Maybe during your study of French you’ve come across the pronunciation icitte in the sense of ici.
What’s the difference between ici and icitte?
Both ici and icitte mean the same thing: “here.”
The difference between the two isn’t one of meaning but of language register.
Icitte belongs to the level of language called populaire, just like the pronunciations moé and toé (for moi and toi).
You may have come across icitte used in song lyrics, stand-up comedy, or some forms of literature. However, you should know that the use of icitte is felt to be uneducated by certain speakers.
As a learner of French, your use of it would almost certainly strike most speakers as inappropriate.
For the vast majority of language situations that you’re likely to find yourself in as a learner of French, I feel it will be rare for you to hear icitte used.
Like moé and toé, I’ll suggest that you learn to recognise icitte but that you avoid using it yourself.
Ici, on the other hand, is used in all language situations and carries no stigma. You’ll never make a social blunder with ici.
Muy bien!!!
Très bien!!! ces conseils sont excellents!!! Merci!
News you can use. Thanks!
hi felix. i think it’s it’s unfortunate that that some people lable others as uneducated by using these pronounciations.my dad was working class with 2 yr’s.college and taught me these pronounciations as his dad him in windsor ont.and though we use standard usage with strangers la populaire still is the norm among us.because that’s REAL french to us and we’re all educated.i think it’s more a social than an intelligence thing. salut
I understand what you’re saying. I don’t want to pass judgement, but I do feel a responsibility to communicate to learners a word of caution about using certain pronunciations.
If I make a recommendation about usage on OffQc, it’s always directed towards the learner of French, not the francophone.
What I have written here is based on my perspective from Montreal in 2012.
it does serve useful to know these pronunciations! i was in a club in quebec city and i showed my Maine ID to get in. the bouncer looked at it and said “kes tu calisses icitte?” haha…it was only after my friend translated it to “kes tu fais ici?” that i understood
Yes, you have to learn the language used at all levels to become fully proficient. With lots of exposure and time, you’ll learn it all.
Just a quick query. Here in Milwaukee each month a Quebecois trucking company delivers herring to a company that processes the fish. Over the last two years i’ve approached the drivers, all of whom have been very friendly, and spoken to them in French, trying to engage in a conversation to practice my (nascent) Quebecois. My French is o.k. but, without exception the drivers (4 or 5 so far) never respond in French, only English. They understand my French but will not converse in either “standard” French or Quebecois. Do you have any insights as to why this is? As I’ve said, they are very friendly and we talk about their jobs and homes and the maple syrup harvest but always in English. I’m kind of baffled. Michael
That could be an interesting question to ask them directly. Ask them in French and see where the conversation goes.
They might be thinking the same thing in reverse: “I speak to him in English but he always answers in French!”
They’re almost certainly not expecting to be spoken to in French where you are.
There’s no harm in mentioning that you like to speak in French.
All good ideas! Will implement them when the next truck from the Maritimes docks at Ma Baensch’s Herring. Merci.
Felix
Mon chum est canadien-francais, mais toujours on parle anglais chez nous. Aujoud’hui je l’ai dit que je ne vais plus parler anglais. Seulment francais. Si to veux parle anglais c’est ta choix. Moi, je parle suelement francais.
Comme tu peut voir mon francais est tres tres mal. Mais pas de problem. Si je ne parle pas francais je n’apprendre riend. On va demenager a Montreal au printemps de 2013. Il faut que j’apprende le francais!
Merci pout ton blog. C’est tres interessant.
Philippe
Philippe, ton français n’est pas du tout mauvais. J’ai tout compris — c’est ça qui compte. Tu feras beaucoup de progrès à Montréal. Bonne chance!
Salut Felix,
Je veux que je parle francais comme les quebecois. Are there autres mots differents comme ici et icitte?
Just in case you didn’t understand, are there any other examples of words that are pronounced differently in Quebec so that I can use them in my convos?
You’re in luck — you’ll find lots of examples throughout the entire blog!
But here are two common ones that you can learn to recognise:
BEN (sounds like “bin” in French) — informal for “bien,” ex. “C’est ben facile!”
PIS (sounds like “pi” in French) — informal for “puis,” ex. “Pis? Qu’est-ce qu’on fait?”
I always recommend that you wait to hear informal pronunciations used in real conversations many times before using them yourself.
Dans Twitter et Facebook, mes amis Québécois utilisent “icitte” et “ben” tout le temps, et moi, aussi. S’il est une mauvaise chose, personne ne me l’a dit. En fait, ils m’encouragent à “parler” correctement, et parfois, qui comprend l’utilisation des formes moins formelles du français québécois. Peut-être il est différent quand on parle en face-a-face?
Merci,
Janet