Parts 1 to 10

Learning Guernsey French has never been so easy with the help of local language expert Hazel Tomlinson.

Below are the phrases from the sixth lesson with their phonetic spelling, but if you want to try something a bit different, why not listen to the lesson online and repeat the words back to you via the link on the right.

The format for the sayings are as following:

Written in Patois
Phonetic spelling
In English

Av-ous mangi vot'déjunaï, à matin?
(Av-oo morzhi vot dezhernye ah matah-ee?)
Have you eaten your breakfast this morning?

Qui, j'ai mangi du pôin tôtaï.
(Wee, jeh morzhi du poy toe-tye)
Yes, I have eaten some toast.

Ôim-ous du beurre et d'la g'laïe sus vot'pôin?
(Oy-moo du bur eh dla zhl-eye su vot poy?)
Do you like butter and jam on your bread?

Oui, j'ôime la marmélade, mais j'ôime mux la g'laïe de frâises.
(Wee, zhoym la marmelard, may zhoym mu la zhl-eye deh farz.)
Yes, I like marmelade, but I prefer strawberry jam.

parfeis, j'mange en oeu bouilli, ou en oeu fricachi.
(Parfay, zhe morzh en er boo-yi, oo en er free-kashee)
Sometimes, I eat a boiled egg, or a fried egg.

A quaï haeure mange-ous vot' dénaïr?
(Ah kye ire morzh-oo vot day nye?)
At what time do you eat lunch?

Ichi'in en Guernési nous mange not' désnaïr à méjeu.
(Ee-shah-ee djair-nayzi noo morzh not day-nye ah mezher)
Here in Guernsey we eat our lunch at mid day.

Tchi que vous mangeaïz pour vot' dénaïr?
(Ckeek voo morzh-eye poor vot day-nye?)
What do you eat for your lunch?

Je mange d'la viànde ou du païssaon, dauve des patates et des légumes.
(Zhe morzh dla vee-ahd oo du pye-sang, dohv day patat eh day lejerm)
I eat meat or fish, with potatoes and vegetables.

Chutte semoine il a tcheis d'la gerzille. (Hard "g" as in "Gertrude")
(Shut semoyn eel a chay dla gerzeel)
This week it has hailed.

Chutte semoine il a tcheis d'la neis.
(Shut semoyn eel a chay dla nay)
This week it has snowed.

Enne chique.
(En sheek)
A snowflake.

Ch'est du temps à neis.
(Shay du toe ah nay)
It is snowy weather.

I'y avait dla gllache sus les rues.
(Ee yavay dla gyash su lay ru)
There was ice on the roads.