Every week, a BBC Radio Jersey presenter learned a new phrase or two in Jèrriais
Here is a handy archive of previous phrases à BBC Radio Jèrri (BBC Radio Jersey's phrases):
Click on the phrases to hear the pronunciation
| Basic phrases | Tch'est qu'est vot' nom? | What's your name? My name is....... |
| Comme est qu'ous êtes? Comme est qu'tu'es? Comment va? |
How are you? (formal) How are you? (informal) How are you? (colloquial) |
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J'sis d'charme
Malheutheux |
I'm fine Not too bad
Bad (for men)
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| Weather |
Tchi temps qu'j'avons aniet?
I' fait bieau temps. Lé temps pathaît fait.
I' fait caud.
|
What's the weather like today?
It's fine weather. The weather seems settled.
It's warm. It's fine sunny weather. It's fine, now.
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| Fait-i' caud! | How hot it is! (as pronounced in the Eastern Parishes) | |
| Fait-i' caud! | How hot it is! (as pronounced in the Western Parishes) | |
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I' tchait d'la plyie I' brousse
un coup d'ôrage un abat d'plyie
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It's raining It's drizzling It's stormy
a thunderclap a downpour The weather's getting worse
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Où'est qu'tu d'meuthes?
St Ouën
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Where do you live? I live in St. Helier
St Ouen the twelve Parishes Here we are!
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| Money |
un pénîn deux pénîns chîn pénîns dgiêx pénîns vîngt pénîns chînquante pénîns
un louis
|
one penny two pence five pence ten pence twenty pence fifty pence
one pound (£1) Thank you very much
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| Shopping |
S'i' t'pliaît S'i' vos pliaît
|
Please (informal) Please (formal) How much?/How many?
to buy a pig in a poke
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eune pouque
lé marchi
|
a bag
the market
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lé Vièr Châté
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Mont Orgueil (the Old Castle)
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lé vièr pid d'cauche
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the old foot of the stocking (where people used to keep their money, i.e. savings)
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| On holiday |
eune vacance un congi
|
a holiday leave I've had a very good time a plane
the railway a boat
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êt' souos un même bonnet
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to be in the same boat (to be under the same bonnet)
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la mé lé lac la riviéthe
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the sea the lake the river
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| Politeness |
un mio un mio lâssé
voul'ous eune tâssée d'thée?
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a bit a bit tired and you?
yes why?
do you want a cup of tea?
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la g'lée du lait
un morcé d'gâche
|
jam milk I would like
a piece of cake a bottle of cider the beach
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La Faithe
un crapaud
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the fair (also Minden Place) Christmas festival
a toad (a Jerseyman)
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sus à dans souos en driéthe en d'vant dé
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on at, in in under in (a place) behind in front of
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où'est qu'est l'cat? il est souos la tchaîse
où'est qu'est Jean?
où'est qu'est la gâzette?
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where's the cat? it's under the chair
where's John?
where's the newspaper?
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où'est qué j'sommes? j'sommes dans l'gardîn
où'est qu'ous êtes?
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where are we? we're in the garden
where are you?
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un p'tit mio
vos pliaît-i'...?
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a little bit I like to speak Jèrriais, me!
Would you like...? (formal) Welcome to Jersey! Goodbye, and till the next time!
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Comme est qu'tu'es?
coumme un vyi
Vos pliaît-i' d'la gâche?
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How are you?
like an old man not too good (like the weather)
Would you like some cake?
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pus qu'des mots
man péthe
tan péthe
|
more than words
my father
your father
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Tch'est qu'i' y'a?
J'ai prîns du fraid
Il est bein pouôrrement
J'ai ma la gorge
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What's the matter?
I've caught a cold
He is very poorly Does it hurt a lot?
I've got a sore throat as sick as a dog
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jé d'meuthe sus eune fèrme
j'avons des j'vaux
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I live on a farm we have a lot of animals
we have some horses
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Revision week |
À bi!
|
'Bye!
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la maîson et l'gardîn
la maîson est grande
la chambre
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the house and the garden
the house is big
the bedroom
| |
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lé gardîn à lédgeunmes lé gardîn à flieurs
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the vegetable garden the flower garden downstairs, on the ground floor
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| Halloween |
blianc la blianche-femme
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white ghost (white lady)
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nièr lé Nièr Beurre un nièr cat la néthe méthe |
black Black Butter a black cat the black mother (head of a coven of witches)
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| gris Dé niet touos les cats sont gris les Gris Ventres
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grey At night all cats are grey Grey Bellies (nickname for people from St. Ouen)
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rouoge rêver la rouoge trie |
red to have a nightmare (to dream of the red sow) |
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| vèrt souos la vèrte bliête |
green six feet under (under the green turf) |
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| l's Enfuntchis | (nickname for people from St. Clement) | |
| un balle-à-leunettes eune chorchiéthe un chorchi lé dgiâbl'ye |
a jack-o'lantern a witch a wizard the devil It's blowing a gale (It's blowing the skin of the devil) |
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| Family |
l'oncl'ye la tante
|
the uncle the aunt
the brother
the father
the mother
the grandfather
the grandmother
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| More family |
lé couôsîn la coûosinne
l's êfants
|
cousin (male) cousin (female)
children
nephew
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| 20/11/2000 |
siez mé siez té siez nous man siez-mé
Nièr Mont
|
at my house at your house at our house my home a snail
Noirmont
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| Love and marriage |
aimer l'amour l'amouotheux l'amouotheuse
ligouaîsi
un mathiage
|
to love, to like love lover (male) lover (female)
to cuddle
a marriage
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| Love |
L'amour est aveugl'ye
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Love is blind
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L'amour est pus fort qué dgiêx boeufs
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Love is stronger than ten oxen
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Vielles amours et tîsons brûlés sont des feux bein vite ralleunmés
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Old loves and burnt embers are fires very soon relit
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Mains fraides, caudes amours
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Cold hands, warm loves
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Y'en a pus d'mathiés qué d'contents
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There are more married people than happy people
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Les mathiages et l's entèrrements, dans les maîsons font des changements
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Marriages and burials make changes in houses
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| Christmas | I' n'y'a qu'un bouon homme en Jèrri: il est dans L'Vièr Marchi. | There is only one good man in Jersey: he is in the Royal Square |
| N'faut pon crier Noué d'vant tch'i' n'veinge | Don't cry Christmas before it comes | |
| À forche dé crier Noué, i' veint. | Cry Christmas long enough and it comes | |
| Noué est long à v'nîn, mais il est bein vite pâssé. | Christmas is a long time coming, but passes qickly | |
| À La St Miché les pithots et à Noué les picots | Geese for Michaelmas, turkeys for Christmas | |
| Bouan Noué! | Merry Christmas! | |
| Bouonne Année! | Happy New Year! | |
| Christmas |
Noué lé Nouvel An la chant'tie la Sèrvelle dé Noué la Sonn'nie des Clioches lé Jour dé l'An un cantique dé Noué lé podîn d'Noué un arbre dé Noué un bouais d'Noué un présent d'Noué Papa Noué la né i' tchait d'la né i' tchait d'la plyie eune boule dé né un bouanhomme dé né eune êtaile du housse du dgèrrue du dgi lé picot |
Christmas New Year singing Christmas Eve bell-ringing (old Christmas custom) New Year's Day Christmas carol Christmas pudding Christmas tree Christmas tree Christmas present Father Christmas snow it's snowing it's raining snowball snowman star holly ivy mistletoe turkey |
| Calendar |
à tchi date qué j'vivons?
Janvyi |
What's the date today? the twelve months of the year
January |
| Numbers and dates |
Pourtchi?
deux
|
Why? the first of April the fifteenth of January
two
seventy (In Jèrriais, we say the 'x of the month', rather than the 'xth of the month'. There is one exception: the first)
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| Parish nicknames |
Les Carpéleuses |
the caterpillars (nickname for St. Bréladais) |
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Les Nièrs Tchus |
the black bottoms (nickname for St. Jeannais) |
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Les Gris Ventres |
the grey bellies (nickname for St. Ouënnais) |
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L's Enfuntchis |
the smoke-logged (nickname for Grouvillais and St. Cliémentais) |
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Les Nordgiens |
the northerners (nickname for St. Jeannais, Trinn'tais and St. Martinnais) |
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Les Ventres à baînis |
the limpet-bellies (nickname for St. Pièrrais) |
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Les Rouôlots |
the apple-dumplings (nickname for Ste. Mathiais) |
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les Clyichards |
people who suffer from diarrhoea (nickname for town-dwellers) |
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les crapauds |
toads (nickname for Jèrriais) |
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Tch'est qu'est la date aniet?
lé Jour dé la Libéthâtion
lé jour dé Guy Fawkes
Halloween
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What's the date today? the 22nd of January April Fool's Day the 25th of December
Liberation Day
Guy Fawkes Day
Halloween
the 25th of June
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l'Èrnouvé l'Êté lé S'tembre l'Hivé |
Spring Summer Autumn Winter |
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| Phrases |
Tch'est qu'i' y'a d'nouvé? la gâche
Jean est pouor arriver en Jèrri Mêcrédi
|
What's new? cake a mobile phone
John is due to arrive in Jersey on Wednesday
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à la mié-Août la mié-Mai à mié-s'maine dans l'mitan à mié-sethée à mié-niet à mînniet |
in mid-August mid-May in mid-week in the middle in the middle of the evening in the middle of the night at midnight
until late in the evening |
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| Time of day |
à matîn hièr l'arlévée d'main au matîn la niet pâssée
|
this morning this afternoon this evening yesterday evening yesterday morning yesterday afternoon tomorrow evening tomorrow morning last night
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| Times and dates |
dans l'mitan d'la niet dans les p'tites heuthes du matîn avant-hièr
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in the middle of the night in the early hours of the morning one of these fine days the other evening early in the morning the day before yesterday this year a week on Wednesday a fortnight on Wednesday
Saint Valentine's Day
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| Plurals |
la méthe les méthes
un tchèrpentchi
J'valyi
|
the mother the mothers
the chair
the Jerseyman
a tool
the cat
a farmer
a carpenter
a gardener
Chevalier
|
| More plurals |
lé laitchi les laitchièrs
lé cordonnyi
un pommyi
un tchoeuryi
un almandgi
un pilyi
un voleux
|
milkman milkmen
cobbler
Centenier
apple tree
cherry tree
almond tree
rock
pillar
fisherman
thief
squirrel
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Mardi Gras Mardi Gras - fai des crêpes et tu'en éthas!
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Shrove Tuesday a recipe pancakes Shrove Tuesday - make some pancakes and you'll have some!
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| More plurals1 |
tchi surprînse!
chapé
cârré
ouaîsé
baté
marté
raîté |
what a surprise! I like that a lot
hat
square
bird
lobster-pot
boat
castle
hammer
knife
wren
fairy
mackerel (singular)
|
| Laughter |
Lé Jour dé Rouoge Nez Dis drâses à la pouôrreté! chenna f'thait rithe les cats! rithe coumme un crévé créver d'rithe i' n'câsse pon les dents à rithe i' rit touos les trente-deux du mais né v'là man soulié tchi c'menche à rithe souôrithe souôrithe blianc rîsibl'ye |
Red Nose Day Say pants to poverty! it's enough to make the cats laugh! laugh like a drain die laughing he doesn't break his teeth laughing he laughs on the thirty-second of the month my shoe is beginning to gape to smile to grin funny |
| Places and customs |
la canne ès Lé Coin-ès-Ânes Lé Mont ès Pendus Lé Nic ès Tchians i' donnit un tas d'sou ès pauvres
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the can to the, at the, of the (plural) New Cut (the Corner of the Donkeys) Westmount (the Hill of the Hanged Men) The Dog's Nest to go limpeting (to the limpets) he gave a lot of money to the poor
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| 26/3/2001 |
Lé temps va s'amender Quand Nièrmont met san bounnet, ch'est sîngne dé plyie Y'a un hâthîn Y'a un clièrgeon L'ôrage a clièrgi l'temps
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The weather will improve When Noirmont puts on her bonnet, it's a sign of rain There's a haze It's clearing The thunder has cleared the weather
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| Jersey names |
Jean Jeannot
Françouais
Mathie Mêrrienne
Lîzabé
Cath'rinne |
John Johnny
François
Philip
Mary Mary Ann
Elizabeth
Catherine |
| Jersey names |
eune pieuvre
Âmice
|
octopus
Âmice It's a pleasure
my old (friend) (to a man) |
| Royalty
Lundi d'Pâques |
un jour pouor lé Rouai un jour pouor la Reine lé rouai lé prînce la prîncêsse la Reine Méthe la Fanmil'ye Rouoyale La Reine Lîzabé II Dgilliaume lé Contchéthant Dgieu sauve la Reine lé Rouoyaume Unni |
a day off a day off the king the prince the princess the Queen Mother the Royal Family Queen Elizabeth II William the Conqueror God save the Queen United Kingdom |
| dormi coumme un prînce |
to sleep soundly (to sleep like a prince) | |
| ordgilleux coumme un poux sus l'gant d'la Reine |
as proud as a louse on the glove of the Queen | |
| dans l'rouoyaume des taupes | six feet under/dead to the world (in the kingdom of moles) | |
| lé Tchithême |
Lent | |
| la Saint George Annivèrsaithe dé Shakespeare |
À la Saint George bouonhomme sème tes orges, car à la Saint Mar il est trop tard
Hamlet, Prînce dé Dannemar |
On St. George's Day, man, sow your barley, for on Saint Mark's Day it's too late
Hamlet, prince of Denmark |
| This and that |
tu'es un mio lâssé nos v'chîn s'tchi la mouothue
chu
chu bouais
chutte femme
ch't hôpita
ch't ôti
ches tchians
ch't homme-chîn
|
you're a bit tired here we are drying cod
this/that (masculine)
this/that tree
this/that woman
this/that hospital
this/that tool
this/that dogs
this man
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| Recipe |
d's èrchettes des mèrvelles eune livre dé flieu un quart'ron dé chucre trais gros oeufs copes tchuithe
ajouôtez
pêtri bein la pâte
|
recipes Jersey Wonders a pound of flour a quarter pound of sugar three large eggs cuts to cook
add
knead the dough well
|
| Cooking |
un fricot d'la galette à vrai des corînthes des raisîns quat' onches siêx livres dé pâte l'vée du limon confit eune livre dé chucre eune muscade mêlez la pâte eune d'mié-livre pitchiz eune tigue l'fou
|
a nosh up vraic biscuit currants raisins four ounces six pounds of raised dough candied peel a pound of sugar nutmeg mix dough half a pound prick stem oven |
| Shopping |
un pangni eune pannelée eune pouque eune poutchie d'flieu eune tinnée d'pais eune potée d'g'lée eune boête eune boêtée d'oeufs eune boêtée d'alleunmettes un mogue eune modgie d'thée un patchet d'beurre eune boutelle dé biéthe |
basket basketful bag bagful of flour tin of beans jar of jam box boxful of eggs boxful of matches mug mugful of tea packet of butter bottle of beer |
| Kids |
un mousse un mousset eune moussette un moussetchet eune moussetchette un moussetchîn
papa |
child young lad young lass boy (up to 10) girl (up to 10) child (up to 10)
grandad |
| Having and being |
frouque gardîn faichon
aver faim |
fork garden fashion, way
to be hungry |
| Poetry corner |
tchiquefais un pommyi un mêle eune mêlesse eune grive dormi c'menchi preunmiéthement muchi craithe |
sometimes apple tree blackbird blackbird (female) thrush to sleep to start firstly to hide to believe |
| 25/6/2001 |
Il a pâssé gentiment dg'ieau l'tou d'La Corbiéthe dépis ches jours-là
|
A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then (A lot of water has passed round La Corbière since those days)
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Ch'est un homme qu'aime hardi à vos haler sus la gambe J'attendons fête à vos vaie d'main au sé Eune belle séthée dans l'haut d'l'êté J'crai qu'i' faut nos abriter; lé temps n'a pon belle minne
|
He's a man who likes very much pulling your leg We look forward to seeing you tomorrow evening A beautiful evening at the height of Summer I think we'll have to take shelter; the weather doesn't look too good
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J'ai veu un tas d'mèrvelles siez l'boulandgi Y'a des frâses et des frambouaises en as-tu en veurs-tu
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I saw a load of wonders at the baker's There are strawberries and raspberries galore
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| Compound future |
j'm'en vais chèrchi pouor l'Chent'nyi i' s'en va acater lé rouoge moto i' s'en vont lî pâler entouor lé rât d'main t'en vas-tu m'donner un coup d'main auve ches patates? j'allons marchi ès Landes à pid viyant qu'i' fait bé
|
I'm going to look for the Centenier he's going to buy the red car they're going to speak about the rates tomorrow are you going to give me a hand with these potatoes? we're going to walk to Les Landes since it's fine
|
| More royalty |
Murray au matîn j'vos r'dithai ou souôrit
les tchians ouassent
|
Murray in the morning I'll tell you again she smiles
dogs bark I've seen the Queen
|
| 23/7/2001 Revision |
Mé, j'sis Murray. Et té? Bouônjour Bouonne niet Bônsouair à tantôt |
I'm Murray, me. And you? Hello Good night Good evening See you later |
| 30/7/2001 Murray is learning to read a poem for the Eisteddfod! |
ma modgie d'cidre i' m'en faut un bouôn lèrmîn vite, acouothe un p'tit gouttîn j'bai du cidre et lyi du thée et j'sommes tréjous heûtheurs et dgais |
my mugful of cider I need a good swig quick, another little drop I drink cider and she tea and we are always happy and gay |
| Battle of Flowers |
La Batâle des Flieurs des babinnes-dé-lièvre des mèrgots des pîssenliets des g'zettes |
The Battle of Flowers hares' tails daisies dandelions daffodils |
| Septembre 2001 | Murray est à pratitchi eune poésie pouor l'Eisteddfod | Murray is practising a poem for the Eisteddfod |
|
Ha, ha, ha! - ma modgie d'cidre, I' m'en faut un bouôn lèrmîn, Ha, ha, ha! - ma modgie d'cidre, Vite, acouothe un p'tit gouttîn! |
Ha, ha, ha! - my mug of cider I need a good drop Ha, ha, ha! - my mug of cider Quick, another wee drop! |
|
| Cider making |
la faîs'sie d'cidre chonmé bringuesingue bidé-ouinne envitoué blindé bragi un b'veux un pînteux un topeux un ivrouongne un bouaissonneux |
cider-making drunk drunk drunk drunk drunk drunk a drinker a heavy drinker a heavy drinker a drunkard a drunkard |
|
l'Èrnouvé lé S'tembre
Au R'nouvé tout est bé prîns des s'tembres
touos les jours j'sis dans les clios
|
Spring Autumn
In Spring everything is fine down with an Autumn chill chorus
Every day I'm in the fields
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lé bouochi
Lé matîn d'vant qu' d'alleunmer l'feu, |
the butcher
In the morning before lighting the fire |
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| 3/12/2001 |
Noué est long à v'nîn mais bein vite pâssé Fête dé Noué |
Christmas is long in coming but very quickly past Christmas festival |
| Christmas pudding |
lé crapaud la Rue d'Driéthe Papa Noué La Belle Fée, où'est qu'tu'es? Bouan Noué lé mogue d's èrchettes Jèrriaises un podîn d'Noué eune tchulyi eune dréch'rèsse eune poutchie d'flieu eune fourchette un couté un patchet d'beurre deux tâssées d'flieu eune tâssée d'mies d'pain des raisîns des corînthes d'la muscade mêler eune bolle eune podinniéthe bein graîssi tchuithe à l'ieau l'ieau-d'vie du couongnac lé chînquantchième annivèrsaithe |
toad King Street (street behind) Father Christmas Beautiful Fairy, where are you? Merry Christmas mug Jersey recipes Christmas pudding spoon slotted spoon bag of flour fork knife packet of butter cupful of flour cupful of breadcrumbs raisins currants nutmeg to mix bowl pudding bowl well greased to steam spirits brandy the 50th anniversary |
| Money |
un ûro un chent
un louis
eune bille
un ch'lîn
payi
i' n'a pon un rouoge liard
eune carte à sou
|
one euro a cent
a pound
note
a shilling
to pay
he hasn't got a brass farthing
cash card
|
| Football |
lé football la gamme la balle l'êtchipe |
football game ball team |
