̃]) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Québécois (Quebec French).
- Pronunciation and accent. For me, this is the biggest difference. Every time I’m in Montréal, I have to rewire my brain and set it to “new language” to understand the locals.
- Vocabulary differences. Canadian French has some special nouns and verbs that distinguish it from European French. Here are some prominent vocabulary terms in Canadian French and their equivalents in European French
- Unique — and priceless — idioms. While France has some lovely expressions and slang, none of them can compete with Canadian French idioms. In fact, they’re so cool that many French people - myself included - have a hard time trying not to laugh, or at least smile when hearing them!
- Eating time vocabulary. Eating time vocabulary in Québec differs from that in France. It can be quite confusing! Le déjeuner (le petit-déjeuner in France) – breakfast–is eaten before midday.
- Canadian French Sounds More Archaic. The French began settling in Canada in the 16th and 17th centuries. But by the 18th century, the British had taken over.
- Canadian French Uses More Anglicisms. Canadian French may sound older in some ways, but it also uses more Anglicisms than standard French. Anglicisms are words and phrases taken from English.
- Canadian French Incorporates More Aboriginal Words. Another source of differences between Canadian French and European French is that Canadian French has much more vocabulary derived from First Nations languages.
- Grammatical Differences. Canadian French and European French also have some variations in grammar, both spoken and written. Here are just a few examples
Aug 29, 2024 · Here are a few differences between Canadian French and Standard French in France. Less formality Canadian French speakers use the more informal French pronoun tu (you) instead of vous (you) much more often than in France.
- French Spoken in Québéc, Canada
- French from Canada Versus French from France
- Québec City Versus Québéc Region in French
- French Canadian Pronunciation
- French Canadian Vocabulary
- French Canadian Morphology
- French Canadian Swears!
- 8 Essential French Canadian Expressions Video
When I’m travelling in some countries, I’m often asked : “Come on, do you really speak Frenchin Québec? Even in day to day life? Isn’t it rather folkloric?” It is sometimes difficult to convince people that I work, shop, watch TV, listen to radio, and so on, only in French, but this is only true! Mind you, we are about 8 M people living in Québec a...
Though standard French is more and more unified in France, you still have strong differences between various dialects spoken in France(i.e. between French spoken in Paris and Marseille or between Brest and Strasbourg), and of course there are differences between France and Québec, so be ready to adjust to “québécois” (French spoken in Québec). You ...
By the way, be aware of thepreposition of placede/du or à/au : 1. allerà Québec means to go to Québec City while aller auQuébec means to go to Québec (the Province/ the country). 2. les monuments de Québec (city) vs les monuments du Québec (region)!
French Canadian Vowels
Nasal vowels are a bit different : [an] tends to be pronounced a bit like [in] in Québec. So les parents (parents) might sound like les parrains (godfathers) for you in the beginning! (see Camille’slesson to master French pronunciation)
French Canadian Pronunciation of “Un”
“Un” is still clearly pronounced in Québec though most of French people pronounce the French nasal [un] as [in].
Pronouncing The Diphtongues in Canadian French
Some Quebecers, such as Montrealers, pronounce diphtongues : Arrête might sound like areïte!
This might be the most striking difference when you get to Québec, it is also the most exciting, the most interesting. Nowadays there are a lot of pocket dictionaries for tourists that one can buy at the airport or in any bookshop in Montreal.
Canadian Affixes
Affixes are much more flexible in Québec. Québécois are much more creative than French people with suffixes such as –eux, age or -able, may be more creative in all aspects of their language… One often says this is because, luckily enough, we lie 4000 miles away from the old Académie française. Examples of suffixes : 1. niaiseux (stupid), 2. un poteux (pot smoker), 3. le flânage (strolling), 4. il est pas parlable (one can not speak to him/her)
One thing which is also fascinating in québécois is the swear system. You might not use swear words but, listening to people on the street or in cafés, you’ll be amazed by the variety and the creativity of the system. You just need to know a few basic religious words : tabernacle, calice, , calvaire, hostie, Christ, and then, thanks to morphologica...
Finally, here is a great video that will teach you some essential French Canadian expressions Camille posts new articles every week, so make sure you subscribe to the French Today newsletter – or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Mar 7, 2024 · Québécois French, a type of Canadian French, has its own characteristics that set it apart from the French spoken in France. From its history to the accent, pronunciation and idioms, this post will take you through the most notable differences. Find plenty of uniquely québécois examples here—with audio!
Québec French, or québécois, is a variety of Canadian French that possesses its own characteristics and words that exhibit its unique history. Let’s take a look at how québécois evolved throughout the centuries to become the language it is today.
