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FRENCH PHRASES:)
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alicechauvin
Mar 18, 2005, 11:08:28 AM3/18/05
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Although you do not hear Cajun French as much as you once did, it is still
spoken in south Louisiana, particularly in the smaller communities around
Lafayette.
Here are some words and phrases that you might hear:
Andouille (an do ee) — A type of pork sausage.
Après (ah pray) — After, next.
Après-midi (ah pray mid ee) — Afternoon.
Au revoir (oh rev war) — Good bye.
Beau (bowe) — Handsome.
Beaucoup (bowe coo) — A lot.
Bisque (bisk) — Highly seasoned dish usually made with crawfish.
Bonjour (bawn joor) — Good day, good morning.
Boucherie (boosh ree) — A communal gathering to butcher a pig.
Boudin (boo dan) — A Cajun sausage.
Ça c’est bon (sah say bohn) — That’s good. Ça va bien (sah vah be en) —
I’m fine.
C’est la meme chose (say la mem shows) — It’s the same thing.
C’est la vie (say la vee) — That’s life. C’est tout (say too) — That’s
all.
Chênière (chen year) — An oak covered island on the Louisiana coast.
Cher (sha) — Dear.
Cochon-de-lait (koe shawn de lay) — Suckling pig.
Comme-çi, comme ça — (Kom see, kom sah) — So-so.
Comment ça va (Koh mon sah vah) — How are you?
Coteau (ko toe) — A hill or mound. Ecrévisse (Eh cray veese) — Crawfish.
Est (est) — East
Etouffée (eh too faye) — A smothered dish. Fais-do-do (faye doe doe) — A
country dance.
Joie de vivre (jiwah de veeve) — Spirit, joy of life.
Lâche pas la patate (lash pah la pah tat) — Don’t drop the potato, keep on
keeping on.
Lagniappe (lan yappe) — A little something extra.
Laissez les bons temps rouler (lay say lay bohn tohn roo lay) — Let the
good times roll.
Maringouin (mare en gwan) — Mosquito.
Merci (mer see) — Thank you,
Mon ami (mon amee) — My friend.
Nord (nor) — North
Ouest — (west) — West
Quoi ça dit? (qua sah dee) — What do you say? How are things?
Pas rien (pa ree en) — Nothing.
Pirogue (pea rogue) — A small canoe-like boat.
Roux (roo) — A flour and oil mixture that is the base of a number of
Louisiana dishes, particularly gumbo.
Rue (rue) — Street
Sans souci (sanz soo see) — Without worry. Sud (sood) — South
Sauce piquante (sauce peek awnt) — A highly seasonsed sauce.
Sil vous plait (sea voo play)
— Please.
Zydeco (zy dee coh) — A lively music developed largely by black people in
French Louisiana.
SOURCE: A Dictionary of the Cajun Language, Jules O. Daigle
Jim
Mar 19, 2005, 11:33:54 AM3/19/05
to
Alice
I've been trying to learn Cajun french, I guess I'm making progress I
knew all these phrases. Although I speak it with a Kansas accent. :-)
Jim
Crowley, LA
I've been trying to learn Cajun french, I guess I'm making progress I
knew all these phrases. Although I speak it with a Kansas accent. :-)
Jim
Crowley, LA
alicechauvin
Mar 19, 2005, 4:31:23 PM3/19/05
to
Good for you!:)
my daddy was a young man when the law required french kids to speak only
english in school. daddy saw how Cajun kids were beat when they didn't.
he never taught me french due to that....
i can't complain tho, 'cause he did it out of love for me:)
one time our aunt julia came to visit..i was told what a sweet old lady
aunt julia was and went running up to her...she said "cher bebe".. i, just
as fast, ran back to my parents telling them aunt julia had called me a
"shabby baby"! grinnnnnnn
i hope you get hold of some of those old records. i learned to dance on
daddys' feet to "drunkards dream" wonder who sang it? wonder what the
words were? wish i still had it...that's another happy memory there:)
gosh i've been so blessed:)
alice
my daddy was a young man when the law required french kids to speak only
english in school. daddy saw how Cajun kids were beat when they didn't.
he never taught me french due to that....
i can't complain tho, 'cause he did it out of love for me:)
one time our aunt julia came to visit..i was told what a sweet old lady
aunt julia was and went running up to her...she said "cher bebe".. i, just
as fast, ran back to my parents telling them aunt julia had called me a
"shabby baby"! grinnnnnnn
i hope you get hold of some of those old records. i learned to dance on
daddys' feet to "drunkards dream" wonder who sang it? wonder what the
words were? wish i still had it...that's another happy memory there:)
gosh i've been so blessed:)
alice
Jim
Mar 19, 2005, 6:52:47 PM3/19/05
to
Alice
The only Le Reve Du Soulard I could find was done by Octa Clark and
Hector Duhon. I'm not familiar with those artists, but they do have a
CD out with it on it.
The only Le Reve Du Soulard I could find was done by Octa Clark and
Hector Duhon. I'm not familiar with those artists, but they do have a
CD out with it on it.
It's ashame french is slowly going away in Louisiana, one of these
days I hope to be able to sit down and hold a conversation in French
with my father-in-law. It has been coming in handy already though,
when I don't want my daughter to understand what we are talking about.
:-) But I really want her to learn it since it's part of her heritage.
Best
Jim
alicechauvin
Mar 19, 2005, 8:16:09 PM3/19/05
to
I HAVEN'T A CLUE. i was little, mebe 6 yrs old.
in 1999 on the way to 1999 reunion, we stopped at a cafe. i was looking
at the jukebos..a man sitting there, we got to talking & he played
"drunkards dream" for me:)
you know, now louisiana has french immersion classes..the kids are taking
"their french" back!!
fantastic huh
alice
in 1999 on the way to 1999 reunion, we stopped at a cafe. i was looking
at the jukebos..a man sitting there, we got to talking & he played
"drunkards dream" for me:)
you know, now louisiana has french immersion classes..the kids are taking
"their french" back!!
fantastic huh
alice
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