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

2. Salutâtions
La preunmié léçon

3. 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

4. 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

5. Granmaithe (Grammar)
How to say the question word ‘what’ in Jèrriais
Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom?
Man nom est…
Basic introductions: Man nom est… My name is… Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom? What is your name?
Pronunciation tips…
a before an n or m makes a flat sound
o before an n or m makes a nasal sound
In Jèrriais the final consonant in a word is not usually pronounced unless it is followed by an apostrophe.

6. Comme est qu’ tu’es? How are you?
Granmaithe
How to say the question word ‘how’ in Jèrriais
Comme est qu’ tu’es?
Comme est qu’ tu’es?
How are you?
Verb êt’ (to be)
When speaking to a new acquaintance or elder it is polite to use the second person plural form of the verb êt’:
Comme est qu’ ous êtes?
j’sis jé sis
I’m I am
tu’es
you are
il est
he is
oulle est
she is
j’sommes
we are
ous êtes
you are (plural)
i’ sont
they are
Granmaithe
Êt’ is the infinitive of the verb to be.
The infinitive is the form of the verb you would find in the dictionary.

7. Granmaithe
The apostrophe is used in different ways in Jèrriais. Here is it used to link two words together to make them flow into one.
tu’es j’sis
Comme est qu’ tu’es?
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) J’sis malheutheuse ☹️ I’m unhappy (feminine)
Pronunciation tips…
ch makes a soft sh sound
Click here for more phrases…

8. Pronunciation tips…
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
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

9. 📘 Liéthe Read the following conversation and answer the questions:
Mathie: Bouônjour, mon nom est Mathie. Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom? Lîzabé: Bouônjour Mathie, man nom est Lîzabé. Comme est qu’ ous êtes? Mathie: J’sis d’charme, mèrcie bein des fais. Et vous, comme est qu’ ous êtes? Lîzabé: J’sis malheutheuse. J’ai ma la tête. Mathie: Ah, tchi pitchi.
What is the name of Mary’s new acquaintance?
How is Mary?
How is Elizabeth?
Can you guess what is wrong with Elizabeth?
Click here for the answers…

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

11. Pâler Say the following en Jèrriais... Hello, my name is…
What is your name?
How are you? (To someone you know.)
I’m fine, thank you.
I’m feeling unhappy. (Remember to use masculine or feminine.)
See you later.
Goodbye.
Click here for the answers…

12. 🖋 Êcrithe Write the answers to the following questions en Jèrriais:
Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom?
Comme est qu’ tu’es?
Write the following en Jèrriais:
Good morning.
I’m great, thank you.
Until next time.
Click here for the answers…

13. 🔤 Vocabulaithe
bouônjour hello bouônjour à matîn good morning Bônsouair good evening jé, j’ I tu, ous, ou you man my tan your nom name tch’ est qu’ what comme est qu’ how
j’sis d’charme I’m fine
j’sis mangnifique I’m great
j’sis malheutheux I’m unhappy (m)
j’sis malheutheuse I’m unhappy (f)
à bétôt good bye
à bi bye
à tantôt see you later
à la préchaine until next time
bouonne niet good night
mèrcie bein des fais thank you very much

14. Liéthe: Answers Mary’s new acquaintance is called Elizabeth.
Mary is fine.
Elizabeth is feeling unhappy.
She has a headache – she has a pain in her head.
Vocabulaithe…
tête = head
tchi pitchi = what a shame
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15. Êcouter: Answers It is the evening. Enid is fine.
George is feeling great.
She says, “until the next time”.
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16. 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.
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17. Pâler: Answers
Masculine Feminine
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18. Êcrithe: Answers Man nom est...
J’sis d’charme J’sis malheutheux (m) J’sis malheutheuse (f)
Bouônjour à matîn.
J’sis mangnifique, mèrcie bein des fais.
À la préchaine.
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19. 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
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