Le Français Québécois - Love and Feelings French Canadian Vocabulary

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by Michel Denance
Updated April 10, 2019

Michel is French and Canadian. He lives in the gorgeous island of Belle-Isle in Brittany where he offers French immersion. He also taught at McGill in Montreal where he also spends a few months each year.

Today, Michel is going to teach us typical Canadian French expressions to talk about love and feelings. 

1 - Tomber en amour - to fall in love,

Also "Être en amour" - to be in love. This structure is probably influenced by English syntax; in love. In France, we'd say: "tomber amoureux, être amoureux".

A phrase which is very « québécoise » : Ils sont en amour par-dessus la tête - they're in love over their head. In France, one would rather say : ils sont amoureux fous - they are crazy in love.

2 - Mon chum, ma blonde

- Mon chum (my boy-friend)

- Ma blonde (my girl-friend).

This was once an expression used in France, such as a 18th century still famous song indicates it :

Nowadays, a song by a very famous Québec singer, Diane Dufresne, would give you a good idea of the actual pronunciation of the word « chum » in québécois:

3 - C'est un méchant pétard !

About some sexy girl (or some sexy boy), you will hear : "c’est un méchant pétard!" (he/she is a nasty firecracker!)

4 - T'es beau comme un p'tit coeur!

To your lover, you can say : “t’es beau/belle comme un p’tit coeur!" (you are beautiful like a little heart)

5 - Donne-moi un bec

"Un bec" (say the final c) in québécois means a kiss (French people would say "donne-moi un baiser, or un bisou". "Un bec" in France means a beak, like a bird's beak)

Another Anglicism used in québécois : "un French kiss". This is an expression which is not used in France at all! Québécois have even built up a verb : “frencher quelqu’un”.  In France, we'd say "rouler un patin à quelqu'un" - it's quite slang though.

Now, let's practice your French kissing vocabulary in this realistic and fun "learn French in context story" - you will also learn how to avoid a HUGE faux-pas!

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