Here are 4 examples of French overheard in conversations in Montréal. You can scroll down for details about each one.
1. Y’est quasiment déchargé.
2. Moi, là, …
3. Ça s’peut!
4. Inquiétez-vous pas.
1. Y’est quasiment déchargé.
It’s almost dead (uncharged).
This is what a man said when looking at his cell.
Quasiment means the same thing as presque here, or almost in English. You’ll hear quasiment used frequently in conversations.
Y’est (sounds like yé) is an informal pronunciation of il est.
2. Moi, là, …
Personally…
Me… As for me…
You’ll very often hear someone express a point of view or provide some sort of personal information with moi, là. You can understand it as meaning as for me, personally, etc.
Moi, là, ça fait deux mois que j’viens icitte.
Personally, I’ve been coming here for two months.
Me, I’ve been coming here for two months.
3. Ça s’peut!
Maybe! That’s possible!
Ça s’peut is an informal way of pronouncing ça se peut. Ça s’peut sounds like sass peu.
Ouais, ça s’peut…
Yeah, that’s possible…
Ça s’peut pas!
No way! That’s impossible!
4. Inquiétez-vous pas.
Don’t worry.
We’ve seen before that you might hear don’t worry said informally as inquiète-toi pas. The vous form inquiétez-vous pas is also heard.
Why are inquiète-toi pas and inquiétez-vous pas considered informal?
The affirmative forms are inquiète-toi and inquiétez-vous. The negated forms above were created by just adding pas, rather than changing word order and saying ne t’inquiète pas and ne vous inquiétez pas.
inquiète-toi pas, inquiétez-vous pas
informal, spoken language
ne t’inquiète pas, ne vous inquiétez pas
written standard
