B1 · Episode 38 · 1:11

Quebec French Interrogative Particle 'tu'

This episode explains the distinctive Quebec French interrogative structure, focusing on the particle 'tu' inserted after the verb in questions like 'j't'ai-tu dit?' — how it forms and functions in informal speech.

Source:Wandering French · License:CC BY 3.0

Transcript

  1. Eh j't'ai- tu dit?

    Hey, did I tell you?

  2. Eh j't'ai- tu dit?

    Hey, did I tell you?

  3. Est- ce que vous comprenez cette phrase?

    Do you understand this sentence?

  4. Ça veut dire eh est- ce que je t'ai dit quelque chose?

    That means, uh, did I tell you something?

  5. Donc eh c'est interjection normale en québécois.

    So, uh, it's a common interjection in Quebec French.

  6. Eh, j't'ai- tu dit?

    Hey, did I tell you?

  7. Je t'ai dit? Ça veut dire est- ce que je t'ai dit?

    Did I tell you?

  8. Donc, est- ce que je t'ai dit?

    So, did I tell you?

  9. On va dire je t'ai tu dit.

    Let's put it this way: I told you.

  10. Donc au lieu de dire« est- ce que», on peut dire« j't'ai dit? »

    So instead of saying 'Is that right?', we can say 'Did I tell you?'

  11. juste la question avec intonation, mais en québécois,

    just the question with intonation, but in Quebec French,

  12. on aime mettre la particule interrogative« tu» après le verbe.

    we like to place the interrogative particle «tu» after the verb.

  13. Donc« je t'ai dit», « je t'es- tu dit? », « j't'es- tu dit». « je t'es»,

    So, 'I told you,' 'Did I tell you?', 'Did I tell you?', 'I told you'

  14. on contracte à« j'té», on enlève le« e», « j'té», c'est impossible à prononcer,

    We contract it to 'I told you,' dropping the 'e' sound—but 'I told you' is impossible to pronounce

  15. donc on fait« j'té».

    So we say 'I told you'

  16. Je t'ai, je t'ai étudié, est- ce que je t'ai dit?

    I've studied you; did I tell you?

  17. Hey, je t'ai étudié?

    Hey, have I studied you?

  18. C'est tout.

    That's all.