Learning French Phrases

[VicRock]

Hubby and I will be in Quebec City and are looking for a phrase book or online resource which will help us learn a few common phrases. I've found a few, but only one has the pronunciation next to it. Most of them do not.

 

Any online or book/CD recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks.

[2tsquared]

Hi Rocky,

We are on the same 9/23 X cruise as you and Victor. I bought the Berlitz French Phrase Book & Dictionary (small enough to fit in your purse) at Barnes & Noble (also available online). The book is organized very well , easy to read, and provides pronunciation for all words and phrases. Cost: $8.95

 

See you in a couple of weeks!

Terry

[VicRock]

Hi Rocky,

We are on the same 9/23 X cruise as you and Victor. I bought the Berlitz French Phrase Book & Dictionary (small enough to fit in your purse) at Barnes & Noble (also available online). The book is organized very well , easy to read, and provides pronunciation for all words and phrases. Cost: $8.95

 

See you in a couple of weeks!

Terry

 

cool! Thank you. We were just talking about that this afternoon...picking one up and B&N, though I might look at border's first as I have their discount card :)

[2tsquared]

De rien.

 

tt :)

[Ephraim]

The most valuable sentence that you will have in Quebec City...

 

"Pardon. Je me suis Americain et je ne parle pas de Francais. Parle-tu Anglais?"

 

Pronounced....

 

Par-dun, jhe muh swee Ameri-cahn eh jhe nuh parl pah de Frahn-say. Parl-tu Ahn-glay?

 

(Pardon me. I am American and I don't speak French. Do you speak English?)

 

Always start any discussion with a foreign speaker with an apology and they will bend over backwards to help you. Assume that they speak English and hardly anyone will help you. I've found this to be true almost anywhere I have travelled. Most service people in Quebec can speak some English. The other rule, unless you speak their language, never laugh or correct them, they are doing their best to help you.

 

You can easily get around Quebec in English as long as you never assume that they can speak English. People learn English starting in grade 4. (It was grade 5, but the government realized it was too late.) Native English speakers, like myself, learn French from Kindergarten, though.

[VicRock]

The most valuable sentence that you will have in Quebec City...

 

"Pardon. Je me suis Americain et je ne parle pas de Francais. Parle-tu Anglais?"

 

Pronounced....

 

Par-dun, jhe muh swee Ameri-cahn eh jhe nuh parl pah de Frahn-say. Parl-tu Ahn-glay?

 

(Pardon me. I am American and I don't speak French. Do you speak English?)

 

Always start any discussion with a foreign speaker with an apology and they will bend over backwards to help you. Assume that they speak English and hardly anyone will help you. I've found this to be true almost anywhere I have travelled. Most service people in Quebec can speak some English. The other rule, unless you speak their language, never laugh or correct them, they are doing their best to help you.

 

You can easily get around Quebec in English as long as you never assume that they can speak English. People learn English starting in grade 4. (It was grade 5, but the government realized it was too late.) Native English speakers, like myself, learn French from Kindergarten, though.

 

Actually, that's a sentence I did know :) I can also say thank you, please, and a few others. I took some spanish in HS and can understand some French because they're so similar (can understand a little Italian for the same reason) just can't speak it, though I would love to as it's part of my ancestry.

 

For my hubby and I, the 2nd most important phrase is where is the restroom:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the advice

[Ephraim]

Actually, that's a sentence I did know :) I can also say thank you, please, and a few others. I took some spanish in HS and can understand some French because they're so similar (can understand a little Italian for the same reason) just can't speak it, though I would love to as it's part of my ancestry.

 

For my hubby and I, the 2nd most important phrase is where is the restroom:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the advice

 

The difficulty with French is that 22 of the letters can be silent in certain circumstances. aient is pronounce eh, essentially.

 

Ou est la toilette (or salle de bain)? Where is the toilet (bath room)?

(oo eh la twal-et? (sall duh bahn)?)

 

Or simpler? Toilette s'il vous plait? Toilet please?

(Twal-et sill vou pleh?)

 

Since I speak three languages I can usually manage to help myself in Latin, Anglo-Saxon/Germanic speaking countries as long as I can read it. (I understand written Dutch better than spoken Dutch, for example.) Catalan is easier than Spanish for me.

 

If you want to get a laugh from someone who won't help you, try this...

 

Tabarnac, aidez-moi. Je ne comprends pas un mot de ce que je dit. (Shoot, help me. I don't understand a word I'm saying.)

Tah-bar-nack, aydez-mah. Jeh ne comp-rahnd pah unh moe de se keh jeh dee.

 

We generally don't have the same slang in France and it has lead to some really bad situations. The funniest of which is the French slang for children (des gosses) which in Quebec is testicules, as in "Let me show you a picture of my children." which just elicits laughs in Quebec.

[VicRock]

We generally don't have the same slang in France and it has lead to some really bad situations. The funniest of which is the French slang for children (des gosses) which in Quebec is testicules, as in "Let me show you a picture of my children." which just elicits laughs in Quebec.

:eek:

 

I'm sure it does!

 

I have a funny story. My brother was in Berlin Germany for 4 years and brought home a German Bride, step-daughter (9 at the time) and 1 year old daughter and they were to live with our mom, step-dad, little brother and myself for the next 6 months or so until they got a reasonably priced place. We had been getting to know our new family over the phone for a few months and I knew the 9 year old (now 29 w/ 2 girls of her own) loved Barbie's and knew she had to leave much of her stuff behind. So, to make her feel as at home as possible I got my Barbie's out (which never really went away, I just didn't let anyone see me play w/ them:o ) and we played with them. Great way to break the language barrier huh? Well, I had a box of ribbons for barbie hair or craft projects, etc and she was quite taken with a particular ribbon. In her limited English she asked where I got it from. I, speaking NO German, tried to explain that I got it from a gift. Well...she jumped up and ran to her mom in the living room crying hysterically talking in German. My brother, who was quite fluent in German at this point, was laughing while I was wondering what I did wrong and the little girl was crying next to her mom. Then he explained that she was telling them something to the effect that I was trying to poison her! Apparently Gift (or at least my pronunciation) means poison in German. I had to explain to my mom what happened as she was upset I made my niece cry her first night in America! Kashi, my niece, and I still get a kick out of this...we were quite close after that.

[Ephraim]

In Quebec, a Cinq à Sept (5 to 7) is happy hour, something you invite your co-workers to. In France, it's the time you see your mistress. Imagine a new girl from France being invited by a group of guys to happy hour and the shocked look on her face.

 

I was checking into a hotel in Las Vegas and there was a very nice woman at the reception desk with the name Zona. Her parents named her after the state. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep a straight face because in Hebrew that's the not-so-nice word for prostitute (the root of the word means the action of having sex, so you can imagine how strong a word this is). Not something you want to have on a name tag.

 

We were talking at my cousin's house in Israel and she mentioned that she had a bar-mitzvah at a synagogue in Montreal, called Shaari Zion. The Hebrew word is Tzion (it's a German Z) but she pronounced it as it's written, which is the Hebrew word for male genitals, so essentially it means the gates of male genitals. She was serious, we were laughing our heads off. Think of that the next time you go to Utah to Zion National Park. They just didn't have the natural formations that I was expecting!

[NS-Cruiser]

Hi - I live in Nova Scotia, and have several French Acadian Friends... I have been told by them that even from Nova Scotia to Quebec the french language is almost completely different... I personally don't speak a word of french (at least none that can be repeated here - :D) even though my father was born and raised in Montreal. It has been my personal exoerience (in Montreal) that if you are persistant with speaking english, most, if not all of, the people who are involved in the tourist service industry (restaurants, stores, shops , cabbies, etc.) can, and eventually, will speak very good english back to you.

 

While it is nice to know a few key phrases in the "local" language it is not necessary to become fluent yourself... keeping in mind that a slight twist in pronunciation can cause you a whole heap of embarasement. Stick to what you know, and you will be fine.

[Ephraim]

Hi - I live in Nova Scotia, and have several French Acadian Friends... I have been told by them that even from Nova Scotia to Quebec the French language is almost completely different... I personally don't speak a word of French (at least none that can be repeated here - :D) even though my father was born and raised in Montreal. It has been my personal experience (in Montreal) that if you are persistent with speaking English, most, if not all of, the people who are involved in the tourist service industry (restaurants, stores, shops , cabbies, etc.) can, and eventually, will speak very good English back to you.

 

While it is nice to know a few key phrases in the "local" language it is not necessary to become fluent yourself... keeping in mind that a slight twist in pronunciation can cause you a whole heap of embarrassment. Stick to what you know, and you will be fine.

 

As I said, I'm an English-speaking Montrealer. We know very well who we can and who we can't assume will speak English to us. That's not something a tourist will know. It also depends on WHERE in Montreal you are.

 

Unlike English, pronounciation is VERY important in French. If you mispronounce a word people will look at you as if you are from Mars. Take it from me, I've seen that look often enough.

 

I don't know HOW different the French can be. The accent can be and Acadian French has a lot more slang and English in it. But formal French is pretty much the same no matter where you use it. I've spoken French in many different places in the world and been universally understood. I don't expect that if I use the word "icitte" (Quebec slang) that it will be understood elsewhere. Never mind using the term "trente sous" (30 cents) that anyone outside of Quebec will realize that I mean a quarter. (Long story). In any case, what I said should keep people in the best of graces no matter where in the world that you travel. Apologize for not speaking the local language and then ask if they speak yours is a good rule of thumb and will get you help almost anywhere.

[VicRock]

We couldn't find the Berlitz book anywhere that we looked but we did buy a phrase book that provides pronunciation and has larger print. I'm happy with it and I will use the phrase about not knowing french.... Thanks everyone

[iata]

I live in Quebec city and I really appreciate when english people say bonjour , love the accent and merci so use them and people will be very happy to help you:)))

[VicRock]

I live in Quebec city and I really appreciate when english people say bonjour , love the accent and merci so use them and people will be very happy to help you:)))

 

 

Cool! Because I think I got those two, s'il vous plait, pardon, and au revoir down pat.:) My husband, on the other hand, butchers English, so I may have to put a gag in his mouth so he doesn't say something insulting or incredibly embarassing.

 

I will practice this one: Ou est la toilette (or salle de bain)? Where is the toilet (bath room)?

[martinimadam]

The most valuable sentence that you will have in Quebec City...

 

"Pardon. Je me suis Americain et je ne parle pas de Francais. Parle-tu Anglais?"

 

Pronounced....

 

Par-dun, jhe muh swee Ameri-cahn eh jhe nuh parl pah de Frahn-say. Parl-tu Ahn-glay?

 

(Pardon me. I am American and I don't speak French. Do you speak English?)

 

Always start any discussion with a foreign speaker with an apology and they will bend over backwards to help you. Assume that they speak English and hardly anyone will help you. I've found this to be true almost anywhere I have travelled. Most service people in Quebec can speak some English. The other rule, unless you speak their language, never laugh or correct them, they are doing their best to help you.

 

You can easily get around Quebec in English as long as you never assume that they can speak English. People learn English starting in grade 4. (It was grade 5, but the government realized it was too late.) Native English speakers, like myself, learn French from Kindergarten, though.

 

Just a quick question for you French speakers...Years, and I mean years ago, when I was taking French in high school and college, we were taught to use the more formal "vous" as opposed to "tu" when speaking with strangers, those who deserved a high level of respect, etc. Has this changed, or is it different in Quebec? Just don't want to sound too stuffy or archaic when I'm practicing my long lost French on the street!

[Ephraim]

Quebec generally uses the more formal vous. Some of the younger people have tried using tu, but it often elicits looks from people (including myself) who look at them and ask "Do I know you?" so they generally stop.

[iata]

Always vous it is respectfull.

Tu is for friends or family members only.

[martinimadam]

Just what I needed. Didn't want to cause any upraised eyebrows! So, the "Do you speak English" would then be "Parlez-vous Anglais?", correct? Parley vou Ahnglay.

[Ephraim]

Just what I needed. Didn't want to cause any upraised eyebrows! So, the "Do you speak English" would then be "Parlez-vous Anglais?", correct? Parley vou Ahnglay.

 

Yes. Essentially, the French simply inverts the verb and the noun to make a question (and in this case, goes from the informal tu to the formal vous to show respect for a person that you don't know.

 

Tu parle Anglais. You speak English.

Parle-tu Anglais? Do you speak English? (Informal)

Parlez-vous Anglais? Do you speak English? (Formal)

 

For the most part people in Quebec are extremely polite and helpful of visitors and strangers. I have seen a few exceptions, very few.

[iata]

You got it!