l’Abitation: the first settlement (habitation)
allongé: a long espresso coffee, the French name for an Italian lungo
Allophone: an immigrant to Canada whose native language is neither French nor English
Anglophone: a native English speaker
Bill 101: a Québec law that deals with French and English language issues
boîte à chansons: an intimate nightclub (literally, “music box”) where you can hear singer/songwriters (chansonniers) play
boréal: the type of forest that is found in the province of Québec
branchée: plugged in, which translates to hip, or cool, in the French vernacular
brasserie: a brewery or pub
brioche: a type of sweet, eggy French bread
cabane à sucre: a sugar shack; this is where you go to see maple syrup tapped from trees and to eat maple-drenched treats
café: where you buy coffee as well as the drink itself; usually refers to an espresso
café filtre: drip coffee
calèche: a horse-drawn carriage
casse-croûtes: a Québécois snack bar generally specializing in poutine, hot dogs, and other Québécois snacks
chansonnier: a folk singer/songwriter
côte: hill; if a street has “côte” in its name, it’s on a hill
coureurs de bois: early fur hunters and adventurers who helped explore North America
dépanneur: meaning “to help out”; a convenience store in Québec, commonly referred to as a dép
First Nations: indigenous nations in Canada other than the Métis and Inuit
Francophone: a native French speaker
frites: French fries
Inuit: northern indigenous peoples
joual: a popular form of slang
loonie: Canadian one-dollar coin
Métis: a post-contact indigenous group in Canada
Nouvelle France: the name given to Québec by the French; it also means New France
pâté chinois: a meat, potato, and vegetable pie similar to shepherd’s pie
patriotes: the name given to patriots who led an uprising against the government in 1837; it’s used today to denote those who are against federal rule
pont: a bridge
poudreuse: blowing snow
poutine: crispy French fries covered with fresh cheese curds and smothered in gravy—the unofficial food of Québec
quai: quay that juts out into the water
Quebecker: English name for all native citizens of the province of Québec
Québécois: the name for the Francophone population in the province as well as the language they speak; can also be the French term for all native citizens of the province of Québec
Refus Global (Total Refusal): a manifesto of a group of Québec artists that radically changed the face of modern Québec art
sacres: the name for Québécois swear words
sandwicherie: a place that makes sandwiches
sans gluten: gluten-free
sloche: slush made from melted snow
sovereigntists: those who want Québec to separate from the rest of Canada
stimés: hot dog with a steamed bun
Sulpicians: society of Catholic priests founded in Paris in 1641 who were part of the founding of Québec
table d’hôte: a fixed-price meal
tarte au sucre: sugar pie
terrasse: an outdoor patio
terroir: food products that come from the area, as in terroir cooking
tire sur la neige: maple syrup that has been frozen on snow, a popular treat during the sugaring-off season
toastés: hot dog with a toasted bun
toonie: a Canadian two-dollar coin
tourtière: a meat pie made with everything from pork and beef to game
tuque: winter hat
végétalien: vegan
végétarien: vegetarian
vernissage: gallery opening
viennoiseries: pastries and sweet breads usually eaten at breakfast
vieux: old, as in Vieux-Québec (Old Québec) and Vieux-Port (Old Port)
If you’re uncomfortable about breaking out your rusty 10th-grade French, relax. In Québec City locals’ English isn’t as fluid as in Montréal, but those who work in tourism and hospitality speak it flawlessly. Even if you do feel confident with your French, the Québécois accent will take some getting used to, and the language you hear on the street won’t have much to do with the words you read in this phrasebook. The Québécois also have a tendency to speak very fast, so don’t be afraid to ask someone to slow down if you’re having trouble understanding.
As has been explained throughout the guide, language is a central issue in Québec, so a good rule of thumb is to be polite; the Québécois are especially receptive to people who are at least trying to speak a little French, and they’re always encouraging. Throw in a few easy French words here and there, like bonjour or merci, try to start all your conversations in French, and you’ll be well on your way.
French is known for being difficult to pronounce—and as payback for creating such a difficult language, French-speakers are unable to properly pronounce any other language. When it comes to phonetic pronunciation, French is as bad as English. Most of the spellings and the pronunciations don’t have much in common, which can make learning French difficult. Here are a few guidelines to get you started.
Vowels in French can be confusing for an English speaker: the “a” is e, the “e” is i, and the “u” is from outer space. Here is the secret:
a pronounced a, as in “cat”
i pronounced ee, as in “free”
y pronounced the same way as i
o pronounced ah, as in “dog,” or oh, as in “bone”
u This vowel has always been a tough one for English-speakers. The closest you can get would be to put your lips and tongue in position to say “oh” and try to say “ee” instead. Something like the ew in “stew” is not that far off.
e pronounced uh, as in “about.” Before two or more consonants, it is pronounced eh as in “set.” At the end of a word, such as chaise (chair), e is silent, except in words of one syllable like je (I), where it is pronounced uh.
To make things harder, French assembles certain letters to produce new sounds.
ai pronounced eh, as in “set,” as well as ei
au pronounced oh, as in “bone,” as well as eau
eu pronounced uh, as in “about.” It is sometimes spelled œu, as in œuf or sœur
oi pronounced wa, as in “wagon”
ou pronounced oo, as in “foot”
A typical aspect of French speech is nasal vowels, vowels pronounced through both the mouth and nose. They are as difficult for English-speakers to reproduce as the u and will require quite a bit of phonetic gymnastics before you get it right.
an, am pronounced ahn, as in “aunt”
en, em pronounced pretty close to ahn, combined with the on of “honk”
in where the a of “bag” is nasalized as in “anchor.” You’ll find more or less the same sound in many different spellings, such as im, un, um, yn, ym, ain, aim, ein, and eim
on, om pronounced on, as in “long”; a nasalized o
French has five different accents that stick to vowels and make French as exotic to read as it is to hear: In French they are called accent aigu (´), accent grave (`), accent circonflexe (^), accent tréma (¨), and the cédille (ç), which is only used with the letter c.
The circumflex and grave accents appear as è, à, ù, ê, â, û, î, and ô. Except for ê and è, which are pronounced eh as in “set,” and ô, which always sounds like oh as in “bone,” the accents don’t change the pronunciation of the letters; they are mere decoration.
The acute accent, as in é, is pronounced ay as in “day,” but shorter. The cedilla makes c sound like s.
Last but not least, the dieresis (tréma) separates two vowel sounds, such as ï in naïve, which is not pronounced nev, but as two separate syllables, na-ive.
Most French consonants are similar to their English equivalents, even if there are a few differences. For example, some final consonants are silent; rather than pronouncing vous as “vooz,” you’d say “voo.” In general the following consonants are usually silent: b, d, g, m, n, p, t, x, and z. S is always silent in plurals but often pronounced otherwise. Others are generally pronounced: c, f, and l. R is usually pronounced, except in the endings er and ier.
c pronounced k as in “kick” before a, o, or u, and s as in “set” before e, i, or y. Combine c and h, as in chance (luck), and it is pronounced like sh as in “ship”
g pronounced g as in “god,” except when placed before e, i, or y, when it is pronounced zh as in “measure.” Combine it with n, as in vigne (vine), and it is pronounced like ny in “canyon”
h always silent
j pronounced zh as in “measure”
ll pronounced y as in “yes,” in words like famille
r emphasized more strongly than in English and comes from the far back of the throat
Hello Bonjour
Hi Salut
Good-bye Au revoir/Salut
Good morning/afternoon Bonjour
Good evening Bonsoir
Good night Bonne nuit
How are you? (courteous) Allez-vous?
How are you doing? (colloquial) Ça va?/Vas-tu?
Fine, thank you. Ça va bien, merci.
And you? Et vous?
See you later. À plus tard/À bientôt.
Nice to meet you. Enchanté.
Yes Oui
No Non
Please S’il vous plaît
Thank you Merci
You’re welcome Bienvenu/De rien
Excuse me Excusez-moi
Sorry Pardon/Désolé (pardon is for small mistakes, like bumping into someone; désolé is best used if you’ve made a larger error)
What’s your name? Comment vous appelez-vous?
My name is . . . Je m’appelle . . .
Where are you from? D’où venez-vous?
I’m from . . . Je viens de . . .
Do you speak English? Parlez-vous anglais?
I don’t speak French. Je ne parle pas français.
I don’t understand. Je ne comprends pas.
I don’t know. Je ne sais pas.
Can you please repeat? Pourriez-vous répéter?
What’s it called? Ça s’appelle?
Would you like . . . ? Voulez-vous . . . ?
In French, the most polite way to address a stranger is by using the vous form of “you,” as opposed to tu, even though vous is the plural second person—it never hurts to err on the side of politesse.
I je
you tu
he il
she elle
we nous
they ils/elles (ils is for a group of men, or a mixed group; elles is for a group of women)
Mr./Sir monsieur
Mrs./Madame madame
Miss mademoiselle (best used only for young girls—madame is preferable for anyone you’d refer to as “Ms.” in English)
young man jeune homme
young woman jeune fille
child enfant
brother/sister frère/sœur
father/mother père/mère
son/daughter fils/fille
husband/wife mari/femme
friend ami/amie
boyfriend/girlfriend copain/copine
married marié/mariée
single célibataire
divorced divorcé/divorcée
When? Quand?
What? Quoi?
What is it? Qu’est-ce que c’est?
Who? Qui?
Why? Pourquoi?
How? Comment?
Where is . . . ? Où est . . . ?
What’s it called? Ça s’appelle?
Would you like . . . ? Voulez-vous . . . ?
Where is . . . ? Où est . . . ?
How far away is . . . ? À quelle distance est . . . ?
How can I get to . . . ? Puis-je aller à . . . ?
bus bus
car voiture
train train
bus station la station d’autobus
train station la gare de trains
airport l’aéroport
What time do we leave? À quelle heure est le départ?
What time do we arrive? À quelle heure arrive-t-on?
a one-way ticket un aller simple
a round-trip ticket? un aller retour
Can you take me to this address? Pourriez-vous m’emmener à cette adresse?
south sud
east est
west ouest
left/right gauche/droite
straight ahead tout droit
entrance entrée
exit sortie
first premier
last dernier
next prochain
Are there any rooms available? Avez-vous des chambres disponibles?
I’d like to make a reservation. J’aimerais faire une reservation.
I want a single room. J’aimerais une chambre simple.
Is there a double room? Y a-t-il une chambre double?
private bathroom salle de bains privée
key clé
one night une nuit
Can you change the sheets/towels? Pourriez-vous changer les draps/les serviettes?
Could you please wake me up? Pourriez-vous me réveiller?
Is breakfast included? Est-ce que le petit déjeuner est inclus?
to eat manger
to drink boire
breakfast déjeuner
lunch dîner
dinner souper
Can I see the menu? Puis-je voir le menu?
We’re ready to order. Nous sommes prêts à commander.
Can I have some more wine? Puis-je avoir un peu plus de vin?
Can you bring me the bill please? Pourriez-vous apporter l’addition?
Is the service/the tip included? Est-ce que le service est compris?
I’m a vegetarian. Je suis végétarien.
It was delicious. C’était délicieux.
hot chaud
cold froid
sweet sucré
salty salé
bread pain
rice riz
Enjoy! Bon appétit!
meat viande
beef bœuf
sweetbreads (veal) ris de veau
pork porc
lamb agneau
sweetbreads (lamb) ris d’agneau
chicken poulet
ham jambon
fish poisson
salmon saumon
mussels moules
oysters huîtres
shrimp crevette
tuna thon
rare saignant
medium à point
well done bien cuit
roasted rôti
boiled bouilli
grilled grillé
fried frit
milk lait
cream crème
butter beurre
cheese fromage
ice cream crème glacée
egg œuf
hard-boiled egg œuf dur
over-easy eggs œufs tournés
scrambled eggs œufs brouillés
poached egg œuf poché
vegetables légumes
carrot carotte
tomato tomate
potato patate/pomme de terre
cucumber concombre
pepper poivron
mushrooms champignons
eggplant aubergine
peas petits pois
cabbage chou
pear poire
banana banane
orange orange
lemon citron
grape raisin
strawberry fraise
blueberry bleuet
raspberry framboise
sugar sucre
salt sel
black pepper poivre
onion oignon
garlic ail
olive oil huile d’olive
vinegar vinaigre
cinnamon cannelle
basil basilic
parsley persil
mint menthe
ginger gingembre
drinks boissons
beer bière
wine vin
wine list la carte des vins
cheers! à votre santé!/santé!
water eau
ice glace
juice jus
filtered coffee café filtre
coffee with milk café au lait
black coffee café noir
money argent
ATM guichet automatique
credit card carte de crédit
to buy acheter
to shop magasiner
I don’t have change. Je n’ai pas de monnaie.
more plus
less moins
sales soldes
How much does it cost? Combien ça coûte?
That’s too expensive. C’est trop cher.
discount rabais
Can I try it on? Est-ce que je peux l’essayer?
It’s too tight. C’est trop serré.
It’s too big. C’est trop grand.
Can I exchange it? Est-ce que je peux l’échanger?
Can you help me? Pouvez-vous m’aider?
I don’t feel well. Je ne me sens pas bien.
I’m sick. Je suis malade.
Is there a pharmacy close by? Y a-t-il une pharmacie pas loin?
Can you call a doctor? Pouvez-vous appeler un docteur?
I need to go to the hospital. Je dois aller à l’hôpital.
medicine médicament
condom condom, préservatif
Is this neighborhood safe? Est-ce que ce quartier est sécuritaire?
Help! À l’aide!, Au secours!
Call the police! Appeler la police.
thief voleur
to talk, to speak parler
to hear, to listen écouter, entendre
to make a phone call faire un appel téléphonique
cell phone cellulaire
What’s your phone number? Quel est ton numéro de téléphone?
What’s your email address? Quelle est ton adresse électronique?
collect call appel à frais virés
Do you have Internet? Avez-vous Internet ici?
post office bureau de poste
letter lettre
stamp timbre
postcard carte postale
0 zéro
1 un
2 deux
3 trois
4 quatre
5 cinq
6 six
8 huit
9 neuf
10 dix
11 onze
12 douze
13 treize
14 quatorze
15 quinze
16 seize
17 dix-sept
18 dix-huit
19 dix-neuf
20 vingt
21 vingt-et-un
30 trente
40 quarante
50 cinquante
60 soixante
70 soixante-dix
80 quatre-vingt
90 quatre-vingt dix
100 cent
101 cent un
200 deux cent
500 cinq cent
1,000 mille
2,000 deux mille
What time is it? Quelle heure est-il?
It’s 2 o’clock. Il est deux heures.
It’s 2:15. Il est deux heures et quart.
It’s 2:30. Il est deux heures et demie.
It’s 2:45. Il est deux heures quarante-cinq.
in two hours dans deux heures
now maintenant
before avant
after après
late tard
early tôt
When? Quand?
day jour
night nuit
afternoon après-midi
yesterday hier
tomorrow demain
today aujourd’hui
week semaine
month mois
year année
Monday lundi
Tuesday mardi
Wednesday mercredi
Thursday jeudi
Friday vendredi
Saturday samedi
Sunday dimanche
January janvier
February février
March mars
April avril
May mai
June juin
July juillet
August août
September septembre
October octobre
November novembre
December décembre
season saison
spring printemps
summer été
autumn automne
winter hiver
weather temps/météo
sun soleil
It’s sunny. Il fait du soleil.
rain pluie
It’s raining. Il pleut.
snow neige
It’s snowing. Il neige.
snowstorm tempête de neige
ice glace/verglas
It’s hot. Il fait chaud.
It’s cold. Il fait froid.
Dickinson, John A., and Brian Young. A Short History of Québec. Montréal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1993, revised 2008. Originally written in 1992, this book is now into its fourth edition and offers a comprehensive overview of the province’s social and economic development from pre-European to modern times. This latest edition includes reflections on the Bouchard-Taylor Commission on Accommodation and Cultural Differences, which examined attitudes toward immigration and immigrants in the province.
Grescoe, Taras. Sacré Blues: An Unsentimental Journey through Quebec. Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross, 2001. Montréal author Taras Grescoe’s modern account of Québec explores the stranger side of the province’s pop culture, takes readers to a Francophone country-and-western festival, meets up with UFO-obsessed followers of Raël, and, of course, deconstructs a Montréal Canadiens hockey game. The book won the Québec Writers’ Federation First Book Award and the Mavis Gallant Prize for Nonfiction in 2001.
Lacoursière, Jacques, and Robin Philpot. A People’s History of Québec. Montréal: Baraka Books, 2009. First published in French, this concise book looks at the history of the province through the people who discovered, explored, and inhabited it. The focus is on day-to-day life and offers little-known details, like the despicable “mixed dancing” at times of celebration and early settlers’ love of charivari, a loud, rambunctious party through the streets.
Carrier, Roch. The Hockey Sweater. Montréal: Tundra Books, 1979. This semi-autobiographical children’s picture book is one of the most memorable Canadian stories. It tells the tale of a boy in small-town Québec who orders a Canadiens hockey sweater from the Eaton’s catalogue only to receive a Toronto Maple-Leaf jersey. Full of subtle comments on Québec and the rest of Canada, it’s a touching story that has been immortalized by an NFB film.
MacLennan, Hugh. Two Solitudes. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1945. The title of this book has become emblematic of the country’s French/English cultural and linguistic divide. Set between World War I and 1939, the book takes place in Saint-Marc-des-Érables, a small Québec town, and the booming, predominantly English city of Montréal. Centered on Paul Tallard, a Québécois at home with both languages, the book follows him on a quest to find his own identity and a way of defining the Canadian experience.
Proulx, Monique. Les Aurores Montréales. Toronto: Douglas & McIntyre, 1997. Twenty-seven short stories make up this collection that takes place in pre- and post-referendum Québec. Weaving in and out of Montréal, the stories look at the lives of Quebeckers and how they are affected by the changing times.
Tremblay, Michel. Les Belles Sœurs. Vancouver: Talonbooks, revised ed., 1992. Arguably the most important Québécois writer of his generation, Tremblay was only 23 years old when he wrote this play in 1965. First presented in 1968 at Théâtre du Rideau Vert, it ushered in a new era of Québécois theater. Written in joual (working-class slang), the play is set in the triplexes of Montréal’s Plateau and follows the exploits of an extended family.
Foodie in Québec City
This English-language blog covers all aspects of the food and restaurant scene in Québec City and beyond.
Food Nouveau
www.foodnouveau.com/quebeccity
Québec City-based Marie Asselin is a recipe developer and food stylist. The city-specific section of her blog features curated lists of her favorite poutines, brunches, coffee shops, breweries, and more.
Québec Original
The province’s official tourism website has comprehensive information on anything and everything to do with the province, from national parks to festivals to kid-friendly fun.
Said the Gramophone
This music blog offers an interesting insider take on the Montréal, Québec, and Toronto music scenes.
Voir
The online component to the Francophone alternative weekly, Voir has event listings, restaurant reviews, and a weekly webcast that takes you behind the scenes of the weekly photo shoot and gives you a rundown of the week’s biggest events.