Navigating Quebecois Slang For Dating And Relationships
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Dating in a second language requires learning an entirely new vocabulary of local slang.
In Quebec, standard French relationship terms won’t always get you very far.
Quebecois has its own unique words for everything from casual flirting to serious commitment.
Understanding these expressions will help you navigate the dating scene with confidence.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common Quebecois dating terms you need to know.
Table of Contents:
Terms for flirting and attraction
Flirting in Quebec has its own distinct verbs.
The most common word for flirting or hitting on someone is cruiser.
It comes directly from the English word “to cruise”.
If someone is trying to charm you at a bar, they’re en train de cruiser.
Another very common word is frencher.
This literally means “to French kiss”.
It’s universally used in Quebec instead of the standard French phrase rouler une pelle.
Finally, if you like someone romantically, you say you have a kick on them.
| Quebecois slang | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Cruiser | To flirt / to hit on |
| Frencher | To French kiss |
| Avoir un kick sur (quelqu’un) | To have a crush on (someone) |
Il m’a cruisé toute la soirée.
J’ai un kick sur mon collègue.
Words for boyfriends and girlfriends
If you want to talk about your partner, forget about petit ami and petite amie.
In Quebec, a boyfriend is a chum.
This word comes from English, but it strictly means a romantic boyfriend or a very close male friend.
A girlfriend is a blonde.
Your girlfriend doesn’t need to actually have blonde hair to be called your blonde.
It’s simply the standard Quebecois word for a female romantic partner.
| Quebecois slang | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Mon chum | My boyfriend |
| Ma blonde | My girlfriend |
Voici mon chum, Marc.
Ma blonde travaille à Montréal.
Phrases for being in a relationship
When things get serious, you need to know how to describe your relationship status.
The phrase sortir avec means to go out with someone.
It’s used to indicate that you’re actively dating a specific person.
If you want to say you’re in a committed relationship, you say être en couple.
Another popular slang phrase is se caser, which means to settle down.
| Quebecois slang | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Sortir avec (quelqu’un) | To date (someone) |
| Être en couple | To be in a relationship |
| Se caser | To settle down |
Tu sors-tu avec quelqu’un?
On est en couple depuis deux ans.
Slang for breakups and rejection
Unfortunately, not all relationships last forever.
If you need to break up with someone, the verb laisser (to leave) is commonly used.
You might hear someone say il m’a laissé, meaning “he dumped me”.
A much harsher slang phrase is crisser là.
This aggressively means to dump someone or abandon them abruptly.
Another classic Quebecois phrase is prendre un break.
This is used when someone wants to take a pause or a break in the relationship.
| Quebecois slang | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Laisser (quelqu’un) | To dump (someone) |
| Crisser (quelqu’un) là | To harshly dump (someone) |
| Prendre un break | To take a break |
Elle l’a laissé hier.
On a décidé de prendre un break.
