God, sometimes I just don’t think I can hack it in Quebec. Some guy that I'm calling about replacing a screen was just on the phone and I was having major problems understanding him. My French is very good but it’s French, not Québecois. So when we were talking about what time and he kept saying “Quelle ayirre? Quelle ayirre?” I just couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say. Finally figured out he was saying “Quelle heure.” Duh.
I should have switched to English but that’s a major faux-pas here . . . I should just ditch the French and learn Québecois instead.
LOL! Chiac (Moncton and east-coast N.B. French) is much easier to understand: Worry pas ta brain, là. J'va à la store puis je return back. Chepas quosse tu parles about, là!
ReplyDelete:-)
Jeff,
ReplyDeleteI just had to laugh out loud . . . it's so difficult trying to explain to a non-French speaker . . . but one of my favorite examples . . . well, I don't know how to write it, only say it, but here goes anyway, is "Anh ce maamant loh loh." ("En ce moment-la, la") . . . French people look at me blankly until I explain what it is I’m saying, but I really heard someone say it like that and sometimes it’s just impervious to even me, who speaks near perfect French (translated a 160-page document from French to English, if you please!) so sometimes it’s like learning Quebec French as a foreign language.
After 15 years, I think I might be getting better at it . . . then again, maybe not . . .