Here are some useful French phrases from the web;

"You've put on weight"
"Tu as grossi"
(tu ah gro - si)

"Haven't the police found you yet?"

"La police, ne t'a pas encore trouvé?"
(la po - lees ne ta pa zen - cor troo - vay)

"Ou est la salle de bains?" - Where is the bathroom?
"Je voudrais un croissant." - I would like one croissant."
"Je voudrais un kilo de cette poulet." - I would like a kilo of that chicken.
"Combien de cette chemise?" - How much is that shirt?

That's it for my French baby!

I still remember some of my high school French. See you later = " a  bientot"*
(pronounced "a b'yen-toe")

* the "a" has an accent going down to the right and the "o" has a little cap on it.

Good luck = "bonne chance"
(pronounced "bun shahns")

Probably the most useful phrase is
"Quelqu'un parle l'anglais ?"
(pronounced "kel-kuhn parl on-glay")
or "Does anyone speak English?"
(I've always found it works better if you ask this in French rather than English.)

Have fun and bon voyage!

Betty from Canada

YOu need to get in touch with Mike Regenstrieff . He hosts Folk Roots and Branchs on CKUT on Thursday mornings. I always used to listen to him, before the program became available only on in RealAudio.

Pas de quois. It's been a few years...but have a great time. Sure wish I was going with you.

duh. Mike's email is mike@ckutfolk.com

Bonsoir Ann,

I am not from Montréal, but from New-Brunswick - (the only bilingual province in Canada). I know it is not easy when you don't understand or speak the language, but you'll be surprise of how many people do speak english in Montréal.

If not, you can always visit this site - it will help you.

http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~mongoose/french/phrases.html

And 'bonne chance' (good luck).

S. Landry

Ann,

Forget about the other address I sent you .... it is not a very helpful 'site'.

But if you go to this address, you can print the pages, and it really should help. Sorry about the other address, I shoulf have checked before sending it to you.

http://www.francekeys.com/english/french

S.Landry

Merci beaucoup Solange!

You will have no trouble getting around Montreal in English only! It's a very bilingual city, especially downtown, where I imagine you will be staying.

Au plaisir,

Kat

Sorry about the Monash French Phrases site - I should have been more clear that it was a joke...

As a western Canadian, it's tempting to offer up some seriously rude phrases to insult and aggrievate our fellow Canadians in La Belle Province...but I'll resist ...this time.

You will need to know this one for sure:
Qui est la salle du bain?= where is the washroom?
Pronounced "key eh la sall doo bain"
S'il vous plait= Please.
pronounced "see voo play"
Aidez-moi, s'il vous plait= Help me, please?

Bonjour= Hello.
Au Revoir=Goodbye
A la prochain=Until Next Time/ See you later.
pronounced " a lah pro-shane"
Merci! = Thank You!
Merci Beaucoups= Thank you very much!
pronounced "mare-see bow-coo"

Avez vous une...= do you have...(choose from below)
latte? (Needs no translation)
Cafe?= coffee
chocolat chaude= hot chocolate/ cocoa

"Avez- vous un Good Time?" =Are you having a good time?

Ou est la Tim Horton's= Where's the nearest Tim Horton's franchise? (for real Canadian coffee and donuts or, better yet, Hot Chocolate. )

Food: You can find just about any kind of ethnic food ou'd ever want to try--Montreal is extremely cosmopolitan- but there are a few local items you should try, if they fit in your dietary preferences:

poutine (poo-teen), basically french fries( "frites") with a cheese and gravy sauce.
Montreal smoked beef. The real thing is unavailable anywhere else.
Canadian Back Bacon (goes very well on pizza with beer: see below)
Spruce Beer. Yup, you can buy that in Montreal. I saw it on CBC TV only last night.

And, when you're in a Zydeco fueled party mood after dowing a pizza and some spruce beer, this phrase is very helpful:
"Laissez la bon temps roulez!"
pronounced "lay-zay lah behn ton roo-lay"
Let the good times roll!

So I guess "Gettin' all Spruced up" has a different meaning up there?

I'll be going to Folk Alliance too and very excited as well. I've never been to FA before but my favorite sister lives there so going for alliance in both folk and family. It's my favorite city and I for one hope it continues to stay a part of my home country because it adds so much cultural richness. See you there! Trudy

reading back on the comment from Chris Green.. re food. If you go to only two places for food do not miss the Montreal bagels place downtown(not sure of the name of the shop--just ask around) AND Schwartz's Smoked Meats! Besides a Lebanese restaurant in Town of Mount Royal they are both my favs.. I don't think you can go wrong on good restaurants anywhere in Montreal at any rate. Can't wait for the bagels! I once arranged to have my sister deliver a Calton guitar case to Alaska and asked that she filled it with BAGELS. They are to die for. Never had NYC bagels but I cannot imagine anything more devine than a Montreal bagel!

Yes! In Montreal the bagels are a must and unlike anything we have in the US. There are two shops that bake them 24 hours a day so you can always get one straight from the wood-burning oven. Fairmount Bagel Bakery (74 Ave. Fairmount West)
and St. Viateur Bagels (263 St. Viateur West). The latter place has a web site with a map http://www.stviateurbagel.com/. The sesame-crusted bagel is the one to eat. They are so good hot that they can be eaten without any cream cheese or butter! Bon appetit!

Irish Pubs along Crescent Street such as Hurleys and McGibbons (next street west, Bishop?) usually have celtic entertainers if there isn't enough at the FA to keep you hoppin'. Tres anglo, in that area as well.

Allan Sheps
Toronto

try 1) the lookout on mount royal: a favorite spot for steaming up the windshields, spotting the odd errant raccoon rooting around the garbage bins looking for eats, or simply looking at the lights of my glorious hometown; 2) steamies (steamed hot dogs) at the base of st laurent (aka st lawrence, aka 'the main') blvd (south of ste catherine)--lots of atmosphere and good cheap grub; 3) old montreal ("vieux montreal") with a view of the site of Expo 67 where the dome of the American pavilion can still be seen. cobblestone, talented buskers, small bars and restaurants, gorgeous architecture. incidentally the aforementioned (three postings north) Schwartz's is located across the street from 'The Main'--on the Main of course. even further North is Leonard Cohen's Montreal residence. enjoy...

p.s. don't forget "je t'aime" (zhu temm) i.e. I love you. use this phrase freely...