LEARN JÈRRIAIS A course for

absolute beginners
SALUTÂTIONS La preunmié léçon
Lesson learning objectives

To be able to introduce yourself and greet others

To use personal pronouns jé / j’ (I) and tu / ous (you)

To introduce the question words tch’ est qu’ (what) and comme est qu’ (how)

To introduce the verb êt’ (to be) in the present tense
Bouônjour
Greetings in Jèrriais are very simple:

Bouônjour Hello

Bouônjour à matîn Good morning

Bônsouair Good evening

Pronunciation tips…

ou before a vowel makes a w sound

î before an n makes a nasal sound

 Granmaithe (Grammar)

How to say the question word ‘what’ in Jèrriais

Man nom est… Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom?

Basic introductions:

Man nom est… My name is…

Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom? What is your name?

Pronunciation tips…
In Jèrriais the final consonant in a word is not
usually pronounced unless it is followed by an a before an n or m makes a flat sound
apostrophe.
o before an n or m makes a nasal sound
 Granmaithe

Comme est qu’ tu’es? How to say the question word

‘how’ in Jèrriais

Comme est qu’ tu’es?

How are you?

When speaking to a new acquaintance or elder it is polite to

Verb êt’ (to be) use the second person plural form of the verb êt’:

j’sis jé sis I’m I am

Comme est qu’ ous êtes?

tu’es you are

il est he is Granmaithe
oulle est she is
Êt’ is the infinitive of the verb to be.
j’sommes we are
The infinitive is the form of the verb you would find
ous êtes you are (plural)
in the dictionary.
i’ sont they are
 Granmaithe

The apostrophe is used in different ways in

Comme est qu’ tu’es? Jèrriais. Here is it used to link two words
together to make them flow into one.

tu’es j’sis

J’sis d’charme 😀 I’m fine

Pon trop mal 🙂 Not too bad

J’sis mangnifique 😁 I’m great

J’sis malheutheux ☹️ I’m unhappy (masculine)

Pronunciation tips…
J’sis malheutheuse ☹️I’m unhappy (feminine)
ch makes a soft sh sound

Click here for more phrases…

 Pronunciation tips…

À bétôt
é with an acute accent is short and sharp and sounds as it does in
the English word egg

A letter with a circumflex makes a long sound. Listen, for example, to

the ô in à bétôt

There are various different ways to say goodbye:

À bétôt Goodbye

À bi Goodbye (in response to à bétôt)

À tantôt See you later

À la préchaine Until next time

Bouonne niet Good night

 📘 Liéthe
Read the following conversation and answer the questions:

Mathie: Bouônjour, mon nom est Mathie.

1. What is the name of Mary’s new
Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom? acquaintance?
Lîzabé: Bouônjour Mathie, man nom est 2. How is Mary?
Lîzabé. Comme est qu’ ous êtes? 3. How is Elizabeth?
Mathie: J’sis d’charme, mèrcie bein des fais. Et 4. Can you guess what is wrong with
Elizabeth?
vous, comme est qu’ ous êtes?

Lîzabé: J’sis malheutheuse. J’ai ma la tête.

Mathie: Ah, tchi pitchi.

Click here for the answers…
👂
Listen to the short dialogue and answer the questions:
🏼Êcouter
Dialogue
1. What time of day is it?
2. How is George?
3. How is Enid?
4. What expression does Enid use to say
goodbye?
Click here for the answers…

Click here for the transcript…

 Pâler
Say the following en Jèrriais...

1. Hello, my name is…

2. What is your name?
3. How are you? (To someone you know.)
4. I’m fine, thank you.
5. I’m feeling unhappy. (Remember to use masculine or feminine.)
6. See you later.
7. Goodbye.

Click here for the answers…

🖋 Êcrithe
Write the answers to the following questions en Jèrriais:

1. Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom?

2. Comme est qu’ tu’es?

Write the following en Jèrriais:

3. Good morning.
4. I’m great, thank you.
5. Until next time.
Click here for the answers…
🔤 Vocabulaithe
bouônjour hello j’sis d’charme I’m fine
bouônjour à matîn good morning j’sis mangnifique I’m great
Bônsouair good evening j’sis malheutheux I’m unhappy (m)
jé, j’ I j’sis malheutheuseI’m unhappy (f)
tu, ous, ou you à bétôt good bye
man my à bi bye
tan your à tantôt see you later
nom name à la préchaine until next time
tch’ est qu’ what bouonne niet good night
comme est qu’ how mèrcie bein des fais thank you very much
 Liéthe: Answers
1. Mary’s new acquaintance is called Elizabeth.
2. Mary is fine.
3. Elizabeth is feeling unhappy.
4. She has a headache – she has a pain in her head.

Vocabulaithe…
tête = head
tchi pitchi = what a shame

Go back…
Êcouter: Answers

1. It is the evening.
2. Enid is fine.
3. George is feeling great.
4. She says, “until the next time”.

Go back…
Êcouter: Transcript

George: Bônsouair Enid. Comme est qu’ tu’es?

Enid: Bônsouair George. J’sis d’charme, mèrcie bein des fais. Et té,
comme est qu’ tu’es?

George: J’sis mangnifique, mèrcie bein des fais.

Enid: Bouon. À la préchaine.

George: À bi.
Go back…
Pâler: Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Masculine Feminine
6.
7.

Go back…
Êcrithe: Answers

1. Man nom est...

2. J’sis d’charme J’sis malheutheux (m) J’sis malheutheuse (f)
3. Bouônjour à matîn.
4. J’sis mangnifique, mèrcie bein des fais.
5. À la préchaine.

Go back…
You are likely to hear the following phrases also…

Comme un vyi Like an old man

Comme eune vielle Like an old woman

Comme lé temps Like the weather

Go back…