Another example of French overheard in Montréal today; someone said in French the equivalent of “I’m on break” (as in a break at work).
Do you know how the person might have said this informally in French?
First thing to know: to be on break is être en pause.
This gives us je suis en pause.
Do you remember how je suis en can be pronounced informally? It can contract to j’t’en, which sounds like ch’t’en. (The ch sounds like ch in chaise.)
This happens when je suis contracts to j’s’, which sounds like ch. Between the ch sound and en, a t sound then got slipped in to ease pronunciation.
So the speaker said:
J’t’en pause.
(sounds like ch’t’en pause)
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