Unit 1 · Lesson 2
Quebec Expressions
Quebec French has rich idiomatic expressions that you won't find in a standard dictionary. Understanding these is key to genuine communication in Quebec: in stores, at work, with friends, and on television.
Register note
Some Quebec expressions are informal and best used in casual conversation with friends. Others — like lâche pas or c'est de valeur: are acceptable in a wide range of contexts.
You'll also notice that Quebec French uses certain sacred-origin words — called sacres — as everyday exclamations. Words like câline, ostie, and tabarnak are extremely common in informal speech and function like strong English swear words. They're part of the language you'll hear; understanding what they are avoids confusion.
Note: sacres are informal and can be offensive depending on context. Listen first, use with care.
Quebec expressions
1 / 16
French
C'est le boutte!
tap to flip
English
It's great! / Awesome!
Ce concert, c'était le boutte!: That concert was amazing!
0 of 16 learned
What is joual?
Joual is a term for the working-class urban dialect historically associated with Montreal: especially its east end. Characterized by heavy English borrowings, distinctive pronunciation, and compressed grammar, joual developed in the 19th and 20th centuries among the industrial working class. It became politically significant in the 1960s and 70s when Quebec writers like Michel Tremblay used it deliberately in literature and theatre to assert a distinctly Quebec identity.
Today, "joual" is sometimes used loosely to describe informal Quebec French in general, but linguists use it more specifically. Most Quebec French you'll encounter in everyday life is not joual: it's simply standard Quebec French, which is perfectly clear and expressive on its own terms.
Match the Quebec expression to its meaning
0 / 6 matched
Click a French word, then click its English match.
Complete with the right Quebec expression
1 / 5
Hint: avoir de la misère = to have difficulty
I'm struggling to finish my work: there are too many distractions.
Quebec expressions quiz
1 / 8
What does 'être tanné(e) de' mean?