In entry #710 about the pronunciations pis, moé, and toé, I put up an example that happened to use the word drette in it:
Tantôt, j’étais au Subway, pis y’a un monsieur qui s’est étouffé avec son 6 pouces au thon drette à côté de moi.
Earlier on, I was at Subway [a fast-food restaurant], and there was a man who choked on his 6-inch tuna [sandwich] right next to me.
(source: Axe du Mad)
What does drette mean?
Drette is an informal québécois pronunciation of droit. In the example above, drette is the part that means “right” in the English translation.
drette à côté de moi
= juste à côté de moi
= right next to me
Tourne à drette.
= Tourne à droite.
= Turn right.
C’est drette là.
= C’est juste là.
= It’s right there.
Drette là may also be used informally in the sense of tout de suite, immédiatement.
In a Kijiji posting online, someone was trying to get rid of some furniture. The title of the ad was:
Faut que ça parte genre drette là!
It’s gotta go like right now!!
In that example, genre is the part translated as “like.”
In another online posting, someone had an apartment up for rent. The title of the ad was:
Appart à louer presque drette là!
Apartment for rent almost right away!
The final t in appart is pronounced. It’s an informal short form of appartement.
Drette is never used in formal language. It’s at the same level of language as words like moé, toé and icitte. Even if all Québécois understand what drette means, this doesn’t mean that everybody will use it.
