Can you say the five English sentences below in an informal style of French? Say your answer aloud, applying whatever informal contractions are possible.
In the answers below, I’ve given both an informal, spoken version and a version without contractions so that you can see the difference between the two.
Say in French
- I’m not kidding you.
- Now I’ve had it! (use tanné in your answer)
- You’re not serious?! (as in: Are you for real?!)
- Ha! That’s a good one!
- We’re gonna talk about that.
Answers
The versions typically heard in spoken language are in blue.
1. I’m not kidding you. Je ne te niaise pas, which can be heard in spoken language as j’te niaise pas. The contracted j’te sounds like ch’te.
2. Now I’ve had it! Là, je suis tanné!, which can be heard in spoken language as là, j’su’ tanné! The contracted j’su’ sounds like chu.
3. You’re not serious?! Tu n’es pas sérieux?!, which can be heard in spoken language as t’es pas sérieux?! The contracted t’es sounds like té.
4. Ha! That’s a good one! Ha! Elle est bien bonne, celle-là!, which can be heard in spoken language as Ha! ‘Est ben bonne, celle-là! The contracted ‘est sounds like è. Ben sounds like the French word bain.
5. We’re gonna talk about that. On va parler de ça, which may also be heard in spoken language as on va parler de t’ça. De t’ça sounds like de with a t sound on the end, followed by ça. Ça in de ça and de t’ça rhymes with the words pas and chat in this video.
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#4 “Elle est bien bonne, celle-là” — pourquoi est-ce qu’on utilise le pronoms féminins? Pourquoi non:
“Il est bien bon, ce-là/ça”
sous-entendu : la joke / la farce / la blague
‘Est bonne, celle-là!
That’s a good one!
(i.e., that joke’s a good one)
Je la pogne pas pantoute…
I don’t get it at all…
(i.e., I don’t get the joke at all)