I DON'T UNDERSTAND FRENCH CANADIAN...

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:03]The language I have such a hard time with. And you would say, "What's Mary?

[00:00:07]You're French. They speak French here.

[00:00:10]That should be awesome. And you're bilingual." So, you know, even if if people speak in English, which is the case a lot in Montreal. Montreal is in the Quebec region, which is supposedly French, but a lot of people don't speak French here. A lot of people are immigrants and they speak English. And I love that because I get to speak English. But you know that makes me happy. So what I love a lot here is like in the states for Spanish and English everything is written in Spanish and in English and I like that. Here everything is written in English and French and this is cool. You know I get to uh study my vocabulary and and such. So this is great even learn a new word. Um the problem is I don't understand anything they say. They don't understand me when I talk.

[00:01:00]I'm laughing because this sounds ridiculous because we're supposed to talk the same language, but and this is a culture shock because I've been to Quebec before. I've I've talked to people and I remember it was okay. And actually living here, hearing people talking to the neighbor, you're like, "Mhm." When you don't understand anything they say, you hear that they speak French, you just don't understand anything they say.

[00:01:26]I'm lost, guys. I feel like I actually need to learn their French, like French Canadian. Let me go get a a book that Charlie bought. Uh I've been I've been laughing so much reading some words. I'm like, "What the heck? This is not possible." So, this is uh something that Charlie bought like I don't know a couple of months ago, I guess. And in there there are our French and their French and it's like a dictionary or like couple of expressions.

[00:01:57]It's brand new to me. I know almost nothing. It's like they use words that mean something for us that are that have a really different meaning sometimes.

[00:02:08]Some words are very embarrassing.

[00:02:12]There's a word that means kids for us in French. It means balls in what you are understanding right now for them. So I this is a word I actually use a lot to say oh the kids over there.

[00:02:27]So I need to be careful not to say that in the street because people are going to look at me like what the heck is she saying? First of all, they say to say hello.

[00:02:38]Say hello. They say aloo, which is the word we used to say when you uh when you're on the phone and you say hello.

[00:02:46]This is we say aloo. And this is the only time with we say this word. So a couple of times people have been saying hi to me but saying hello and I'm like are you talking to me? Are you on the phone? You know with like an ear plug or something or or not? This is very confusing. And then they say sal which is the high like not like the the familiar way to say hello. So I'm like sal like do I know you? You know in France you only say that to people you know. So there's two you in French you probably know it the respectful way vu and the familiar way to we only use it for like um you know friends, family and that's all and you never say that to a stranger. And here they always use the two which is very familiar. And 50% of me like it because this is the way I like to talk to people when I want to make them feel comfortable with me, you know, just to sound cool and all that.

[00:03:38]And 50% of me is like this is so disrespectful. I don't feel disrespected at all, but I'm like why are they talking like this? You know, this is so against the rules we have in France and the you know what I'm used to it. And it's so fascinating. It's like wow they really do things differently here down to the language you know yesterday I was in Walmart and I asked to print documents I was like do you can I print document here and the girl looked at me and was like like she clearly did not understand what I said and I I did not talk fast you know I think the word print is the same documents probably not because I think that's that's why she was like documents I was like yeah you know like A4 paper type of document like oh yeah you can find those was over there and I was like, "Okay." And I was like, "I think I think she didn't understand what I just said." So, I just I went to the, you know, like uh the area with all the crayons and papers and I didn't find a printers and I think, yeah, I think she understood I wanted paper and I was like, "Okay, that's okay." But yeah, so far we talked to our neighbor upstairs is Irish, so all good there. You know, we talk in English.

[00:04:47]That's amazing. and he does not speak any French. So, I'm I'm I'm happy about that. My neighbor downstairs is French, Canadian. Um, she's lovely.

[00:04:57]I don't understand much what she says.

[00:05:00]Especially her dad. We They were doing like renovations and all that. So, we saw them a couple of times and um I just I nod. I say, "Mhm."

[00:05:13]And I don't understand the hell they're saying. And this is absolutely frustrating because I'm like I hear them, you know, they speak French. I hear them speak French. I know it's French because it sounds French. I mean, and but it's like they use words. I'm like I feel like I know this word, but I I don't. And most of the time I just I hear words for the first time. They sound French, but I'm like, I never heard that. Yeah, their accent is it's it they have a funny accent. I like it. They sound a lot like people from the north in France. And they sound a lot like those, you know, grandpas that are, you know, farmers in the deep, deep countryside of some regions we have in France. They really sound like that. So the thing is I do believe they, you know, they all say, "Yeah, you like a lot of people say, "Oh, I wish I could speak real French like you and not, you know, Quebec French." And I'm like, I think you guys are speaking real French.

[00:06:12]Um, and not us. Our French evolved. I think you guys are speaking the French for from like a couple of centuries ago.

[00:06:19]But so this is really cool and it's it's really fascinating that I don't understand anything. A couple of stuff are the same, but so many things and you know there's a lot of English.

[00:06:33]You know how some words can be like mayonnaise is French but used in English. There's so many English words that are used in French Canadian Canadian and that sounds French, you know, like they add the R to to form a verb at the end of the word and it's like, yeah, but it's still English and I don't have anything any problem with that, but Charlie has a bit. So, I felt like I'm going to have to learn a brand new language. You know, the problem is as it's confusing and frustrating to not be able to communicate, I usually switch in English and then they understand me perfectly. I'm like, you know, when I need stuff, I'm like just going to switch in English. And I don't think it's a good solution. As much as I really love speaking English, I don't think speaking English is a solution here because, you know, I I would like to be able to get their accent. First of all, I would love to be able to speak with their accent. And also, I would like to add new words to my French vocabulary and be able to say, "Yeah, this this means that and all that." And so far, it's just been nope. Nope. Uh, but you know, it's the same. I did not have that many interactions because I've been in jail here because of the weather. I I feel like, you know, when I when we're going to go to festivals and all that, I'm definitely going to try my best to speak more with people. So, yeah. Yeah, it's been actually so confusing. It's so weird. You know, we speak the same language, but it's actually a whole different one. I'm eager to see how this evolves for me personally, the understanding and and and the talking, too. So, yeah, we'll see about that. Okay people, I'm finishing editing this video and it has been almost two weeks since I've filmed it and I've had other interactions since then and I can say I am really getting better at understanding uh Quebec French. It really is a matter of really paying attention to like what they say.

[00:08:26]usually just speaks too fast. But um the really real problem is the the words the words that we don't we don't have in in in France. Uh but that are French we don't have anymore or the words that are now have a different meaning here. Um sometimes, you know, I'm like, "Okay, I understand what you're saying and blah blah blah." And then the person's going to throw a word and I'm going like, "Wow." Um what what have we been talking about? Um, it's just the whole meaning of the sentence can be changed in an instant. And yeah, sometimes it's still I mean I really need to have like a real conversation, a long conversation with a Quebec French uh to improve I think and I'm eager to be able to do that. Um, I recently went to the library, got a card and all that to print some stuff. At some point I was talking to the woman, she was explaining to me how it all works. Very, very nice. And at some point I was like I looked at her and I was like, "Wait, wait a second. and you're French from France. She was like, "Yeah." I was like, "I, you know, not even noticed." I was like, "That's why I can't understand everything you've been saying." And then at some point she talked about money, just putting money on my uh library card to print and all that. And she used the word, which is sue, which is a word in France we use as another word to say a money. And she was like, "So this is going to be like I understood it as this is going to be 10 bucks." I was like I was like 10 10 bucks one one print one paper and she was like yeah I was like this is really expensive. She was like this is really cheap and I was like I don't think I'm understanding what you're saying and she was like oh sorry you're French I can talk to you with the the other word and she said 10 cents but she said when I say sense here they don't they don't understand what I mean I need to say sue. So yeah that was that was a funny moment. I was like, "Internesting."

[00:10:21]Okay. Uh, this is another word I need to be careful of when I um well, when I when I speak uh when I speak Quebec, with Quebec people at least. Uh but yeah, anyway, uh I really am eager to follow my journey with this language. I I really feel like I'm I'm supposed to at some point actually take classes or something. I don't know. Uh we'll see how it goes. But I'm eager to share that with you. So stay tuned for that. And hopefully I will get better at it. And the goal is definitely to be understood and to understand. So, we'll see how it goes. Anyway, thanks so much for watching and I will see you in a couple of days for another video. Bye.