Кіріспе
Квебек француз тілі мен Францияның метрополиялық француз тілі арасында түрлі лексикалық айырмашылықтар бар. Бұл айырмашылықтар тілдің барлық деңгейлерінде кездеседі – жаргоннан бастап ресми қолданысқа дейін. Теңіз провинцияларындағы акад француз тілінен басқа, Квебек француз тілі Канаданың барлық аймақтарында басым тіл болып табылады, және аймақтар аралық өте шағын айырмашылықтар ғана бар. Сондықтан «Квебек француз тілі» және «Канада француз тілі» терминдері көбінесе бір-бірін алмастырып қолданылады.
There are various lexical differences between Quebec French and Metropolitan French in France. These are distributed throughout the registers, from slang to formal usage. 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.
Стандарттау
Квебек тілі жөніндегі кеңсе квебек және метрополия француз тілдерінің арасында морфология мен синтаксис айырмашылығы болмауы керек деп санайды, тіпті фонетикалық айырмашылықтар да барынша азайтылуы керек. Алайда, 1960 жылдардан бастап, ол сол кезде "жақсы қалыптасқан канадалықтар (canadianismes de bon aloi)" деп аталатын сөздерді қолдануға келісті, олар табиғи түрде аймақтық (өсімдіктер мен жануарлардың атаулары сияқты), Жеңістен бұрын қолданылған немесе олардың шығу тегі негізделген және стандартты эквивалентке қарағанда тең немесе "жақсы" деп есептеледі. 1969 жылы өте кішкентай сөздер тізімі жарияланды, онда негізінен Францияда ескірген, бірақ Квебекте әлі де кең таралған сөздер болды. Бұл тізімде әсіресе империялық өлшем бірліктері мен абориген тілдерінен алынған сөздер бар еді. Содан бері тізімдер үнемі жарияланып келеді. Квебек француз тілі мен еуропалық француз тілі арасындағы көптеген айырмашылықтар Еуропада қазіргі кезде архаикалық болып саналатын белгілі бір формалардың сақталуынан туындайды. Сондай-ақ, Квебекке тән, Еуропада жоқ ерекшеліктерге жаңа сөздер жасалды. Кез келген екі аймақтық нұсқадағыдай, Квебекте Францияда кездеспейтін жаргон сөздері көп. Квебек француз тіліндегі дөрекі сөздер Францияда жиі кездесетін проституцияға сілтеме жасаудың орнына католиктік діни терминологияға сілтеме жасайды. Көптеген ағылшын сөздері мен тілдік заемсөздер Квебек француз тіліне де енгізілді, бірақ Франциядағыдан азырақ. Квебекте ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздердің мағынасы көбінесе ағылшын сөзімен бірдей болады. Францияда олардың мағынасы өте әртүрлі болуы мүмкін, мысалы, "le smoking" – "смокинг" үшін. Ағылшын тілінен заем алу Квебекте саяси тұрғыдан сезімтал және әлеуметтік жағынан ынталандырылмайды.
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.
Гендерлік бейтарап пайдалану
Квебектің ресми француз тілінде гендерлік бейтараптыққа қатысты көзқарас Метрополиттік француз тілінен мүлдем өзгеше. Кәсіптерді білдіретін есімдердің арасында әйелдік белгілерді қолдануға бейімділік жоғары. Бұл әйел адамды еркек түріндегі есіммен атау қажеттілігін болдырмау үшін жасалады, соның арқасында белгілі бір мамандық ерлерге тән деген ой тудырмауға болады. Францияда тым ерекше немесе радикалды феминистік деп есептелетін формалар Квебекте кең таралған, мысалы, la docteure, la professeure, la première ministre, la gouverneure générale және т.б. Олардың көпшілігі Квебек тілі жөніндегі кеңсесімен ресми ұсынылып, қоғамның көп бөлігі тарапынан қабылданды. Ресми мемлекеттік және мемлекеттік лауазымдар мен атаулар әрқашан әр гендерге сәйкес ресми француз тіліндегі баламалы терминдерге ие. Сонымен қатар, еркек түрі әйелді де қамтиды деген қағиданы қатаң сақтамай, әсіресе пікір таласына түсетін сөздерде екі түрлі нұсқа қолдану жиі кездеседі: Québécoises et Québécois, tous et toutes, citoyens et citoyennes. Бір кездерде Квебек кәсіби одағының бірі, «professionnels» (тек ерлерге қатысты) немесе «professionnels et professionnelles» (ерлер мен әйелдерге қатысты) деген сөздерді пайдаланбастан, «fidel» үлгісінде эпицендік жаңа сөзді пайдалануға шешім қабылдап, өзін «Fédération des professionnèles» деп атады. Бұл кең пікірталас тудырды және Квебек француз тілінде сексистік емес жазу тәсілдерінің шегінен шығып кетті.
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 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.
Морфология (сөз құрастыру)
Кейбір жұрнақтар Квебекте Францияға қарағанда өнімдірек, әсіресе есімдік жұрнағы eux, ол біршама қорлау мағынасына ие: téter → téteux (қалың, ақымақ, көңілді, ботаник), niaiser → niaiseux (ақымақтық, тітіркендіргіш); obstiner → ostineux (қасарыс); pot → poteux (марихуананы пайдаланушы немесе сатушы). Бұл сөз Норман тілінен шыққан. Есімдік түбірлеріне еuse жұрнағы қосылып, «істейтін машина» жасалады. Мысалы, laver → laveuse «кір жуатын машина»; balayer → balayeuse «шаң сорғыш» (бірақ Францияда «көше сыпырушы»). Францияда «шаң сорғыш» «aspirateur» деп аталады.
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. The adjectival suffix euse is added to verbal stems to form "the machine that verbs." For example, laver → laveuse "washing machine"; balayer → balayeuse "vacuum cleaner" (but "streetsweeper" in France). In France "vacuum cleaner" is "aspirateur". Quebec FrenchEnglishMetropolitan FrenchNoteabatisachiganblack bassperche noireacreacrearpentIn 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 / arachidepeanutcacahuèteatoca / 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'avionsbanc de neigesnow bankcongèrebarrerto lockverrouillerFrench colonists would use a crossbar to secure the entrance to their dwelling. Hence, barring rather than locking the door. débarrerto unlockdéverrouillerbebitte / 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. bicyclettebicyclevélobleuets [sauvages]lowbush/wild blueberriesmyrtilles / airelle à feuilles étroitessee Quebec specialities sectionbleuetièreblueberry field or farmchamp de myrtillesbordagesIce 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 streamsbrûlotnoseeumsnezA type of cranefly / tiny fly that causes a burning sensation when it bites, thus the name. brunantenightfall/duskcrépusculecabane à sucresugar shackcabane à sucrecacaouilong tailed duckharelde boréaleA type of wild duckcarcajouwolverine (Am. ), glutton (Br. )gloutonceinture fléchéeAssumption sashChâssis de l'AssomptionchopinepintpintePinte is used in Canada, but refers to a quartcoureur de(s) boisbackwoodsman, fur trader, lumberjackbûcheron, commerçant de fourruresdébarbouillettefaceclothgant de toilette (glove)demiard/Demihalf pintdemidépanneurconvenience 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/poirierépluchette / épluchette de blé d'indecorn roastrôti de maïsdesignates a social gathering where people husk and eat corn / To husk éplucher érablièremaple groveérablièrefin de semaineweekendweek endstationnementparking 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 fragilehuard (huart)loonPlongeon HuardA 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 / Moustiquemosquitomoustiquemillage / kilométragemileagekilométragemoose (Am. ), elk (Br. )élanThe word "moose" is also used in Britain by many. ouananichefreshwater salmonsaumon atlantique d'eau douceouaouaronbullfroggrenouille taureauoutardeCanada goosebernache du Canadapoudrerie / rafale de (neige)blowing snowrafale de (neige) poudreuseprucheEastern hemlocktsuga du Canadaraquetteursnowshoercelui qui fait des raquettessouffleusesnowblowerchasse 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 potatopatate de sofafrom télé + lézardertire d'érablemaple taffytire d'érabletraversierferryboatferry / bactuquetuquebonnettuxedotuxedo (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 backyardsalonliving roomsalon / (salle de) séjour
Квебек FrenchEnglishMetropolitan FrenchNote
abatisachiganblack bassperche noire
acreacrearpent
Люизианада арпент әлі де заңды өлшем бірлігі болып табылады және гектардан өзгеше. Мұнда арпент ұзындық пен ауданды өлшеу үшін де қолданылады. Жерді дәстүрлі түрде өзеннен немесе шығанақтан 40 немесе 80 арпент қашықтықта (1,5 немесе 3 миль) өлшеген. Ауданды өлшеу үшін шаршы мильде 640 акр, бірақ 512 арпент бар.
pinotte / arachidepeanutcacahuète
atoca / cannebergecranberryairelle / canneberge
Квебекте кранберри әдетте жемістің өзін және кранберри шырынын білдіреді, ал атока әдетте Ыраазылық күні немесе Рождество кешінде түрікпен бірге желетін кранберри желесін білдіреді. Францияда airelle лингонеберри үшін де қолданылады, ал Канададан импортталған кранберри сататын дүкендер оларды canneberge деп атайды.
avionnerieaircraft manufacturing plantusine de fabrication d'avions
banc de neigesnow bankcongère
barrerto lockverrouiller
Француз отарлаушылары тұрғын үйлерінің кіреберісін жабу үшін көлденең таяқша қолданған. Сондықтан есікті құлыптаудың орнына жапқан.
débarrerto unlockdéverrouiller
bebitte / bibittebugmoustique / insecte / bestiole / bêbette
Францияда «битте» термині ер адамның фаллосын білдіреді. «Битте» Квебекте қолданылмайды, бірақ француз терминдері көбірек танылады. Квебектің жас буыны өздерінің ана тіліндегі терминдерін және француз терминдерін кезектесіп қолдана алады. Француздар, керісінше, квебектік француз тілімен сирек танысады және мұндай ауытқуларды «қабылдамайды».
bicyclettebicyclevélo
bleuets [sauvages]lowbush/wild blueberriesmyrtilles / airelle à feuilles étroites
Квебектің арнайы бөлімі
bleuetièreblueberry field or farmchamp de myrtilles
bordages
Өзен жағасына жабысқан мұз. Көбінесе қар жару машиналары жолдың жағасына итеріп жіберген мұз бен қардың аралас қоспасын белгілеу үшін қолданылады.
bouscueil
Желдің, судың немесе ағыстың әсерінен мұздың ығысуы.
brûlot
noseeumsnez
Құртшаның бір түрі, шаққанда күйдіретіндей сезім тудырады, сондықтан осылай аталған.
brunantenightfall/duskcrépuscule
cabane à sucresugar shackcabane à sucre
cacaouilong tailed duckharelde boréale
Жабайы қаз
carcajou wolverine (Ам. ), glutton (Бр. )glouton
ceinture fléchéeAssumption sashChâssis de l'Assomption
chopinepintpinte
Пинте Канадада қолданылады, бірақ ол квартты білдіреді.
coureur de(s) boisbackwoodsman, fur trader, lumberjackbûcheron, commerçant de fourrures
débarbouillettefaceclothgant de toilette (glove)
demiard/Demihalf pintdemidépanneur
convenience store/corner storeépicerie / supérette
Жергілікті қауымға қызмет көрсететін шағын дүкен. Олардың көбі 24/7 ашық және оларға жанармай станциясы қосылған.
doréwalleye/blue pike perch/saugerdoré/sandre bleu/poirieré
pluchette / épluchette de blé d'indecorn roastrôti de maïs
Жүгерінің қабығын қабылдап, жейтін әлеуметтік жиын / Қабылдау éplucher
érablièremaple groveérablière
fin de semaineweekendweek end
stationnementparking lot (Am. ), car park (Br. )parking
«Stationnement» сөзі французша, бірақ Францияда олар сөз қысқа болған жағдайда көптеген сөздерді ағылшын сөзімен ауыстырады.
frasilfragile iceglace fragile
huard (huart)loonPlongeon Huard
Құстардың түрі, әдетте көлдер мен тоғандарда кездеседі. Канадада бұл құс бір долларлық монеталарда кездеседі және бір долларлық монеталарды белгілеу үшін де қолданылады.
magasinage/ MagasinerShopping/To go shoppingcourses/Faire des courses / Faire les magasins
Француз тілінің барлық түрлерінде «дүкен» немесе «дүкен» деген сөз le magasin. Квебекте magasiner етістігі «сауда» үшін қолданылады және ол зат есімді түрлендіру арқылы пайда болды. Францияда бұл сөз «faire des courses», «faire des achats», «faire des emplettes» немесе «faire du shopping» деп аталады. Квебектегідей бірде-бір етістік жоқ.
Maringouin / Picaouin / Moustiquemosquitomoustique
millage / kilométragemileagekilométrage
moose (Am. ), elk (Br. )élan
«Арна» сөзін Ұлыбританияда да көпшілік қолданады.
ouananichefreshwater salmonsaumon atlantique d'eau douce
ouaouaronbullfroggrenouille taureau
outardeCanada goosebernache du Canada
poudrerie / rafale de (neige)blowing snowrafale de (neige) poudreuse
prucheEastern hemlocktsuga du Canada
raquetteursnowshoercelui qui fait des raquettes
souffleusesnowblowerchasse neige
Квебекте chasse neige қар жару машинасы, бірақ charrue көбінесе қар жару машинасы үшін қолданылады.
suisseeastern chipmunktamia rayé
Сонымен қатар, кейде оны petit suisse (кішкентай чипмунк) деп атайды, өйткені салыстырғанда ол ақырғыдан кішкентай.
télézarda couch potatopatate de sofa
from télé + lézard
tire d'érablemaple taffytire d'érable
traversierferryboatferry / bactuquetuque
bonnettuxedotuxedo (Am. ), dinner jacket (Br. )smoking
Квебекте смокинг деген сөз кешкі немесе түскілік киімді сипаттау үшін қолданылады, оның ерекшелігі - күрт пен түймелердегі атлас немесе гросгрен қапталдары және шалбардың сыртқы тігісіндегі ұқсас жолақ. Францияда «смокинг» сөзі көбінесе смокингті білдіреді.
verge / couryard
As in cour arrière, literally backyardsalonliving roomsalon / (salle de) séjour
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. The adjectival suffix euse is added to verbal stems to form "the machine that verbs." For example, laver → laveuse "washing machine"; balayer → balayeuse "vacuum cleaner" (but "streetsweeper" in France). In France "vacuum cleaner" is "aspirateur". Quebec FrenchEnglishMetropolitan FrenchNoteabatisachiganblack bassperche noireacreacrearpentIn 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 / arachidepeanutcacahuèteatoca / 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'avionsbanc de neigesnow bankcongèrebarrerto lockverrouillerFrench colonists would use a crossbar to secure the entrance to their dwelling. Hence, barring rather than locking the door. débarrerto unlockdéverrouillerbebitte / 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. bicyclettebicyclevélobleuets [sauvages]lowbush/wild blueberriesmyrtilles / airelle à feuilles étroitessee Quebec specialities sectionbleuetièreblueberry field or farmchamp de myrtillesbordagesIce 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 streamsbrûlotnoseeumsnezA type of cranefly / tiny fly that causes a burning sensation when it bites, thus the name. brunantenightfall/duskcrépusculecabane à sucresugar shackcabane à sucrecacaouilong tailed duckharelde boréaleA type of wild duckcarcajouwolverine (Am. ), glutton (Br. )gloutonceinture fléchéeAssumption sashChâssis de l'AssomptionchopinepintpintePinte is used in Canada, but refers to a quartcoureur de(s) boisbackwoodsman, fur trader, lumberjackbûcheron, commerçant de fourruresdébarbouillettefaceclothgant de toilette (glove)demiard/Demihalf pintdemidépanneurconvenience 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/poirierépluchette / épluchette de blé d'indecorn roastrôti de maïsdesignates a social gathering where people husk and eat corn / To husk éplucher érablièremaple groveérablièrefin de semaineweekendweek endstationnementparking 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 fragilehuard (huart)loonPlongeon HuardA 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 / Moustiquemosquitomoustiquemillage / kilométragemileagekilométragemoose (Am. ), elk (Br. )élanThe word "moose" is also used in Britain by many. ouananichefreshwater salmonsaumon atlantique d'eau douceouaouaronbullfroggrenouille taureauoutardeCanada goosebernache du Canadapoudrerie / rafale de (neige)blowing snowrafale de (neige) poudreuseprucheEastern hemlocktsuga du Canadaraquetteursnowshoercelui qui fait des raquettessouffleusesnowblowerchasse 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 potatopatate de sofafrom télé + lézardertire d'érablemaple taffytire d'érabletraversierferryboatferry / bactuquetuquebonnettuxedotuxedo (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 backyardsalonliving roomsalon / (salle de) séjour
Нысандарды сақтау
Квебек француз тілі мен метрополитен француз тілі арасындағы көптеген айырмашылықтар Еуропада қазір архаикалық саналатын кейбір формалардың сақталуынан туындайды. Мысалы, "күту" үшін espérer (Францияда attendre). Квебектегі cour – артқы аула (француз тілінде jardin), ал Францияда cour бұл мағынасын жойып, көбінесе аула дегенді білдіреді (сондай-ақ, сотқа қатысты басқа мағыналары да бар). Дегенмен, Францияның кейбір аймақтарында, мысалы, солтүстік Францияның кенші аймақтарында cour әлі де артқы аула деген мағынаны сақтайды. Breuvage сөзі boisson-нан өзге "[a] сусын" үшін де қолданылады; бұл ағылшын тіліндегі "beverage" сөзінің шығу тегі болған көне француз тіліндегі (bevrage) қолданыс. Breuvage еуропалық француз тілінде де қолданылуы мүмкін, бірақ көбінесе белгілі бір мәнерді, мүмкін, теріс сипаттаманы білдіреді. Пиастр немесе пиасс – доллар үшін сленгтік термин (ағылшын тіліндегі "buck" сөзімен тең), шындығында француз тілінде бұл термин бастапқыда американдық немесе испандық долларды білдірген (олар ұзақ уақыт бойы бірдей құндылыққа ие болды). Couple сөзі стандартты француз тілінде еркек родтағы зат есім ретінде қолданылады (некеде тұрған немесе тұрмаған жұбайлар), бірақ Квебекте ол әйел родтағы зат есім ретінде де қолданылады, мысалы, une couple de semaines (бірнеше апта). Бұл көбінесе ағылшын тілінен алынған сөз деп есептелсе де, шындығында француз тілінің архаикалық қолданысын сақтағандықтан туындаған. Квебек француз тілінде жағымды нәрсені сипаттау үшін литота қолдану жиі кездеседі, мысалы, әдемі үшін pas laid (жаман емес) немесе жақсы үшін pas pire (ең жаман емес), ал стандартты француз тілінде оның орнына оң мағынадағы сөздер қолданылуы тиіс. Алайда, метрополитен француз тілінде де жиі қолданылатын литоталар бар: pas bête немесе pas con (ақылды); pas mal (жақсы); pas dégueu (тәмді); және pas top, pas super немесе pas génial (жаман).
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).
Алдын ала сөз тіркестері
А деген сөз тіркесі иелік мағынасында жиі қолданылады, стандартты француз тілінде de қолданылатын жерде; мысалы, le char à Pierre ("Пьердің машинасы") la voiture de Pierre орнына. Мұндай қолданыс Францияның бейресми тілінде де кездеседі, мысалы, Hier j'ai vu la copine à Bruno ("Кеше мен Бруноның қатынымен көрдім"). Квебек тұрғындары кейбір жағдайларда ce ("осы") сөзімен құрастырылған сөз тіркесінің орнына à сөз тіркесін қолдануды ұнатады; мысалы, à matin немесе à soir, ce matin және ce soir ("осы таң" және "осы кеш") орнына. Сондай-ақ, à cette heure ("осы уақытта") дегені, кейде asteure немесе astheure деп жазылады, Queneau-дың шығармаларында да кездеседі және "қазір" (maintenant) және "әрі қарай" (désormais) мағыналарын білдіреді. А сөз тіркесінің осы қолданыстары әдеттегі тілге тән.
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. These usages of à are considered colloquial.
Теңіз терминдері
Басқа француз тілді аймақтарда теңіз сөздері ғана болып табылатын бірнеше сөздер Квебекте кеңірек мағынада қолданылады. Мұның себебі француз иммигранттарының кемемен келгеніне және өткен ғасырларда аймақтың ірі елді мекендері арасындағы басты көлік құралы ретінде Сент-Лоуренс өзенінің басымдығына байланысты деп есептеледі. Мысалы, "дебаркер" сөзі Квебекте кез келген көліктен (автомобиль, поезд) түсуді білдіреді, ал Францияда бұл сөз кемеден немесе ұшақтан түсуді ғана білдіреді (басқа көліктерден түсу үшін "descendre" қолданылады), сондай-ақ сөйлеу тілінде де қолданылады. Тағы бір мысал – "vadrouille" сөзі шүберек мағынасында қолданылады (француз тілінде ол саяхаттауды немесе кемеде қолданылатын арқаннан жасалған шүберекті білдіреді, ал үй шүберегі "serpillère" деп аталады).
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).
Саяси терминдер
Канада Франция сияқты республикалық емес, Вестминстер жүйесін қолданғандықтан, ағылшын тілінде туындаған көптеген саяси терминдерді импорттауға немесе жаңа терминдер жасауға тура келді. Бұл әрқашан оңай болмайды және кейде қиын конструкцияларға алып келуі мүмкін, ең әйгілі мысалы – Доминион, оның француз тілінде тікелей аналогы жоқ. Сонымен қатар, канадалық ағылшын тілінде федерацияның бірінші министрі Премьер-министр, ал провинцияның бірінші министрі Премьер деп аталады. Канададағы сайлау округі ағылшын тілді Канадада "riding" деп, ал Квебекте "comté" деп аталады. Бірақ француз тілінде ешқандай ерекшелік жасалмайды және екеуі де барлық жағдайларда Премьер-министр деп аталады. Мысалы, "Премьер-министр Канадасы", "Премьер-министр Квебектің / Альбертаның" және т.б.
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.
Квебектің ерекшеліктері
Сонымен қатар, Еуропада жоқ Квебекке тән ерекшеліктерді атау үшін сөздер бар, мысалы, путин, CEGEP, туке (екі ресми тілде де қолданылатын канадалық сөз), және депаннер (көшедегі дүкен/шағын азық-түлік дүкені; Францияда депаннер – машинаны немесе үй шаруалық техникасын жөндеуге шақырылатын механик, ал Квебекте оны депаннез деп атайды). Сагвен-Лак-Сен-Жан аймағында көптеп өсетін көкжиектерді блюет деп атайды; Францияда олар мюртильдермен (қаржидек) біріктіріледі, ал блюет – жүгері гүлінің атауы. (Блюет – Сагвен-Лак-Сен-Жаннан шыққан адамды білдіретін сленгтік сөз.) Олар өте ұқсас болғанымен, бұл бірдей өсімдіктер емес (яғни, мюртильдер – Vaccinium myrtillus, ал блюеттер – Vaccinium angustifolium немесе corymbosum).
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).
Бейресмилік
Квебектегі француз тілінде сөйлейтіндер Францияда сөйлейтіндерге қарағанда, екінші тұлғадағы *tu* есімдігін жиірек және көбірек жағдайларда қолданады. Кейбір жағдайларда бейтаныс адамға немесе тіпті дүкеннің клиентіне *tu* арқылы сөйлеу өте орынды болуы мүмкін, ал Францияда мұндай әрекет әдепсіздік саналады. Квебекте ұрпақтар арасында да айырмашылық бар: 40 пен 60 жас аралығындағы адамдар көбінесе сатушылардың немесе қызметкерлердің *vous* орнына *tu* деп обращение жасағанын ұнатпайды, оны дөрекілік деп есептейді. 60 жастан асқан адамдар кейде бейтаныс адам оларға *tu* деп сөйлесе, өзін қорланған сезінеді. Квебектегі мемлекеттік қызметкерлер (мысалы, полиция қызметкерлері немесе халықпен байланыс жасайтын бюрократтар), сондай-ақ ірі дүкендер мен желілердің қызметкерлері, әдетте, кез келген адаммен қарым-қатынаста *vous* қолдануға міндетті, егер олармен достық қарым-қатынас болмаса немесе оларды жақсы білмесе. Кейде мұндай айырмашылық әлеуметтік немесе білім деңгейіне байланысты да болады. Мысалы, жас ғалымдар бірнеше жыл тәжірибесі бар, сәл үлкен әріптестерімен *tu* деп обращение жасаудан тартынады. Ағылшын тіліндегі ұқсас жағдай – екінші жақтағы жекеше *thou* сөзі 200 жыл бұрын қолданудан шыққандықтан, адамды "есімдікпен" шақыру немесе жауап беру. Мысалы, жаңа танысқан адамға: "Рақмет, мырза Гибсон" деуіміз мүмкін – бұл *vous* қолданумен тең. Егер мырза Гибсон формалдылықты сақтағысы келсе, яғни *vous* сөзін қолданғандай, ол "Қош келдіңіз" деп жауап береді, ал егер ол жайлы болуды қаласа, "Маған Джим деп атаңыз" деп қосады. Бұл ағылшын тілінде сөйлейтіндерге канадалық француз тілінде *tu* қалай қолданылатынын түсінуге көмектеседі. Париж сияқты мегаполисте сөйлейтін саясаткерлер кейде квебек франкофондарына тоқыраулы немесе мақтаншыл көрінеді. Квебек халқының арасында (әсіресе ерлер) метрополитендік француз тілінің өте әйелдік екендігі туралы пікір бар, бірақ бұл туралы көбінесе ашық талқыланбайды. Сондықтан, тіпті жақсы білім алған квебектердің көпшілігі метрополитендік француз акцентін еліктеуге тырыспайды, бірақ олар оны салыстырмалы түрде оңай меңгере алады. Бұл Францияның оңтүстігіндегі адамдарға да қатысты. Францияның оңтүстігінен Парижге уақытша көшіп келген және жергілікті акцентті қабылдаған адамдарды оңтүстікте қалған достары қысымға түсіруі мүмкін. Бұл Солтүстік Америка ағылшын тілінде сөйлейтіндердің британдық ағылшын тілін "әдемі" немесе "әсем" деп қабылдауына ұқсас.
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".
Ағылшын тіліндегі сөздерді қолдану
Ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздер, сондай-ақ синтаксистік құрылымдардың калькалары немесе қарызданулары англицизмдер (француз тілінде: anglicismes) деп аталады.
Loanwords from English, as well as calques or loans of syntactic structures, are known as anglicisms (French: anglicismes).
Стандартты тізілім
Стандартты тіркелімде қолданылатын көптеген квебецизмдер ағылшын тілінен алынған, әсіресе калькилер, мысалы, prendre une marche (Францияда "саяхаттау", se promener, сондай-ақ Квебекте қолданылады) және banc de neige (ағылшын тілінен "қар үйірмесі"; Францияда congère, Квебекте белгісіз форма). Алайда, стандартты және ресми тіркелімдерде ағылшын тілінен қарыз сөздерді алудан аулақ болуға бейімділік Квебекте Францияға қарағанда әлдеқайда күшті. Осының салдарынан, әсіресе қазіргі заманғы ұғымдарға қатысты, Квебек француз тілінде ағылшын тілінен алынғаннан гөрі "француздық" болып саналатын формалар жиі кездеседі, олар Еуропалық француз тілінде қолданылуы мүмкін, мысалы, Францияда week-end, немесе Францияның поштасы үшін courriel (электрондық поштадан). Кейбіреулері – континенттік француз тілі тікелей қабылдаған ағылшын тіркестерінің француз тіліне аудармасы, мысалы, еуропалық француз хот-догы үшін un chien chaud. Квебекте "гей" деген сөзді гомосексуалдықты білдіру үшін стандартты түрде gai деп жазуға болады. Францияда gai сөзі "қуанышты", "көңілді" мағынасын сақтап қалған, ал gay сөзі "гомосексуалды" мағынасында қолданылады, бірақ бұл көбінесе Американың гей субмәдениетіне және әдетте 35 жастан асқан гейлерге қатысты. Францияда 35 жасқа дейінгі гейлер өздерін gay емес, homo деп атайды. Бұл формалардың көпшілігі (барлығы емес) Квебектің Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) тарапынан таратылса да, олар күнделікті қолданысқа енген. Шындығында, Франция үкіметі кейіннен courriel сөзін қабылдады (2003 жылы). Бұл термин қазір Libération сияқты беделді газеттерде қолданылып, қабылдануда.
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). The term has been gaining acceptance as it is now used in respected newspapers such as Libération.
Жаргон және жаргондық сөздер
Бірнеше әлеуметтік топтар, кәсіп немесе қызығушылық бойынша байланысты, өз салаларында ағылшын жаргонының немесе сленгінің бір бөлігін немесе толығымен қолданады, осылайша басқа француз тілді елдерде қолданылатын тілден өзгешелік тудырады. Мысалы, инженерлік (әсіресе механикалық инженерлік), ағаш өңдеу және компьютерлік бағдарламалау сияқты дәстүрлі түрде ерлерге тән жұмыстарда ағылшын терминдері кеңінен қолданылады. Бұл жағдай тарихи тұрғыдан дұрыс аударылған техникалық нұсқаулықтар мен құжаттаманың жетіспеуіне байланысты туындады. Автомобиль өнеркәсібі және қоршаған ортаны қорғау инженериясы сияқты нақты салалардағы соңғы аударма жұмыстары француз тілін жақсы көретіндерге үміт беретін нәтижелер көрсетуде. Квебек сленгінің ең көп ағылшын тілінен әсер алған түрі – ойыншылар қауымдастығының мүшелері арасында қолданылады, олардың көп бөлігі мыңжылдықтар және компьютерді жиі пайдаланушылар. Осы топтарда компьютерлік ойын сленгімен қатар, компьютерлік бағдарламалар мен ойындарда жиі кездесетін көптеген стандартты терминдер де қолданылады (сақтау, карта, деңгей және т.б.).
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. 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. ).
Түсінігі
Ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздердің күнделікті тілде тым көп қолданылуы Квебек француз тілінің жамандалуына себеп болады. Квебектіктер де, еуропалық француздар да бір-бірін (және өздерін) ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздерді тым көп пайдалануда кінәлайды. Еуропалық француз және Квебек француз тілдерінің айырмашылығы туралы әдеттегі әзіл – Еуропада машинаны тұраққа қояды (on se gare dans un parking), ал Квебекте тұраққа (stationnement) машинаны тікелей қояды (on se parque dans un stationnement). Квебек пен Францияда ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздер мүлдем басқаша, себебі Квебекте олар ағылшын тілді көршілермен екі жарым ғасырлық бірлескен өмірдің нәтижесінде бірте-бірте пайда болды, ал Еуропада ағылшын тілінен алынған сөздер жақында пайда болды және америкалық ағылшын тілінің күшейіп келе жатқан халықаралық ықпалының нәтижесі болып табылады.
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.
Басқа айырмашылықтар
Көптеген әлемдік тілдер сияқты, аймақтық айырмашылықтар бар. Тіпті Квебектің өзінде сөздердің немесе сөз тіркестерінің аймақтық қолданыстары бар. Міне, стандартты Квебек француз тілі мен Франция француз тілі арасындағы басқа да айырмашылықтар:
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Квебек термині Аудармасы Еуропадағы терминнің мағынасы Франция термині Ескерту
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Шар (айтылуы [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Автомобиль Танк (әскери шабуыл көлігі) Voiture
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Абревуар (айтылуы [abʁœvwɑːʁ] немесе [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Су бұлағы Жануарларға су беру орны Fontaine. Еуропада тек жануарлар үшін қолданылады (немесе комедиялық эффект үшін).
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Ахаландеж (айтылуы [aʃalãdaːʒ]) Жол қозғалысы (дүкеннің, көшенің, қоғамдық көліктің) Қойма, тауар, клиенттер (архаикалық) Circulation, Embouteillage, bouchon
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Arrêt Тоқтату немесе тоқтату бұйрығы. Барлық тоқтату белгілерінде қолданылады. Сондай-ақ «автобус аялдамасы», «келесі аялдама» және т.б.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Blé d'Inde (жүгері) Жүгерінің сабағы Maïs. Квебекте де жүгері мағынасында қолданылады, сондай-ақ жарылған жүгері (éclatée/soufflée). Blé d'Inde әрқашан тұтас сабақты білдіреді.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Brosse (брус) Мас болу Brush Cuite
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Cartable (картабель) Мектеп сөмкесі, портфель Classeur. Сондай-ақ classeur
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Cédule (седуль) Кесте, салықтық белгі (архаикалық) Emploi du temps / Agenda
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Chandail (шандаль) Футболка, свитер, толстовка Жинақталған свитер Pull over/T-shirt
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Choquer (шокер) Ашуға келтіру, қорқыту Fâcher
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Classeur (классер) Архив шкафы Binder Armoire à dossier. Сондай-ақ cartable
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Correct (корект) Жақсы, жеткілікті, мейірімді, О.К. Bon, juste
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Coupe glacée (купе гласе) Мұзды десерт Coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise. Мұзды десерт сататын орын bar laitier немесе Crèmerie (Францияда glacier) деп аталады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Croche (крош) Бұрыс, күдікті, адал емес Сегізінші нота curieux / bizarre / étrange
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Crème glacée (крем гласе) Мұзқаймақ de la glace. Мұзды десерт сататын орын bar laitier немесе Crèmerie (Францияда glacier) деп аталады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Débarbouillette (дебарбуйет) Сүлгі, жуғыш мата gant de toilette
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Débarquer (дебаркер) Көліктен түсу, қайықтан түсу Descendre
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Débrouiller (дебруйе) Өзінің күшімен мәселені шешу, қиын жағдайдан шығу Тазалау, ойды түзеу (тұманнан, "brouillard")
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Déjeuner (дежёне) Таңғы ас Lunch Petit déjeuner. Сондай-ақ dîner, souper деп қараңыз. Квебек, Бельгия, Швейцария және Окситаниядағы сияқты қолданылады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Déniaiser (дениазер) Өзін жинау, жыныстық қатынасқа дайын болу. J'avais juste vingt ans et je me déniaisais/ Au bordel ambulant d'une armée en campagne (Brel)
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Dîner (динер) Түскі ас Кешкі ас Déjeuner. Квебек, Бельгия, Швейцария және Окситаниядағы сияқты қолданылады. «Кешкі ас» ретінде динер ресми және жоғары деңгейдегі орталарда қолданылады. Квебекте кешкі ас «le souper» деп аталады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Efface (эффас) Өшіргіш Gomme. Gomme сонымен қатар жеміш сағыз үшін де қолданылады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Épais (эпе) (еркек), épaisse (эпес) (әйел) Ақымақ, баяу ойлайтын Қалың Con (еркек), conne (әйел). Con Квебекте де бірдей мағынада қолданылады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Espadrilles (эспадриль) Жүгіру аяқ киімі Жіппен тігілген сандал Baskets / Tennis / Chaussures de sport
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Être plein (этр плен) Тоқ болу (тамақтанғаннан кейін) pleine: жүкті болу; мас болу être bourré / Avoir trop mangé
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Familiale (фамильаль) Универсал Estate car Break (voiture)
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Fesser (фессер) Сапалап ұру Frapper
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Fête (фет) Туған күн, мереке Anniversaire
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Football (футбол) Американдық футбол football canadien / football américain. Футболдың осы қолданысы Канададағы футболдың жергілікті түріне немесе оның АҚШ-тағы туысқан түріне ортақ.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Innocent (иносан) Ақымақ, наив Imbécile
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Insignifiant (инсигнифиан) Ақымақ, маңызсыз Imbécile
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Linge (ленж) Киім Linen Vêtements
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Liqueur (ликер) Газдалған су, салқын суық Soda
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Magasiner (магазинер) Сауда жасау Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.)
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Maringouin (маренгуэн) Шыбын Moustique
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Mouiller (муйе) Жаңбыр жауу, суға батыру Pleuvoir
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Niaiser (ниазер) Жыныстық қатынасқа дайын болу Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries. Déniaiser (Eu) - еркекті қыздығынан айыру.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Niaiseux (ниазе) (еркек), niaiseuse (ниазез) (әйел) Ақымақ, балағат адам niais="ақымақ", "қарапайым".
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Niaiserie (ниазери), Niaisage (ниазаж) Ақымақтық, балалық, бекер нәрсе Connerie
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Patate (патат) Картоп Pomme de terre
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Peser sur (пезе сюр) Басу (түймеге) Салмақтау Appuyer, enfoncer
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Plaque (плак) (нөмірлік белгі) License plate Les plaques (mineralogiques)
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Poudrerie (пудрири) Қарлы боран, қар Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Rentrer (рантре) Кіру Entrer. Квебекте «қайта кіру» rerentrer деп аталады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Sans cœur (сан кёр) Мейірімсіз Méchant
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Soccer (сокер) Футбол Foot / Football
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Souper (супер) Кешкі ас Dîner. Квебек, Бельгия, Швейцария және Окситаниядағы сияқты қолданылады.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Suçon (сюсьон) Сабын, сүйкімділік Sucette
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Téléroman (телероман) Телесериал Feuilleton
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Thé glacé (те гласе) Мұздалған шай Ice Tea
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Touché (туше) (американдық футбол) Touchdown. Еуропада осы мағынада қолданылмайды.
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 term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.
Quebec term Translation Meaning of term in Europe France term NoteChar (pronounced [ʃɑɔ̯ʁ]) Car Tank (military assault vehicle) Voiture Abreuvoir (pronounced [abʁœvwɑːʁ] or [abʁœvwɒːʁ]) Water fountain Watering place for animals Fontaine Used 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 Arrêt A stop or command to stop Arrêt Used on all stop signs. Also used as arrêt d'autobus, "prochain arrêt", etc. Aubaine Sale Opportunity Promotion An 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 lock To block or to strike through Fermer à clé, verrouiller Quebec usage archaic in Europe Bête (pronounced [bɛɪ̯t], [beɪ̯t], [bæɪ̯t] or [baɪ̯t]) Disagreeable (person) Stupid Désagréable, impoli European usage also used in Quebec Blé d'Inde (pronounced [ble d‿ẽɪ̯̃d]) Corn (North American usage) Maïs Maïs 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. Brosse Drinking binge Brush Cuite Cartable Binder School bag, Satchel Classeur See also classeur Cédule Schedule Tax bracket (archaic) Emploi du temps / Agenda Chandail (pronounced [ʃãdaj]) T shirt, sweater, sweatshirt Knit sweater Pull over/T shirt Choquer To anger To shock Fâcher Classeur (pronounced [klɑː. sɶːʁ], [klɑː. saœ̯ʁ] or [klɒː. saœ̯ʁ]) Filing cabinet Binder Armoire à dossier See also cartable Correct (pronounced [kɔʁɛkt] or [kɔʁɛk]) Good, sufficient, kind, O. K. corrected bon, juste. Coupe glacée Ice cream sundae coupe de glace de la glace au chocolat/à la fraise, etc. An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Croche Crooked; strange, dishonest Eighth note curieux / bizarre / étrange Crème glacée Ice cream de la glace An ice cream stand is known as a bar laitier or Crèmerie (in France, a glacier) Débarbouillette Dishrag, washcloth, (glove) gant de toilette Débarquer Get out of (a car, etc.) Disembark (from a boat) Descendre Débrouiller To figure things out by oneself, to get out of a jam To clear up, as in one's thoughts (from brouillard, "fog") Déjeuner Breakfast Lunch Petit déjeuner See 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]) Lunch Dinner Déjeuner Qc. 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". Efface Eraser Gomme Gomme is used for chewing gum Épais (male) (pronounced [epɛ]), épaisse (female) (pronounced [epɛɪ̯s], [epeɪ̯s], [epæɪ̯s] or [epaɪ̯s]) Dumb, slow witted Thick Con (male), conne (female) Con is also in usage in Quebec with the same meaning. Espadrilles (pronounced [ɛspʁ̥adʁɪj]) Running shoes Rope soled sandal Baskets / 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 drunk être bourré / Avoir trop mangé Familiale Station wagon Estate car Break (voiture) Fesser To hit To spank Frapper Fête (pronounced [fɛɪ̯t], [feɪ̯t], [fæɪ̯t] or [faɪ̯t]) Birthday Saint's day Anniversaire Football (pronounced [fʊtbɒɫ] or [fʊtbɑʊ̯l]) Gridiron football Association football football canadien / football américain This 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, naive Imbécile Insignifiant (pronounced [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjã] or [ẽɪ̯̃siɲifjæ̃]) Stupid [person] Insignificant, unremarkable Imbécile Linge (pronounced [lẽɪ̯̃ʒ]) Clothes Linen Vêtements Liqueur (pronounced [likɶːʁ] or [likaœ̯ʁ]) Soft drink Liquor, liqueur Soda Magasiner To go shopping Faire des courses, faire les magasins, du lèche vitrine (fam.) Maringouin (pronounced [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwẽɪ̯̃] or [maʁẽɪ̯̃ɡwãɪ̯̃]) Mosquito Moustique Mouiller To rain To wet Pleuvoir Niaiser (pronounced [njɛɪ̯ze]) Annoy, tease, kid, act up (doesn't exist as a verb; niais="stupid") Se moquer or (hum) dire des niaiseries Déniaiser (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 person niais="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 time Connerie Usually used to describe things that a "Niaiseux" does. Patate Potato informal word for potato Pomme 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) Weigh Appuyer, enfoncer La plaque (d'immatriculation) License plate License plate Les 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 ) Poudrerie Blizzard, blowing snow Gunpowder factory Blizzard, tempête de neige, rafales de (neige) poudreuse Rentrer (pronounced [ʁãtʁe]) Enter Re enter Entrer In 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]) Mean Heartless Méchant Soccer (pronounced [sɔkɶːʁ], [sɔkaœ̯ʁ], [sɒkɚ]) Association football Originally 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 / Football See note on Football above. Souper Supper Late night dinner Dîner Quebec 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]) Lollipop Love bite Sucette and vice versa: a sucette is a love bite or fellatio in Quebec. Téléroman (pronounced [teleʁɔmã] or [teleʁɔmæ̃]) Soap opera A soap opera or a continuing series Feuilleton Thé glacé Iced Tea Ice Tea Touché (gridiron football) Touchdown Not 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.) Touchdown See Touchdown Atlantic for an example of the use of touché in reference to Canadian football. Valise Trunk of a car Suitcase (also in QC) Coffre Vidanges (pronounced [vidãːʒ]) Garbage Act of emptying Ordures Vidange 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.