Here’s some more everyday French overheard in Montréal for you to learn.
1. Elle cherche la chicane.
She wants to a pick a fight.
I overheard a woman say this to her friend. Une chicane is a fight or argument, so chercher la chicane is to go looking for a fight, or to pick a fight with someone.
A quarrelsome person cherche toujours la chicane.
2. C’est à quelle heure, l’autobus?
What time does the bus come?
A lady arriving at a bus stop asked this of a young girl who had already been waiting for a while.
3. Vous avez une très belle chemise!
That’s a really nice shirt!
Here’s a phrase you can use as a conversation starter with someone.
An employee in a shop said this to me when I was wearing my favourite shirt.
4. Un commis à la quincaillerie, merci!
A clerk in hardware, please!
Speaking of employees, this was announced over the loudspeaker by a Canadian Tire employee who was looking for un commis (clerk) in the hardware department.
Commis is pronounced commi. And don’t pronounce those Ls in quincaillerie. The caille part of quincaillerie rhymes with the French word faille.
