Have you thought about studying French but don't know whether to choose Canadian or European French? Is it possible for a Canadian Francophone to perfectly understand a European Francophone? Let's discover together what are the differences between the two! You will be shocked! But first, let's go through some interesting facts about the French language!
Did you know about these French language facts?
- French is part of the Romance languages, also called Latin languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin.
- It is the 5th most spoken language after Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic.
- Like English, the French language is spoken on the five continents.
- French is the official language of 29 countries, including France, Canada, Switzerland, and Belgium. But did you know that Africa has the largest population of francophones in the world?
- Did you know that it is the second most studied foreign language after English?
- Canadian French differs from standard French mainly in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
- In Canada, the province of Quebec has the second largest number of native French citizens after France.
- A total of 8% of the population of the American continent have French as their mother tongue.
Now that you know relevant facts about the French language let's discover the main differences between Canadian and European French!
The Main Differences between Canadian and European French
Quebec French, also known as Québécois, refers to the predominant variety of the French language spoken in Canada. It's no surprise that Quebecois is different from European French, also known as "French from France," as American English is from British English and Australian English, for example. Even Quebecois accents will vary in Canada depending on where they are spoken.
- The pronunciation of vowels
One of the most significant differences between European and Canadian French is the pronunciation of vowels. Did you know that Quebec French has a much more conservative pronunciation than European French? This is because Québécois has preserved a more similar structure to Old French compared to the French of France. Quebecois has a range of 15 vowel sounds, while French from France has only 13. And although nasal sounds predominate in all types of French, Canadian French is much more nasalized than European French. Example: The European French pronunciation of "moi" sounds more like "mua." On the other hand, in the Quebecois pronunciation, it would be "moé." A bit different, right?
We can also find more differences in vowel pronunciation in these cases:
- The endings that sound like open "e" in European French, such as "mère" et "père," in Quebec, have a sound more similar to "aè," for example, "maère" et "paère."
- The "u" of European French is pronounced in Quebec as "eu." For example, in Quebec, you say "méneute" instead of "minute."
- Also, the difference between "un" in Lundi and "in" in "linge" is more marked in Quebec than in France.
- The ending "an" sounds like "in" in Quebec. For example, the word "vent," which means wind in European French, might sound like "vin" in Québécois French.
- Differences in Vocabulary
Test your French Vocabulary! Find the Canadian French and French French words that have the same meaning. If you thought that phonetics was the only thing different between Canadian French and French from France, prepare to continue finding remarkable and diverse curiosities in both vocabularies.
- It is an object mainly used for decoration and as a children's toy. They are usually made of rubber or aluminized plastic and inflated with air or helium. In Canadian French is called la _________________ (8 letters).
- "Des barniques" are eyeglasses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes. In European French they are called des _________________ (8 letters).
- They are human beings between the stages of birth and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor. In European French, they are called "des enfants," but in Canadian French, they are called des _________________ (5 letters).
- It is a four-wheeled road vehicle powered by an engine and can carry a small number of people. In European French is known as "voiture." In Canadian French, its pronunciation is similar to "car": un _________________ (4 letters).
- It is a commodity accepted as a medium of economic exchange. It facilitates trade, and it is the principal measure of wealth. In Canadian French is known as "des _________________ (6 letters). However in European French is known as l' _________________ (6 letters).
- The use of "Vous" in Canadian French
In European French, VOUS is practically used instead of TU in many different situations. For example, when you meet strangers, it is preferable to use VOUS since talking about YOU can be considered rude if there is not yet a close relationship. This applies when you enter a store or a restaurant, for example. In the French from France, VOUS is also used when you talk to an older person or to someone who represents authority. For example, if you are walking down the street and an older man asks you what time it is, you always have to refer to them with VOUS. When you are in a professional environment, VOUS is used most of the time, especially with your boss or colleagues. This rule applies till the person you are talking to tells you, you can talk to them with YOU.
However, Canadian French is not as strict with using VOUS as European French. In Quebec, for example, there is more flexibility, perhaps because people prefer a more horizontal relationship that is not necessarily rude.
- The Anglicisms in French Canadian
Even though most Canadians are English speakers, 20% of francophones living in Canada are invested in preserving the language. In Quebec, for example, French speakers are careful not to use English words like "e-mail," "shopping," or "weekend." Instead, they use their French equivalents: "courriel," "magasinage," and "fin de semaine."
However, Canadian French has borrowed words from English. For example, in European French, kissing is "embrasser"; however, in Canadian French, they use "frencher," which is similar to the English expression "French kiss." Also, in Canadian French, "beans" are known as "binne," similar to "beans" instead of the European French "haricot."
Also, due to the bilingualism in Canada, Québec grammar and the sentence structure reflect the grammatical structure of English rather than the traditional sentence structure of European French.
What are some French Canadian Expressions?
French Canadian expressions are also one of the main differences between Canadian and European French. Moreover, if you have experience with European French, you may not be able to understand a conversation in Québécois French. These are some of the most famous expressions in Quebec French:
- "J'ai mon voyage!": The literal translation means "I have my trip." However, it means you are fed up or tired of certain situations. European French uses the expression "J'en ai marre!".
- "Avoir de la Misere": The literal translation is "I have misery." However, this expression is used when you have difficulty doing something. For example: "J'ai de la misère quand j'essaie de faire des opérations mathématiques." "I have difficulty when I try to do mathematical operations." In the European French, they would have used "J'ai du mal à...".
- "J'ai la langue à terre": This expression describes overwhelming fatigue that causes you to have your tongue on the ground. In French French, the familiar expression "Je suis crevé" (which is never used in formal terms) or "Je suis fatiguée" are both used to reflect this feeling.
- "Ma Blonde": In Canadian French, this expression does not refer to hair color. Instead, this expression is used to refer to a girlfriend. European French use "Ma petite amie" or "Ma copine."
- "Avoir mal aux cheveux": The direct translation means to feel pain in the hair. However, this expression is used to refer to a terrible hangover. In Europen French they use the familiar expression "gueule de bois".
Improve your French as soon as possible!
If you are looking to improve your French ASAP, haven't you thought about looking for a private teacher? What better idea than getting out of your comfort zone with the help of an expert tutor of French! Think about it, having a private teacher could help better reinforce your knowledge of French and advance in the use of the language to be able to speak French Canadian in France!
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The part you've been waiting for the most is here! Prepare to know the correct answers to the test!
- balloune
- lunettes
- flots
- char
- bidoux
- argent
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