Five regions of French
Choose a region for its main features and a few words to recognise.
Quebec About seven million speakers in Canada. French arrived in the 17th century and developed apart from France, keeping older words and borrowing from English. Accent: distinctive vowels; t and d before i and u sound like “ts” and “dz”: tu → “tsu”.
Same thing, different word
| English | France | Quebec | Belgium | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| breakfast | le petit-déjeuner | le déjeuner | le déjeuner | le déjeuner |
| lunch | le déjeuner | le dîner | le dîner | le dîner |
| dinner | le dîner | le souper | le souper | le souper |
| 70 | soixante-dix | soixante-dix | septante | septante |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | quatre-vingt-dix | nonante | nonante |
| mobile phone | le portable | le cellulaire | le GSM | le natel |
| weekend | le week-end | la fin de semaine | le week-end | le week-end |
| le mail, le courriel | le courriel | le mail | le mail |
Blue marks a word that differs from France. More on Belgian and Swiss numbers is in French numbers.
Quebec French in conversation
The variety most different from Paris in sound and vocabulary. Quebec features are in red, and each line has its France equivalent. The grammar behind it, from questions with -tu to the “ts” sound, is in regional French. Every word has its English meaning underneath.
Salut,hiçaitvagoesben ?well
Oui,yesmaisbutmamyjobjobestisplate.boring
Onwevagomagasinershopeninfinenddeofsemaine ?week
Correct,okayjeIprendstakemonmychar.car
Merci !thanksBienvenue !welcome
Audio uses a Canadian French voice where your device has one installed.
Adapting as a learner
Keep your own standardSpeak the French you have learned; it is understood everywhere. Adopting local words is welcome, but there is no need to copy an accent.
Watch the false friendsDîner, déjeuner and souper shift meaning; bienvenue answers merci in Quebec; une fois is a filler in Belgium.
Listen widelyRadio-Canada, RTBF (Belgium), RTS (Switzerland) and RFI (Africa) all broadcast online and make ideal C2 listening.
Le français en Afrique
Most of the world’s French speakers will soon live in Africa. Each country has its own words, often borrowed from local languages or created from French roots.
Côte d’Ivoireon va oh ma-KEE · “We’re going to the open-air restaurant.”Why: un maquis = a cheap outdoor eatery in West Africa.
Onwevagoau maquis.to-the maquis
Senegaleel ay an ruh-TAR, kom DAB · “He’s late, as usual.”Why: Senegalese French mixes in Wolof words too.
Ilheestisen retard,latecomme d’hab.as usual
Cameroonzhuh vay oh mar-SHAY too ta LUHR · “I’m going to the market in a bit.”Why: tout à l’heure can mean earlier or later, by context.
JeIvaisgoau marchéto-the markettout à l’heure.shortly
Many countrieseel a an duh-ZYEM bü-ROH · “He has a mistress.”Why: deuxième bureau = a mistress, a common African French euphemism.
Ilheahasun deuxièmea secondbureau.office
Septante or soixante-dix? Numbers by country
| Number | France, Quebec | Belgium | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | soixante-dix | septante | septante |
| 80 | quatre-vingts | quatre-vingts | huitante (some cantons) |
| 90 | quatre-vingt-dix | nonante | nonante |