1. A course for absolute beginners
Learn Jèrriais
A course for absolute beginners

2. À Tchi date qué j’vivons?
La traîsième léçon

3. Lesson learning objectives
To be able to recognise and name the days of the week and months of the year
To be able to recognise numbers
To be able to say the date and that of your birthday
To be able to say how old you are
To introduce the verb aver (to have) in the present tense
To introduce the question word quand (when)

4. Pronunciation tips…
Remember
î before an n makes a nasal sound
Les jours
The days
Lundi Monday Mardi Tuesday Mêcrédi Wednesday Jeudi Thursday Vendrédi Friday Sanm’di Saturday Dînmanche Sunday
Pronunciation tips…
The letter ê with a circumflex is long and open and makes an ay sound, as in the English word hay.
Mêcrédi

5. Remember: In Jèrriais the final consonant in a word is not usually pronounced unless it is followed by an apostrophe.
Les mais
The months
Janvyi January Juilet July Févri February Août August Mar March Septembre September Avri April Octobre October Mai May Novembre November Juîn June Dézembre December

6. Les neunméthos The numbers ieune deux trais neuf quat’ dgix chînq onze
Some of the numbers can be pronounced in more than one way. Listen to the sound clips for examples.
Les neunméthos
The numbers
Pronunciation tips…
The letters ch make a sh sound sound, as in the English word ship.
chînq
ieune
deux
trais
quat’
chînq
six
sept
huit
neuf
dgix
onze
douze
treize
quatorze
tchînze
Pronunciation tips…
The letters tch make a ch sound sound, as in the English word check.
tchînze

7. Les neunméthos seize dgiêx-sept dgiêx-huit dgiêx-neuf vîngt
Pronunciation tips…
The letters dg make a j sound sound, as in the English word jam.
dgix
Les neunméthos
seize
dgiêx-sept
dgiêx-huit
dgiêx-neuf
vîngt
vîngt’ tch’ ieune
vîngt-deux
vîngt-trais
vîngt-quat’
vîngt-chînq
vîngt-six
vîngt-sept
vîngt-huit
vîngt-neuf
trente
trente’ tch’ ieune

8. À tchi date qué j’vivons?
On which date are we living?
In Jèrriais people tend to ask ‘On which date are we living?’ rather than ‘What is the date today?’
Answer this question as follows, using the cardinal number: Ch’ est Mêcrédi lé 20 dé Septembre It is Wednesday the 20 of September But use the ordinal number when referring to the first day of the month: Ch’ est Vendrédi lé preunmyi d’Septembre It is Wednesday the first of September

9. Tchil âge qué tu’as? J’ai trente ans. How old are you?
Verb aver (to have)
In Jèrriais, like in French, you ask someone how many years they have when asking their age. The question and answer literally translated into English are:
Tchil âge qué tu’as? Which age that you have?
J’ai trente ans. I have 30 years.
j’ai
I have
tu’as
you have
il a
he has
oulle a
she has
j’avons
we have
ous avez
you have (plural)
il’ ont
they have
J’ai trente ans.
I am 30-years-old.

10. Quand tchi qu’ est t’n annivèrsaithe?
When is your birthday?
Granmaithe
How to say the question word ‘when’ in Jèrriais
Quand tchi qué…
M’n annivèrsaithe est lé 21 dé Févri
My birthday is the 21 of February

11. 📘 Liéthe Read the following and answer the questions:
Bouônjour, man nom est Michelle. Jé d’meuthe en Jèrri á St Cliément. J’ai vîngt-huit ans et m’n annivèrsaithe est lé douze dé Dézembre.
What is the woman’s name?
Where does she live?
How old is she?
When is her birthday?
Click here for the answers…

12. 👂🏼Êcouter
Listen to the short dialogue and answer the questions:
Dialogue
How is Anna?
What is the date?
When is Anna’s birthday?
How old is she?
When is Harry’s birthday?
How old is he?
Click here for the answers…
Click here for the transcript…

13. Pâler Try doing the following en Jèrriais...
Count to 10, then 20, then 31.
Recite the days of the week.
Recite the months of the year.
Ask what the date is.
Say what the date is.
Ask when someone’s birthday is.
Say when your birthday is.
Ask someone how old they are.
Say how old you are.
Click here for the answers…

14. 🖋 Êcrithe Write the following questions en Jèrriais:
What day is it today?
How old are you?
Write the answers to the following questions en Jèrriais:
À tchi date qué j’vivons?
Tchil âge qué tu’as?
Quand tchi qu’ est t’n annivèrsaithe?
Click here for the answers…

15. 🔤 Vocabulaithe
jour day Lundi Monday Mardi Tuesday Mêcredi Wednesday Jeudi Thursday Vendrédi Friday Sanm’di Saturday Dînmanche Sunday mais month Janvyi January Févri February Mai May Juîn June Juilet July
Août August
Septembre September
Octobre October
Novembre November
Dézembre December
date date
neunmétho number
ieune, iun one
deux two
trais three
quat’, quatre four
chînq five
six six
sept seven

16. 🔤 Vocabulaithe
huit eight neuf nine dgix ten onze eleven douze twelve treize thirteen quatorze fourteen tchînze fifteen seize sixteen dgiêx-sept seventeen dgiêx-huit eighteen dgiêx-neuf nineteen vîngt twenty vîngt’ tch’ ieune twenty-one
vîngt-deux twenty-two
vîngt-trais twenty-three
vîngt-quat’ twenty-four
vîngt-chînq twenty-five
vîngt-six twenty-six
vîngt-sept twenty-seven
vîngt-huit twenty-eight
vîngt-neuf twenty-nine
trente thirty
trente’ tch’ ieune thirty-one
quand when
aver to have
annivèrsaithe birthday

17. Liéthe: Answers Her name is Michelle.
She lives in Jersey in St Clement.
She is 28 years old.
Her birthday is on the 12th December.
Go back…

18. Êcouter: Answers Anna is feeling fine. The date is the 1st August.
Her birthday is on the 31st July.
She is 33 years old.
Harry’s birthday is on the 22nd January.
He is 28 years old.
Go back…

19. Êcouter: Transcript Harô: Bouônjour Anna. Comme est qu’ tu’es?
Anna: J’sis d’charme, mércie bein des fais. Et té?
Harô: J’sis comme lé temps! À tchi date qué j’vivons?
Anna: Ch’est lé preunmyi d’ Août. M’n annivèrsaithe est lé trente’ tch’ ieune dé Juilet!
Harô: Ah, tchil âge qué tu’as Anna?
Anna: J’ai trente-trais ans. Et té, quand tchi qu’ est t’n annivèrsaithe?
Harô: Ch’est lé vîngt-deux dé Janvyi. J’ai vîngt-huit ans.
Go back…

20. Pâler: Answers
For example:
For example
Go back…

21. Êcrithe: Answers À tchi date qué j’vivons? Tchil âge qué tu’as?
Ch’ est lé… dé….
J’ai… ans.
M’n annivèrsiathe est lé… dé….
Go back…