Difference between Canadian and European French Thread poster: hzhang
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hzhang
Local time: 06:48
English to Chinese
Hello,
We are discussing the differences between European French and Canadian French to a client. Due to cost, our client prefers European French translation, though the material is specific for Canada/Quebec.
Are there any suggestions we could relay as to why it would be important in this case to use Canadian French?
Thanks for all the replies.
| | | | MM^^ 
Local time: 12:48
Chinese to French
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| | | Sylvie Pilon (X)
Canada
Local time: 06:48
English to French
| Differences, yes, but not the ones mentioned in that site | May 22, 2011 |
I can't believe this Web site is serious regarding the explanations it offers. The differences it mentions are similar to comparing apples and oranges. Those supposedly "typical" French Canadian words (e.g. bacon, barfer, bécosse, bobette) are slang terms that some people use, whereas most people will use the correct French words (argent, vomir, toilette, culotte). So I wouldn't rely on that link to have a good idea of the differences.
The differences are not that big, but they do exist. Since I am a French Canadian, I can spot them when I need to adapt a European French text into Canadian French, but I couldn't do the opposite process with certainty. Some differences have to do with the words we use, while some have to do with the way we construct our sentences. I suppose you just have to live for a while in countries where the two variants are spoken to really know what the differences are.
Sylvie
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Sylvie Pilon (X)
Canada
Local time: 06:48
English to French
| Using Canadian French will show that the company cares about its clientele | May 22, 2011 |
hzhang wrote:
Due to cost, our client prefers European French translation, though the material is specific for Canada/Quebec.
If the material is specific for Canada/Quebec, does this mean that it will simply not be published in Europe? If so, then I think that it would be a bad idea to translate into European French. I don't really understand why the client feels that the cost would be higher for Canadian French. From what I've seen, rates are pretty similar for both variants.
Although there aren't necessarily many differences between the two variants, they contribute to the "flavor" of the text and show whether the text was intended for a European French or Canadian French audience. Small differences, like using email/fax (European French) instead of courriel/télécopieur (Canadian French), will indicate whether the company cares enough about its clients to have a text written in their specific variant. Also, depending on the subject matter, there might be some cultural references that would work in Europe but would not be suitable in Canada or not understood by a Canadian French audience.
Sylvie
| | | | NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 06:48
Member (2002)
French to English
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Moderator of this forum | Agree with Sylvie | May 22, 2011 |
I immediately know whether my source text was composed by a European or Canadian francophone (This is true for Belgian, African, etc. French too.) I am definitely more at home with my own lingo (even though in my case I translate from, and not to, French. Indeed, maybe because of it.) I'm reading a novel just now, translated into French. Boy, am I aware that this book was published in Paris!
I just about jumped out of my chair when I saw "baiser" on the page mentioned above, though!... See more I immediately know whether my source text was composed by a European or Canadian francophone (This is true for Belgian, African, etc. French too.) I am definitely more at home with my own lingo (even though in my case I translate from, and not to, French. Indeed, maybe because of it.) I'm reading a novel just now, translated into French. Boy, am I aware that this book was published in Paris!
I just about jumped out of my chair when I saw "baiser" on the page mentioned above, though! I mean, if they insist we all speak joual only, you'd think they'd know it's the Quebec term for fornication!
I live in Quebec, have spoken Canadian French my whole life. When I was in France, I was understood - but I was often told that the terms I use are old or obsolete. Not surprising - our language is sort of frozen in time, in the 1700s. At least the article was right about that. But as Sylvie says, we actually do speak French, not just slang. I've enver been to a public place that advertised its washrooms as becosse, for example. ▲ Collapse
| | | | LEXpert
United States
Local time: 05:48
Member (2008)
Croatian to English
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| "Due to cost"? | May 22, 2011 |
Just out of curiosity, what was the logic behind the European French version being cheaper? Are European translators supposed to be less expensive than Canadian ones? That's hard to believe, especially with the Euro as high as it is.
[Edited at 2011-05-22 22:53 GMT]
| | | | hzhang
Local time: 06:48
English to Chinese
TOPIC STARTER | Finance material | Jun 2, 2011 |
Thanks for all the replies. The subject matter is in Finance, so I'm not sure if there would be differences between the two variants in your opinion?
Regarding cost, many of our Canadian French translators charge more than our European French translators - though of course rates vary from translator to translator.
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| Question of register | Feb 28, 2012 |
I am curious about those differences. I have already heard Canadian people talk, and of course the pronounciation and the colloquial language is quite different. But does it show in more formal registers as well ? And could you give some examples ? I wonder more about syntactic differences than lexical ones, I already know the OQLF excellent teminology dictionary which is of great help when I am looking for a French translation of an IT term (I hate this fashion of using English terms everywhere... See more I am curious about those differences. I have already heard Canadian people talk, and of course the pronounciation and the colloquial language is quite different. But does it show in more formal registers as well ? And could you give some examples ? I wonder more about syntactic differences than lexical ones, I already know the OQLF excellent teminology dictionary which is of great help when I am looking for a French translation of an IT term (I hate this fashion of using English terms everywhere and whenever I can push for the use of courriel, bibliothèque instead of library and so on, I do). ▲ Collapse
| | | | Jean-Pierre Artigau (X)
Canada
Local time: 06:48
English to French
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| Depends on the register | Apr 10, 2012 |
Differences between Canadian and European variants of French are most evident in the colloquial language, slang, etc. In technical or scientific texts, you will find very few differences; however there is a rich French-Canadian terminology in the natural sciences, mostly the names of typically North-American plants, animals, etc. (orignal, chevreuil, outarde, tête de violon, all terms that would probably deserve lengthy comments).
As for the accent, there is no single French Canadi... See more Differences between Canadian and European variants of French are most evident in the colloquial language, slang, etc. In technical or scientific texts, you will find very few differences; however there is a rich French-Canadian terminology in the natural sciences, mostly the names of typically North-American plants, animals, etc. (orignal, chevreuil, outarde, tête de violon, all terms that would probably deserve lengthy comments).
As for the accent, there is no single French Canadian accent. Native Canadian francophones instinctively recognize several regional accents among themselves, the two “main” categories being Quebecois and Acadian.
Joual is more or less equivalent to the Parisian «argot». Nobody would take Parisian «argot» as representative of the language spoken by most French people, and any comparison with international standards would be irrelevant. Same for Joual.
English-speaking people are aware of the differences between British and American English, and they imagine that the same differences apply to us. However the differences between these variants of French are much less radical (there are no grammatical differences, and no variations in spelling the same words).
Jean-Pierre ▲ Collapse
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