1. Breakfast of Champions
Déjeuner (Paris)
/de.ʒœ.ne/“Lunch”
The midday meal. Meanwhile in Quebec...
Déjeuner (Québec)
/de.ʒœ.ne/“Breakfast”
The first meal of the day. Parisians would call this 'petit déjeuner'.
Order 'déjeuner' in Paris at 8am and you'll get strange looks. In Montreal? Totally normal.
2. The Great Smoking Confusion
Un smoking (Paris)
/œ̃ smɔ.kiŋ/“Tuxedo”
Formal evening wear. Nothing to do with tobacco.
Fumer (Québec)
/fy.me/“To smoke”
What Québécois think Parisians are doing when they mention 'un smoking'.
In Quebec, they'd say 'un habit de soirée' for tuxedo. Less confusing!
3. Shopping Nightmares
Un char (Québec)
/œ̃ ʃaʁ/“Car”
Everyday vehicle. In Paris? Sounds medieval.
Un char (Paris)
/œ̃ ʃaʁ/“Chariot”
What Parisians picture when Canadians say they're 'parking the char'.
Parisians use 'voiture'. Canadians reserve 'voiture' for trains ('voiture de train').
4. The Corner Shop Showdown
Dépanneur (Québec)
/de.pa.nœʁ/“Corner shop”
Where you buy milk at midnight. In Paris...
Dépanneur (Paris)
/de.pa.nœʁ/“Repairman”
Someone who fixes your boiler, not your snack cravings.
Parisians would say 'épicerie' or 'commerce de proximité' for the shop version.
5. The Woolly Mix-Up
Laine (Québec)
/lɛn/“Wool”
Material from sheep. Also means...
Laine (Paris slang)
/lɛn/“Money”
Cash. Not what you want to hear when buying a sweater.
In Parisian slang, 'du fric' or 'du blé' are more common terms for money.
6. The Bread Battle
Pain brun (Québec)
/pɛ̃ bʁœ̃/“Brown bread”
Wholemeal bread. In Paris...
Pain brun (Paris)
/pɛ̃ bʁœ̃/“Burnt bread”
What Parisians assume you've done to your baguette.
Parisians say 'pain complet' for wholemeal. 'Brun' suggests over-toasting!
7. The Cellphone Divide
Cellulaire (Québec)
/sɛ.ly.lɛʁ/“Mobile phone”
What Canadians keep in their pockets. In Paris...
Cellulaire (Paris)
/sɛ.ly.lɛʁ/“Cellular (adj)”
Relating to cells. Not something you'd text from.
Parisians say 'portable' or 'téléphone mobile'. 'Cellulaire' sounds scientific.
8. The Mail Mystery
Poste (Québec)
/pɔst/“Mail”
Letters and packages. But in Paris...
Poste (Paris)
/pɔst/“Post office”
The building where mail is handled. Not the mail itself.
Parisians say 'courrier' for mail. 'Poste' is where you send it from.
Want more linguistic face-offs? See how European and Brazilian Portuguese vocabulary differs or Latin American vs European Spanish.
