Comparing And Contrasting Parisian French With Quebecois French

Contrasting Parisian French with Quebecois French French is a language that has conquered much of the world, being spoken extensively in eighty-four countries scattered across the globe. As a pluricentric language, French differs heavily in the way it is spoken from region to region. Two notable French dialects are Parisian French and Quebecois, which are spoken in France and Canada, respectively. Despite their similar linguistic heritage, the two dialects contrast significantly in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Quebec French can be as distinct from Parisian French as maple syrup is from wine. Understanding these differences is essential in bridging the gap between the two dialects by avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring more successful

These settlers brought with them the Classical French that was commonly spoken during the seventeenth century along with several minor French dialects (Bibard). However, once British rule came to the French in the colonies they were heavily isolated which led to significant influences from English and Native languages. A major historical distinction for the differences between the two dialects is that Parisian French has been codified and standardized by institutions such as the Académie Française for centuries, unlike Quebecois. Parisian French became the voice of the educated French elite, while Quebec French became the language of the working-class settlers. By outlining the French language Parisian French cemented itself as the dominant French dialect known as standard French. With the period of industrialization in the 1800s, English loan words began to appear more frequently in fields such as manufacturing, trade, law, and government. However, the 1960s witnessed a major drive towards embracing Quebec nationalism with the Quiet Revolution, which limited the influence of English. Although they share the same roots, Parisian French and Quebec French can seem like entirely different languages. Quebec’s geographical separation and absence of a governing language body have resulted in

When it comes to grammar, Quebec French is less rigid than Parisian French, with looser rules for word order and verb conjugation. In Parisian French, the formal “vous” form for you is more common, while Quebec French uses the informal “tu” form of address more frequently. This usage of the informal “tu” form even in formal settings reflects the more relaxed style of Quebec French. Additionally, Quebecers will frequently use “on” meaning we instead of “nous” which is more informal. The linguistic divergence between the two dialects is also reflected in their verb choices. For instance, in Parisian French, the verb “to have” is often utilized to express age, whereas in Quebecois, the verb “to be” is used instead. Often instead of using the verb Quebecers will replace “Je suis” or “I am" with “Chu.” Therefore instead of hearing “Je suis fatigué” or “I’m tired” you may hear a Quebecer say “Chu fatigué” (Québécois French vs Parisian French). There are also differences in syntax between the two dialects such as in Parisian French the word order in questions is often inverted, while in Quebec French it is not. An example of this is “viens tu?” or “are you coming?” becoming “tu viens?” Polite and reserved is Parisian French, while casual and expressive is Quebec French. Furthermore, the people of Quebec prefer to truncate prepositions, such as with “sur la” meaning “on