OffQc | Québécois French Guide

If you still have doubts about the québécois verb pogner, put them to rest today once and for all!

Below are lots of example sentences of ways you might hear pogner used in the French of Québec.

Remember, pogner is an informal verb. You’ll hear it used spontaneously during conversations, but it’s avoided in formal language.

One way you’ll hear pogner used is in the sense of catching or grabbing hold of something.

Il m’a pogné par le bras.
He grabbed me by the arm.

Je l’ai pogné à mentir.
I caught him lying.

J’ai pogné la grippe.
I caught the flu.

J’ai pogné un ticket sur la 40.
I got a ticket on highway 40.

Je la pogne pas, ta joke.
I don’t get your joke.

Il s’est fait pogné par la police.
He got caught by the police.

You could also say that last example as:

La police l’a pogné.
The police caught him.

In the next example using se pogner, a fight occurred:

Ils se sont pognés dans le bar.
They got into a fight in the bar.

The verb pogner can be used in the sense of breaking out into a fight or fire.

Le feu a pogné.
Fire broke out.

La chicane a pogné.
An argument broke out.

La maison a pogné en feu.
The house burst into flames.

In the next examples, pogner is used in the sense of being popular.

Elle pogne avec les gars.
She’s really popular with guys.

C’est un chanteur qui pogne.
He’s a really popular singer.

Sa musique ne pogne pas.
His music isn’t popular at all.

The verb pogner can also be used in the sense of being stuck or caught up in something.

Je suis resté pogné dans le trafic.
I got stuck in traffic.

On est restés pognés dans le métro.
We got stuck in the metro.

Elle est pognée dans la drogue.
She’s caught up in drugs.

Je vais être pogné pour attendre.
I’m gonna be stuck with having to wait.

Hey, you’re now an expert on the informal québécois verb pogner!

Related reading:
Homework! Exercise on POGNER
Everything you ever wanted to know about the québécois verb NIAISER
Everything you ever wanted to know about the québécois adjective NIAISEUX
Everything you ever wanted to know about the québécois use of LÀ

Inspiration from:
Dictionnaire Usito (usito.com)