Parts 11 to 20

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

Below are the phrases from lesson eleven 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

La s’moine passaïe nous parlit des légeumes dans vot’ gardin.
(La smoyn pahs-eye noo parlee day ledjerm dor vol gardah-ee!)
Last week we talked about the vegetables in your garden.

Vère, et chutte semôine nous s’en va parlaïr atour les flleurs.
(Vair, eh shut semoyn noo sor va parl-eye atoor lay fyuhr.)
Yes, and this week we are going to talk about flowers.

Creiss-ous en amas de flleurs dans vot’ gardin?
(Krayss –oo en amahd fyuhr dor vot gardah-ee?)
Do you grow a lot of flowers in your garden?

Oh, pas trop, vous savaïz, parce que je n’ai pas grand reun.
(Oh, pah troh, vooz sav-eye, parskeh zhe nay pah grah ruhr).
Oh, not too many, you know, because I haven’t got much room.

Mais quànd –mesme, vous avaïz aen biau gardin!
(May kah maym, vooz av-eye a byo gardah-ee!)
But all the same, you’ve got a beautiful garden!

Vère, en saisaon, j’ai du mudget, des raoses, des élliets.
(Vair, or sayzang, zhay du mudjay, day rowz , days eh-yay.)
Yes, in season, I have lily of the valley, roses, carnations.

Et vous avaïz des potaïes de djérainiums partout.
(Eh vooz av-eye day pot-eye deh djeray-nee-um parto.)
And you have pots of geraniums everywhere.

Oui, i’ baïllent d’la couleur, mais i’ faut les errousaïr souvent.
(Wee, ee byle dla kooluhr, may ee fow layz ehrooz-eye soo voh.)
Yes, they give some colour, but you must water them often.

Y a-t-i acore d’la serclle? Ch’est le r’nouvé oprèes tout!
(Yat-ee akor dla sahrk? Shayl r ‘nooveh opray too!)
Are there any weeds yet? It’s Spring after all!

A’ c’menche à v’nir. Y a terjous du travas dans aen gardin!
(A kmorsh a vnee. Ya terzhoo du travah dor a gardah-ee.!)
They are starting to grow. There is always work in a garden!