Can someone who understands Parisian French, understand Quebec French?

Question

Is there a small or large different between how the words are pronounced and spoken?

Is the difference similar to British English and American English, or is the difference more dramatic?

thanks in advance.

Answer 1

To put it simply, the differences are greater than between American and British English but lesser than between High German and Swiss German. But as a general rule, they are completely mutually intelligible.

The main difference is the accent, of course, and most French people will look down upon it, claiming it sounds ''barbaric'', ''uneducated'' or ''retarded''. Some of them will like it for its musicality. But the Quebec French accent is mostly based on the French that was spoken back in the 17th  and early 18th centuries when the French settlers came to colonize New France. King Louis XIV would say ''le roué, c'est moué'', rather than ''le roi, c'est moi.'' - that's how he spoke; that was Old Regime French but the French then later switched to the New Regime, but New France (now Quebec) being isolated from the monopolis (Paris), kept Old Regime French.

Other minor differences are found in the vocabulary.Most of the time, most educated Quebecers know what is typically Quebec French and what is not, and will be a little more careful when speaking to French people not to use very colloquial words.

Our accent is not *so* distant that the French can't understand it. Their incomprehension mostly comes from pure arrogance more than anything else.

And it is true that Montreal French can be even more challenging for a foreigner; it is the most anglicized of all variations of Quebec French and Montrealers *do* have an accent that is different from those living Quebec City (that has the clearest of all Quebec accents, so it is said).

This is a previous thread that will also answer your question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 2

There's not much of a difference besides the accents, and the Quebecois French use a LOT of slang when they speak. Basically, if a Parisian and a Francaphone met, they would absolutely be able to communicate on an excellent level, but the Quebecois would be teaching the Parisian some interesting words.

Answer 3

There is a small difference - partly it's accent, but it's also regional words that are used in Quebec but not in Paris and vice versa. Parisians think Quebec french is countryfied.

Answer 4

yes, i was going to say its sort of like american and british english.

they have some different expressions and words. at first you might have a little trouble understanding when they talk fast, but at the end of the day you will understand it perfectly.

Answer 5

I'm from Québec

I perfectly understand french people

of course, there are some differences: the accent and we have some different expressions..

, its like American English vs. British English

Answer 6

Blah blah blah.. some people go on and on.

Here's a quick example.

It's just like person from Boston talking to an Australian. Most words are the same, each have a distinct accent, but if they talk too quickly and throw in some slang... everybody's all confused!

Answer 7

It's all about the accent and the expressions. I lived in France and Quebec and believe me, I couldn't understand anything when I came to live in Montreal because of their accent, but Quebecors don't have much trouble understanding french from France. They have more trouble with the expressions they use.

Answer 8

I am from Quebec and speak Quebecois French. When I went to France I had no trouble understanding the French they spoke. There were localisms and differences of accent to be sure but it is easier than say an English speaking American understanding an Englishman speaking cockney.

    However, having said that I have to tell you they all, almost to a man, said they did not understand my French. I came away with the distinct feeling that it was attitude getting in the way more than vocabulary and accent. I had a French teacher at Loyola (of Montreal) who was a Frenchman from France and he spent the entire year carrying on about how our French was so bad. It really isn't. In fact it is quite musical and beautiful to listen to when spoken properly.

Answer 9

It is more difficult in Montreal because English is used more often in the language.  So in Quebec, it is all french.   Whereas in Montreal, there is french with English mixed in.

Answer 10

Probably a greater difference than between oxford-cambridge and American but still mutually intelligible. The Parisian French tend to be rather dismissive of Quebec French in the same way educated Americans are of an Arkansas accent or the oxford-cambridge British are of geordies (people from the North). There was a longer and more profound separation between the people in Quebec and those in France than there ever has been bdetween the US and Britain. What with television, movies, and the internet, the diffierences are slowly being lessened.