Quebecois-English English-Quebecois Dictionary & Phrasebook (Hippocrene Dictionary and Phrasebooks) (Paperback)

by Renata Isajlovic (Author), Isabelle Martin (Author)
Key Phrases: English-Québécois Dictionary, United States, South African (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This dictionary and phrasebook is designed for students and travelers visiting La Belle Province, eager to immerse themselves in Québécois culture and speak the language that more than 80 percent of Quebecers call their own. Written with the needs of English-speaking Americans and Canadians in mind, this easy-to-use, two-way language guide offers the visitor essential vocabulary and phrases for communicating and navigating with ease.

• 4,000 total entries
• Basic grammar
• Essential phrases
• Québécois expressions
• Ideal for the traveler, student, or businessperson

About the Author
Renata Isajlovic and Isabelle Martin are Montreal-based translators who have also collaborated on an English-French/ French-English dictionary of rowing terms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: Hippocrene Books; Bilingual edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781809207
• ISBN-13: 978-0781809207
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 3.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #215,121 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful for beginners and travelers, August 12, 2005

By	Charles (Vermont (USA)) - See all my reviews

Unlike my fellow reviewer below, I found this dictionary and phrasebook to be useful. In fact, I find linguist-guy's criticism to be harsh and unfair ("Québécois" IS, after all, a dialect of French--how could the book NOT include French words?!). As far as I can tell, the pronunciation guide the authors provided corresponds to pronunciation in Montreal, the province's largest metropolitan city; if you are looking for "joual" pronunciation, you'll have to look elsewhere. As for his criticism regarding palatalization, well, nowhere does it state that this dictionary and phrasebook is a book on linguistics, so the authors cannot be faulted for not covering that topic. Truth be told, I'm not sure anyone other than people who study/are interested in linguistics would find that useful anyway.

People interested in buying this book should note that it is a basic pocket dictionary and phrasebook for English-speakers visiting the province of Quebec (NOT a book on the linguistics of Quebec French), and in that respect, it serves its purpose very well. If you are visiting the province, you should be able to get around with ease with this pocket D&P. There is a large section on common phrases for travelers (when at Customs, when shopping, when ordering food in restaurants, etc). There is a section on French grammar that is a good refresher for those of us who don't have the opportunity to practise our French often. There are also a few pages of colorful expressions included at the back of the book which are fun; it would have been nice if more had been included.

All in all, for the price, it's a good buy. By no means is the dictionary and phrasebook exhaustive, but it'll fit in your pocket. I've referred to it quite a bit when in Montreal and Quebec's Eastern Townships and have found it practical and useful.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars So bad it's dishonest, July 23, 2007

By	Gwilym - See all my reviews

As the reviewer Charles points out (in his many identical reviews) the French in Québec is a dialect of French so you'd expect most words in this book to be French words. I agree 100% BUT when you call a book a Quebecois (sic!) dictionary, you would expect to also find some of the words that are used in Québec. In this book, you don't. I've lived in Québec for a long time and was eager to have a look at this book. To my surprise, it didn't contain any of the words I looked up - I'm talking about the most common, everyday words of every kind. I didn't find a single one of them. This is just a substandard French dictionary that Hippocrene tries to pass off as something it isn't. If you want to buy a French dictionary, there are literally hundreds of better options. If you're intrested in Québec French, look for the books "Speak Québec" or "Canadian French". They are everything this book isn't

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quebecois French, August 31, 2008

By	Michael R. Frost "plusfrost1" (Plattsburgh, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're a francophile and enjoy visiting Quebec, or just learning Quebecois French, this book is a useful tool and a good addition to your French library.