The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Parlez-vous cadien, cher?
Speak Cajun
The words, the sayings, and the story of the French that survived on the bayou. Learn a few and you’ll sound right at home at the next fais do-do.
THE STORY
The French that wouldn’t quit
Cajun French is part of the larger family of Louisiana French. It grew from the French of the Acadians who arrived from Canada beginning in 1755, mixed with the French already spoken in colonial Louisiana and words picked up from Native American, African, Spanish, and English neighbors. The result sounds like nowhere else on earth.
For generations it was simply how south Louisiana talked. Then Louisiana’s 1921 constitution made English the language of the public schools, and children were punished for speaking French on school grounds. Many parents, hoping English would give their kids a better life, stopped passing French down. In the 1960s there were roughly a million French speakers in Louisiana; today estimates run closer to 120,000, and the language is considered endangered.
But it never died. In 1968 the state created CODOFIL, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, and French immersion programs now teach thousands of Louisiana kids in French. The music, the kitchens, and the grandparents kept it alive in between.
A note: Louisiana Creole (Kouri-Vini) is a separate language, not a dialect of Cajun French, though the two are often confused. We’ll give it its own page.
WORDS & PHRASES
Your first Cajun French
Pronunciations are approximate, and they change from parish to parish. That’s half the fun.
Cher
“sha”
Dear, darling, hon. Used for everybody: kids, friends, strangers at the counter. “Come here, cher.”
Ça c’est bon
“sa say bohn”
That’s good. The highest praise you can give a pot of gumbo.
Allons
“ah-LOHN”
Let’s go! You’ll hear it shouted at the start of plenty of Cajun songs.
Mais
“meh”
“Well” or “but,” and it starts half the sentences in south Louisiana. “Mais yeah!” (well, of course!) “Mais non!” (no way!)
Comment ça va?
“koh-mahn sa VAH”
How’s it going? Answer with “Ça va bien” (sa va bee-EHN), it’s going well.
Fais do-do
“fay doh-doh”
A Cajun country dance. It means “go to sleep,” what mamas told the babies so the grown folks could keep dancing.
Couillon
“koo-YOHN”
A fool, a goof. Usually said with a grin about somebody you love. “Don’t be a couillon.”
Envie
“ahn-VEE”
A craving. “I got an envie for some boudin.”
Quoi faire?
“kwah FAIR”
Why? Literally “to do what?” A very Cajun way to ask.
Nonc & Tante
“nonk” & “tahnt”
Uncle and aunt, and also what you call any older man or woman you’re fond of. “Nonc Joe.”
Pauvre bête
“po bet”
Poor thing. Sympathy, with a little teasing mixed in.
Lagniappe
“LAN-yap”
A little something extra, given for free. You knew this one already.
Joie de vivre
“zhwah duh VEEV”
Joy of living. The whole Cajun attitude in three words.
Laissez les bons temps rouler
“lay-say lay bohn tahn roo-LAY”
Let the good times roll. It’s really an English saying put into French words, and it’s pure Louisiana.
Traiteur
“treh-TUHR”
A folk healer who treats ailments with quiet, secret prayers, a tradition still found in Cajun country.
CAJUN ENGLISH
Things only a Louisianan says
Even folks who don’t speak French talk with a French accent on their English. Many of these are French phrases translated word for word.
- “Make groceries”: go grocery shopping.
- “Pass a good time”: have fun (from passer un bon temps).
- “Get down”: get out of the car. “Get down and come inside!”
- “Save the dishes”: put the dishes away.
- “Mais yeah”: well, of course.
- “Your mama and them”: your whole family. “How’s your mama and them?”
KEEP GOING
Want to learn more?
- CODOFIL, Louisiana’s state French agency, has classes, events, and resources for learning Louisiana French.
- Listen to Cajun music. Most traditional songs are sung in French, and it’s the easiest way to train your ear.
- Go where it’s spoken. Festivals like Festivals Acadiens et Créoles and Festival International are full of French. Say “bonjour” and see what happens.
- Ask your elders. If you have a Mémère or Nonc who still speaks it, sit down and listen. That’s how it’s always been passed on.
What did your Mémère used to say?
Every family has its own words. Send us yours, and we’ll add the best ones to this page.
