When you think of verbs unique to Québécois French, which ones come to mind?
There are many of course, but here are OffQc’s choices for five typically Québécois French verbs.
1. POGNER
This verb is used in the sense of catching or “landing” something, like the flu (pogner la grippe) or a ticket (pogner un ticket).
Je viens de pogner un ticket parce que je textais à une lumière rouge.
I just got a ticket because I was texting at a red light.
Pronunciation tip:
Pogner is pronounced ponyé.
Keep reading… Everything you ever wanted to know about the Québécois French verb pogner.
2. NIAISER
This verb has different uses, but the most common is probably the one where it’s used in the sense of joking around.
Arrête don’ de niaiser, tes jokes plates me font pas rire.
Stop joking around, your bad jokes aren’t making me laugh.
Pronunciation tip:
Niaiser is pronounced nyèzé.
Keep reading… Everything you ever wanted to know about the Québécois French verb niaiser.
3. TRIPPER
When you “trip” in Québécois, you’re really into something or having a great time. It comes from English drug slang.
Ma job me fait tripper!
I totally love my job!
Usage tips:
Learn the expression tripper sur. Je trippe fort sur la soie dentaire. I totally love dental floss.
Use dessus when what you love is not stated because it’s understood. Je trippe fort dessus. I totally love it.
This verb is also spelled triper. Take your pick!
4. CAPOTER
The root of the verb capoter contains cap, which refers to the head. Quand tu capotes, that’s exactly what you lose — your head.
Hey man, capote pas, c’est pas grave.
Hey man, don’t lose it, it’s not a big deal.
5. ÉCOEURER
You can tell a friend (or non-friend!) to stop teasing or picking on you with the verb écoeurer. Depending on the context, écoeurer quelqu’un can mean “to pick on someone, to poke fun at someone, to tease someone, to take a dig at someone…”
Arrête de m’écoeurer avec ça.
Stop teasing me about that. Stop picking on me about that.
Pronunciation tip:
Écoeurer is pronounced ékeuré.
Got any verbs to add to this list?
Let me know in the comments.
Nice list! Hard to think of any more typically Québécois verbs than these.
I’d just suggest though that the definition of écoeurer could be deepened.
While it can be bugging, it really goes as far as disgust with something. From the construction of the word, it’s literally about something hurting your heart or even cutting your heart out.
In English, I’d think the best analogy is something making you sick to the stomach figuratively. In French though, it moves up from the stomach to the heart. Heartburn? 😛
All of the definitions could be deepened, in fact! 🙂
The disgust definition of écœurer isn’t limited to Québec. I just focused on a few basic Québécois-only usages in this post, which is why I didn’t touch on the definition you mentioned.
Maybe we can look at écœurer in more detail in another post.
There is another verb interesting in Quebec French. Chiâler ( to complain ).
Yes, that’s a very good one! In another entry, we’ve got this example of chiâler:
Non mais sérieux, l’hiver tu chiâles contre le froid pis l’été tu chiâles contre la chaleur. J’ai mon voyage!
OK seriously, in the winter you complain about the cold, and in the summer you complain about the heat. I’ve had it!