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« “The thing is… It’s just that…” Do you know how to say this during a French conversation? (#1137)
Transform two French sentences step-by-step into colloquial language (#1139) »

So how do you say UGLY in French anyway? (#1138)

13 June 2016 by OffQc

If you look up ugly in an English-French dictionary, you’ll find (amongst a few other adjectives):

laid (m.) and
laide (f.).

As an approximation, the feminine form laide sounds like the English word led; the masculine form laid sounds like led without the d on the end.

But there’s also another way to say ugly, which can be heard in colloquial language: laitte (also spelled laite), which sounds like the English word let.

Y’est ben laitte, ton dessin!
Your drawing’s really ugly!

Y’est is a contraction of il est; it sounds like yé. Ben is a contraction of bien; it sounds like the French word bain. Ben means really here.

T’es don’ ben laitte!
You’re so ugly!

T’es is a contraction of tu es; it sounds like té. Don’ is a phonetic spelling of donc, where the c is silent. Don’ and ben together before an adjective is stronger than just ben on its own. (It’s also possible to just say t’es ben laitte, of course.)

C’est trop laitte comme nom!
That’s such an ugly name!

We also saw an example of laitte in a past post. An author said that, on the sidewalks of Québec during moving season, there’s plein de vieux divans à motifs laittes (lots of old sofas with ugly designs).

Remember, laitte is a colloquial form. It’s fine during informal conversations, but not on your French exam (not unless, of course, you’re writing informal dialogue or otherwise know what you’re doing such that you can break the rules).

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Posted in Entries #1101-1150 | Tagged français québécois, laitte, Québécois French | 6 Comments

6 Responses

  1. on 13 June 2016 at 15:47 Adrian

    Do you happen to hear the pronunciation liètte/liaitte as well? I feel as if I’ve heard this somewhere, but maybe I had heard it incorrectly.


    • on 13 June 2016 at 19:46 OffQc

      I’ve never heard that.


  2. on 13 June 2016 at 16:49 Mark Hammond

    I have used “moche” and “laide” interchangeably. Are there subtle differences?


    • on 13 June 2016 at 16:57 OffQc

      Moche is an informal usage, but laid isn’t.


    • on 13 June 2016 at 17:52 Circeus

      Moche feels like a European thing to me. It’s also useable in abstract, for example when describing a situation that’s messy, troubling or morally unsound.


  3. on 14 June 2016 at 06:54 Bob

    My uncle’s version towards his sister was:
    T’es ben vieille! T’es ben vieilllllle!!



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