Living in Canada for six years, Iâve noticed that many French expressions are used in Quebec differently than in France or in Europe.
Here, I will share five expressions that confused me, the most as a French speaker.
1) AllĂ´
If you learned French in France, you know that âallĂ´â is used when you answer the phone.
The use of âallĂ´â in Quebec is quite different. It comes from the English word âhelloâ, and itâs used exactly for that, to say âhelloâ.
AllĂ´ is also used both in written and spoken French.
So, donât be surprised if you hear this word in Quebec or other French-speaking provinces.
2) Bienvenue
The literal meaning of âBienvenueâ is âwelcomeâ in French.
In Quebec, we use this to say welcome as in France.
However, âBienvenueâ is also used to say âyou are welcomeâ following a thank you.
For example:
-Merci beaucoup
-Bienvenue
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3) Bonjour
Similar to "bienvenue", âbonjourâ is also used differently in Quebec. It is used as a form of greeting to say "hello".
But in Quebec, Bonjour is also used to say âgoodbyeâ.
4) C'est beau
In France, we use âCâest beauâ to describe something âbeautifulâ.
But, in Quebec, "Câest beau" has different meanings and it can be used in various contexts. The most common meaning is â itâs goodâ.
For example:
-Quâest-ce que tu en penses? (What do you think?)
-Je pense que câest beau. (I think it's good.)
5) Par exemple
The literal meaning of par exemple is, âfor exampleâ.Â
Be careful, in French, "par exEmple" is written with âeâ not âaâ.
For example:
Je lis les auteurs quĂŠbĂŠcois, par exemple Michel Tremblay et Nelly Arcan.
(I read quebecois writers, for example Michel Tremblay and Nelly Arcan.)
But in Quebec, "par exemple" is also used to say âbutâ which can be translated into French âcependant, par contreâ.
For example:
Fais comme tu veux, mais viens pas te plaindre, par exemple.
(Do as you like, but don't come to complain to me.)
Watch my video below for their pronunciation.Â
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Thank you for reading my post! Which French expressions do you find interesting? Do you know other French words used differently in Quebec? Let me know in comments.
About me

Umut Incesu, PhD (he/him)
Tumu Learning