Cajun French Language Tutorials

Vous-aut(res) a peut-êt(re) perdu un peu de ça que vous-aut(res) a appris par moyen de mes posts du passé. J’vas essayer de renouveler la mémoire par vous donner quelques exemples qui font la langue des Cajuns très intéressante.

Moi-même j’sus après “débarosser” mon esprit à cause d’êt(re) à coté de mon site pour une bonne élan.

I, myself, am awakening my spirit (mind) due to having been away from my site for a good while. You perhaps have lost a lot of what you had learned by means of my pasts posts. I will try to renew the memory by giving you a few examples that make the Cajun language very interesting.

The personal pronouns: (Les pronoms personnels)

I: je

thou: tu, ti

he: il, y

she: alle, a, elle, é

you: vous, vous-aut(res)

we: nous, nous (aut(res)

on: we, he, she, they

they: ils, elles, y

Cajuns rarely pronounce the “e” in the first person “je.” E.g.s: J’veux. (I want.), j’peux. (I can.) J’vas. (I will).

J’te donne ça. (I give that to you.) J’vas aller. (I will go.) J’sus très contend. (I am very happy.)

“Tu” is sometimes pronounced as “ti” by Cajuns. Tu veux ça? (Do you want that?) Remember we do not invert the verb when we ask a question. The inflection of the voice will indicate that a question is being asked.

Ti’m dis rien de nouveau. (You, thou, tell me nothing new.) “Tu” is used when referring to someone of your age or younger.

Tu (ti) vas te faire du mal. (You will hurt yourself.)

Ti veux aller avec moi? (Do you want to go with me?)

Il est manière malade. (He is rather sick.) “Il” is used when the verb following it begins with a vowel. When the verb following that pronoun (he) it is usually pronounced “y” like a long English “e.”

Y va te dire une menterie (mentrie). (He will tell you a lie.)

Y va aller prend(re) son bain. (He will go and take his bath.)

The pronoun for “she” in Cajun has four forms. “Elle or alle” in front of a verb that begins with a vowel. “A or é” in front of a verb that begins with a consonant.

Elle, alle est pas ici. (She is not here.)

Elle, alle est parti voir sa vieille mère. (She is going to see her elderly mother.)

A, é veut pas rester tranquille. (She does not want to stay still or quiet.)

É, a prend un tit somme après son diner. (She takes a little nap after her noon meal.)

“On” is used by Cajuns for “we” in informal speech. “On” can stand for he, she, they etc.) On est malpris ici avec ça. (We are in trouble or caught here with that.)

On veut pas manger à c’t'heure. (We do not want to eat right now.)

Even if “on” is used in the plural sense, the singular verb is used with it. On est pas encore arrivé chez-eux. (They have not arrived at their home yet.)

Cajuns use “nous-aut(res) for “we,” followed by “on” and a singular verb. Nous-aut(res), on veut pas prend(re) cette chance. (We do not want to take this chance.) Seldom is “nous-aut(res)” used alone when it is the subject. “Nous” was used in my locale in the more formal Cajun.

Nous voulons mieux aller aujourd’hui que demain. (We would rather go today than tomorrow.) Nous-aut(res) on veut mieux aller aujourd’hui que demain.

“Vous” and “vous-aut(res)” are used for plural “you” and for showing respect to an older person. In my locale, “vous-aut(res) was used more often for general “you” in the plural. “Vous” as a subject was used when referring to our parents or grandparents or persons up in age.

Whenever “vous-aut(res)” was used, the singular form of a verb was employed even though the pronoun was plural.

Vous-aut(res) va avoir un tas de tracas avec ça. (You will have a lot of trouble with that!)

Vous-aut(res) est bien habillé. (You are well dressed.)

Vous-êtes très contend. (You are very happy.) Usually this form was used for a single person, and that to show respect.

J’vas vous donner cette affaire. (I will give you this thing.) “Vous” is used as an object both for the singular and plural. If we used “vous-aut(res)” we would say, j’vas donner cette affaire à vous-aut(res).

For “they” we used “ils” and very seldom “elles.” In front of a verb that began with a vowel “ils” was used for both genders. We used “y” in front of a verb that began with a consonant for both genders. Remember in French there is no neuter gender. A noun is either male or female.

Ils ont un tas de quoi. (They have a lot of goods, money etc. Used for either masculine “they” or feminine “they.”

Y vont aller faire leurs achêtes plus tard. (They will go and do their purchasings later.) Again “y” could stand for either masculine or feminine.

“J’vas les donner à manger. J’vas leurs donner à manger. These two e.g.s show how the objective pronouns were used.

Again to all who are Standard French users, do not expect me to pronounce the Cajun French as it is done in Standard French. The rules of grammar and pronunciation are somewhat different than in Standard French. The Cajun vocabulary is also at times unique to Cajuns.

At times “blogs” will criticize my French pronunciation. Good, because Cajuns have a different way of pronouncing their French at times. The Cajun sounds, however, or usually French. At times foreign words may be used.

J’vas vous quitter à c’t'heure, mais j’vas publier d’aut(res) choses sur mon blog qui* vont vous rafraichir la mémoire. J’vas vous presenter avec un examen sur mon post prochain.

*”Qui” is used for inanimate things as well as for people. (PLEASE NOTE THAT IN THE AUDIO I PRONOUNCED “QUI” AS “OUI” (YES), IT SHOULD BE SOUNDED LIKE “KEY!” J’SUS JUSTEMENT UN HOMME IMPARFAIT. MERCI.

I will leave you now, but I will publish other things on my blog that will refresh your memory. I will present you with an exam (test) on my next post.