Canadian French vs. French: 9 Main Differences You Should Know

Did you know that French is one of the fastest-growing languages?

With over 275 million people worldwide, it is the fifth most spoken language.

And did you know that in the world there are 29 French-speaking countries?

Together, they are part of Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

Even though many countries use French as their official language, there is a difference between French spoken in France and its variant spoken in Canada.

It’s similar to British English vs. American English.

They can understand each other, but there are plenty of differences that can put you in an awkward position.

This post will help you find out the differences between Canadian French and the one spoken in France.

Trust us. You should know this. Let’s dive in.

Canadian French vs. European French: What’s the Difference?

French is the official language in France, Europe, and the third European Union's most spoken language. Even though there are 28 different French dialects used in France, the main and most used is Metropolitan French, which is spoken in Paris and it’s considered as standard.

Canadian French is spoken in Canada. One of the provinces where people mainly speak French is in Quebec; 85% of them and 80%  of Quebecois speak it as their first language. This French variety is closely related to Franco-Ontarian and the language spoken in Western Canada.

Acadian French spoken in New Brunswick and some parts of Nova Scotia, on the other hand, is pretty different from the previous two.

Now, it’s quite clear that in France, they use standard French. 

In Canada, most of the speakers use Quebec French, so we will compare these two French varieties.

9 Main Differences Between Canadian French and European French (That Every French Learner Should Know)

Vocabulary

In Canadian French, we can find some of the characteristics of the 17th-century French.

The French came to Canada in the 16th and 17th centuries. They brought the language with themselves. So, Canadians started using French. But, since these two nations weren't in contact, the Canadian variety kept using some of the 17th century's language features over time.

European French, on the other hand, continued to change. 

This difference can be seen in vocabulary.

Expressions as ‘Mais Que,’ which means ‘as soon as’ and ‘à cause que’ in English ‘because’ may sound too archaic to use them in Paris, but in Quebec, these are common phrases.

Pronunciation

French pronunciation is challenging to learn. Language learners mainly try to improve their pronunciation by repeating French tongue twisters.

Imagine their surprise when they realize that some sounds may differ depending on the French dialect.

For example, nasal vowels like 'an,' 'on' and 'in' sound more nasal in Canadian French than in the Standard one. Nasal vowel 'an' in French Canadian sounds as 'in' in words like 'dans.' In Standard French, this vowel is pronounced as 'aw,' but it would sound as the sound 'in Canadian French. ‘a' in the word 'apple.'

Here's one more example. Pronouncing letters' t' and ‘d’ before vowels' u' and 'i' is different. In Canadian, it sounds like 'tz' and 'dz.' Let's take a look at the word 'poutine.' The European dialect pronounces it as 'poo-teen,' while Canadian pronounces as 'poot-sine.'

English Words in French

In Europe, France and England are somewhat neighbor countries.  

Across the ocean, the situation is the same. Canada’s English neighbor is the USA. Moreover, one of the official languages is English, and people are mainly bilingual.

Therefore, it’s no wonder that Canadians use many more English words in French than their European language siblings.

Some expressions are translated to French, while others are used as in English, only used with French suffixes and prepositions.

Aboriginal Words in Canadian French

Loanwords aren’t reserved only for English.

During the colonization, the French have come across the early settlers, which resulted in many Aboriginal words. Many of them remained until today.

The word ‘micouène’ is ‘a large spoon’ that Canadians use, but it’s unlikely that European French even know the meaning of that word.

Or when you come to France and ask for sandals, you will use the words ‘les sandales.’ In Canada, they use the word ‘les babiches’ which is an Aboriginal loanword.

Slang Words And Phrases

It’s well-known that slang words aren’t the same in language different varieties and dialects but within one dialect.

So, it’s quite understandable that there are differences in slang expressions between Canadian and European French.

Often, some French slang words are used both in many different varieties, but their meanings are different and sometimes even offensive. 

So, to use slang words, you have to know when and which one to use.

When you ask someone in France ‘ça va, les gosses?’ it means that you ask ‘how are your kids?’ On the other hand, if you are in Canada, if you use this phrase, they will surely laugh at you or feel uncomfortable because, in Canada, the word ‘les gosses’ means ‘testicles.’

Idiomatic Expressions

Just like slang, idioms are one of the significant differences between Canadian and European French.

Compared to the European variety, Canadian French has many idioms that Europeans surely won’t understand.

Here are some of them:

• Bonjour-Hi. You don’t need an English translation to see what this expression means.

On the one hand, it is some kind of anglicism, and on the other, it shows the benefit of living in multilingual environments.

• Ma blonde. In Canada, this expression is used for ‘my girlfriend.’ Compared to the European dialect, it would mean ‘my blonde,’ which doesn’t have any sense.

• J’ai la langue à terre. Canadians often use this idiom.  Literally, it means ‘my tongue is on the floor.’ It is used when you want to describe how much you are hungry or tired.

• Mon chum. This  phrase can be translated as ‘my friend.’ Even though it is in Canadian French, it is clear that English loanwords are roughly translated to French. The word ‘chum,’ however, means ‘boyfriend,’ so, not rarely, it can be pretty confusing, even between Canadians.

Grammar

There are some differences in grammar between Standard and Canadian varieties.

Canadians address everyone informally, using the pronoun ‘tu’ instead of speaking formally and using ‘vous.’ Therefore, the word ‘que’ is used as a relative pronoun in many situations.

One more example is the French pronouns. For some language learners, this can be quite challenging while learning the language, let alone differences in using.

The difference is mainly in spoken Canadian, where, compared to the Standard dialect, subject and object pronouns are not used the same way. The pronoun ‘on’ is often used instead of ‘nous.’

Also, Canadians tend to shorten some of the prepositions. For example, they shrink ‘dans les’ to a ‘dins,’ or ‘sur la’ to ‘s’a.’

Specific Terminology

There are some differences between these two French varieties regarding the law, healthcare, or military phrases.

For example, in Canadian, it is allowed to use English words in menus, displays, signs, and so on, while in Standard French, the law mandates the use of French words only.

Moreover, even though Quebec’s legal system is based on French law, some words have different meanings from those in the Standard dialect.

So, if you are planning to become a translator, you should keep in mind these differences.

Natural Bilingualism

Canada is the country where both English and French are official languages.

When it comes to native French, they also speak English fluently. 

In fact, you can often hear them saying ‘Bonjour-Hi.’

It doesn’t mean, however, that they avoid speaking their mother tongue, no.

They are used to using both languages fluently, and that’s something they all are born with.

Switching from English to French for Canadians is a piece of cake, while European French would take some time, and even then, you can always hear a famous French accent while speaking English.

How Canadians use both languages so easily can be seen in a famous Canadian comedy Bon cop, bad cop, where English and French are so mixed up that you will need 100% concentration to keep up even if you are fluent in both languages.

Final Thoughts

It’s not possible to mention every difference there is.

These are some of the typical differences between Canadian and Standard French that can give you an overview of how to use French while speaking to Canadians and how to go while impressing European French.

If you want to learn more about differences and learn French, it’s the right time to book a lesson with French tutors and start right away.