This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. French
  3. Slang

t'sais - legitimate usage?

15:11 Nov 16, 2011
This question was closed without grading. Reason: Answer found elsewhere

French language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Slang
French term or phrase: t'sais - legitimate usage?
This should probably be asked as a French monolingual question, but my current settings wouldn't let me, plus my French is really rudimentary at best. Moderators, if need be please move this to where it belongs. Merci.

I am trying to construct a multilingual word puzzle and need to ascertain whether the above could, under any circumstances at all, be considered a legitimate short form for "tu sais". I mean, informally, conversationally, slang, patois, anything. I found plenty of hits for this on the web, but again, like I said, my French is insufficient for assessing all that stuff properly.

For the Ukrainian-French-Canadians among you out there, the whole phrase is “T’sais usé?” which phonetically approximates Ukrainian Це й усе? (tse-y-usay) and should, I hope, be construed as "Did you say worn-out/used/(maybe broken even, as in "Did you say the machine is broken?" - that would be really great!).

If none of this makes sense to you whatsoever, just say so, I'll think of something else.

Grand merci.

P.S. Is this fun or what?
The Misha
Local time: 02:16


SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5pas du tout légitime
Chéli Rioboo
4courant en joual
Agnès Levillayer


  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
pas du tout légitime


Explanation:
Non, vous ne pouvez pas accepter cette contraction, dans quelque langage (argot, slang, patois...) que ce soit. Il faudrait alors accepter TOUTES les contractions phonétiques de l'oral : "j'vais", j'tiens", tu m'dis", etc.
Ce n'est qu'une question de prononciation, pas d'usage.
De plus, la forme que vous citez "t'sais usé" doit être uniquement canadienne, elle n'a aucun sens en français de France.

Chéli Rioboo
France
Local time: 08:16
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
Notes to answerer
Asker: Many thanks for your quick response, even though I have already found the confirmation I was seeking and closed the question. What I meant by legitimate is not so much correct or prescribed usage but whether the contraction phonetique you referred to is actually recognizable or de facto used in casual speech. Apparently, it is all the rage in Quebec, and for my purposes it is all I need to know. And, of course, now I also know that the original phrase I had in mind makes little sense. I have already worked around it and came up with something else. Since I am writing this text, I have a lot of leeway here. Once again, many thanks for your answer.

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
courant en joual


Explanation:
J'ignore ce que "usage légitime" signifie, en littérature de surcroît: Une chose est sûre à mon avis: si je lis chez Michel Tremblay ou tout autre romancier québécois "t'sais" ça ne me gêne pas du tout, au contraire. C'est la seule manière de rendre à l'écrit l'accent si typique de ses personnages. Se limiter aux élisions admises par la grammaire française pure souche rendrait tout dialogue situé dans la Belle Province absolument plat...
"t'sais usé" par contre je l'exclurais

* T'sais ? (Réduction de : tu sais ?) Plusieurs Québécois ponctuent généreusement leurs phrases de cette petite expression, prononcée comme suit : Tsé !

Agnès Levillayer
Italy
Local time: 08:16
Native speaker of: French
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search