In a conversation, a guy said j’capote avec ça ben raide.
When someone says j’capote, you can be sure that person has lost their calm.
What you need the context to tell you though is if the person has lost their calm in a good way (because of excitement, happiness…) or in a bad way (because of anger, worry…).
J’ai gagné! J’capote!
I won! I’m so happy! I’m so excited!
J’capote… j’ai perdu toutes mes photos.
I’m freaking out… I lost all my photos.
The guy who said j’capote avec ça ben raide used j’capote in its negative sense. He was distressed.
J’capote avec ça ben raide.
I’m totally freaking out about it.
Ben raide is an informal intensifier, similar in meaning to English’s totally. Remember, ben is pronounced bin. It sounds like the French word bain. The informally contracted j’capote sounds like ch’capote.
The guy didn’t just say capoter – he said capoter avec.
Capote pas avec ça.
Arrête don’ de capoter avec ça.
Don’t freak out about it/that.
Stop freaking out about it/that.
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News…
I’m working on a new downloadable guide for purchase. Now that OffQc is approaching 1000 posts, this guide will be a condensed version of all the language that has appeared here over the last four years.
The guide will contain 1000 example sentences from the conversational level of Québécois French, each example accompanied by usage and pronunciation notes. It’s looking really good so far (and big! I’m about 60% of the way through). I’m really excited to make it available because it’s going to make a serious difference to your knowledge of Québécois French to have everything together in one file.
Everybody who’s bought C’est what? or Say it in French has automatically been entered into a draw to receive a free copy of it when it’s ready. (I’ve got everybody’s email address.) If you bought both, you’ve been entered twice. When it’s ready, I’ll pick 5 winners. I’ll also add to the draw anybody who buys C’est what? or Say it in French between now and the release date of the new guide. :-)
