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 eighth 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

I'faut allaïr à la choppe pour acataïr d'la màng'rie à matin.
(Ee fow al-eye a la shop poor akat-eye dla morzhri a matah-ee)
I must (it is necessary to) go to the shop and buy some food this morning.

Tchi qu'i' vous faut?
(Cheek ee voo fow?)
What do you need?

I'm' faut du burre, du fromage, d'la g'laïe et des paommes.
(Eem fow du bur, du fromarj dla zhl-eye eh day powm.)
I need butter, cheese, jam and apples.

Pour tchi qu'i'vous faut des paommes?
(Poor cheek ee voo fow day powm?)
Why do you need some apples?

J
'veur faire enne gâche
mêlaïe.
(Zh'vuhr fair en garsh may-lye).
I want to make an apple cake (gâche mêlaïe).

Cor chapin, all'est raide bouanne, la gâche mêlaïe!
(Cor shapan, al ay red bwon, la garsh may-lye.)
Good gracious, it is very good, gâche mêlaïe.

I'm'faut des légeumes étout.
(Eem fow day lejerm etoo).
I need some vegetables as well.

Éiouque vous les acataïz?
(Ay-ook voo layz akat-eye?)
Where do you buy them?

De couteume, j'les acate dé d'sus lé fossaï, près d'ciz naon
(Deh koo-term, zh'layz akat deh dsul foss-eye, prayd see nang).
Usually, I buy them from on the hedge, near us (near our house).

I'saont à pus bouan marcho là, est-che puis?
(Ee sang ah pu bwon marshee lah, aysh-pwee?)
They are cheaper there, aren't they?