WELCOME!
Enjoy the experience of learning the Guernesiais language from scratch!
These series of online video lessons will allow you to learn and master the basics.
Build your confidence and thrive with our free and easy learning materials!
What you will learn:
- How to introduce yourself to others.
- How to respond to and ask simple questions.
- How to talk about the time and numbers.
- How to use and understand basic sentences/.
- Understand basic Guernesiais grammar concepts: singularity, plurality, masculinity and femininity.
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 1
| I fait bal ogniet | It’s a nice day today |
| Te v’là! | There you are! |
| Coum-tchi qu’l’affaire va? | How are things going? |
| L’affaire va-t-alle? | How are things going? |
| À la perchoine | Until the next one |
| Ès aoutes jours | To out next meeting |
| À d’môin | Until tomorrow |
| À jeudi | Until Thursday |
| Nous s’verra | We will see each other |
| J’te verrai | I’ll see you |
| Énn amas bian mercie | Very well thank you |
| Pas trop mal | Not too bad |
| Faut-pas-s’pllôind | Mustn’t grumble |
| D’mi-a-d’mi | So-so/ Middling |
| Coum aen viaer | Like an old man (masc.) |
| Coum enne vielle | Like an old woman (fem.) |
| Pas énn amas bian | Not too well |
| I fait bal ogniet | It’s a nice day today |
| Te v’là! | There you are! |
BEGINNERS LESSON 2: Léssaons pour c’menchànts 2
Je fus naï en Guernési
This video lesson provides the next step in conversing in the Guernesiais language. You will learn how to introduce yourself and how to explain where you are from.
TOP TIP: Test your vocabulary with a partner or use flashcards. Only 10 minutes a day will make all the difference in mastering the basics!
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 2
| Je | I |
| Je sis | I am |
| Mon | My |
| Mon naom | My name |
| Je d’meure | I live |
| Je creis | I think |
| Étout | Also, too |
| Et | And |
| Qué | That |
| En | In, at |
| Fus- fut naï | Was born |
| Guernési | Guernsey |
| Anglléterre | England |
| Ichin | Here |
| Je fus naï en Guernési | I was born in Guernsey |
| Je fus naï ichi étout | I was born here too |
| Je creis qué la Julie fut naï en Anglléterre | I think that Julie was born in England |
| Oué, je fus naï en Anglléterre | Yes, I was born in England |
| Mon naom est Alan | My name is Alan |
| Je sis Alan | I am Alan |
| Je d’meure à St. Pierre | I live in St. Peter’s. |
| Je creis qué l’Alex d’meure au Casté | I think that Alex live in the Castel |
| Nen-nin, je sis Alex et je d’meure à St Martin | No, I am Alex and I live in St Martin |
BEGINNERS LESSON 3: Léssaons pour c’menchànts 3
Est-ch’qué tu d’meures ichin?
This educational video provides a key step in learning Guernsey French. This is the first part of two videos teaching you how to ask questions and respond effectively. You will also learn the pronouns. Proceed to lesson 4 to learn more about asking questions!
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 3
| Là | There |
| Ichin | Here |
| D’meures | To live |
| Ôimes | Like |
| Marchier | To walk |
| Cachier | To drive |
| Môto | car |
| Cafi | Coffee |
| Thée | Tea |
| Beis | Drink |
| Viànde | Meat |
| Paissaon | Fish |
| Légeumes | Vegetables |
| Manges | Eat |
| Est-ch’qué | Is it that |
| Tu es là | You are there |
| Est-ch’qué tu es là | Are you there? |
| Est-ch’qué tu d’meures ichin | Is it that you live here? |
| Est-ch’qué tu ôimes à marchier? | Do you like walking? |
| Oui, j’ôime à marchier | Yes, I like to walk |
| Est-ch’qué tu ôimes à cachier ton môto | Do you like to drive your car? |
| Nen-nin, j’ôime à marchier | No, I like to walk |
| Est-ch’qué tu beis du cafi?- | Do you drink coffee? |
| Oué, je beis du cafi | Yeah, I drink coffee |
| Est-ch’qué tu deis du thée | Do you drink tea? |
| Oué, je beis du thée | Yes, I drink tea |
| Est-ch’qué tu manges d’la viànde | Do you eat meat? |
| Nen-nin, je mange des légeumes | No, I eat vegetables |
| Je | I |
| Tu | You |
| Vous | You (pl) |
| Nous | We |
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 4
| Tchi qué | what |
| Coum tchi qué | how |
| Chena | that |
| Dire/dit | to say |
| Veurt | want |
| Guernésiais | Guernsey French |
| Coum tchi qué nous dit ‘house’ en Guernésiais? | How do we say ‘house’ in Guernsey French |
| Nous dit ‘maisaon’ en Guernésiais | We say ‘maisaon’ in Guernsey French |
| Vacuqe. Tchi qué chena veurt dire? | Vacque. What does that mean? |
| Chena veurt dire ‘cow’ | That means cow |
| Ch’est | It is |
| Garçaon | Boy |
| Fille | Girl |
| Faumme | Woman |
| Haomme | Man |
| Est-ch’qué ch’est aën garçaon? | Is it a boy? |
| Oué, ch’est aën garçaon. Oui, il est aën garçaon. | Yes, it is a boy |
| Est-ch’qué ch’est énne fille / femme? | It is a girl / woman? |
| Oué, ch’est énne fille/ femme. Oui, alle est énne fille/ femme. | Yes, it is a girl/ woman. |
| Est-ch’qué ch’est en hoamme? | Is it a man? |
| Oué, ch’est aën haomme. | Yes, it is a man. |
| Est-ch’qué a mange? | does she eat? |
| Oué, a mange | yes, she eats |
| Est-ch’qué i mange? | does he eat? |
| Nen-nin, i beit | no, he drinks. |
| Aën | a (masculine) |
| Énne | a (feminine) |
| En | a (used before a vowel sound) |
| i | him |
| a | her |
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 5
| énne plleume | a pen |
| énne fourchaette | a fork |
| énne coupe | a cup |
| énne beque | a spade |
| énne tchaire | a chair |
| énne paomme | an apple |
| énne maisaon | a house |
| énne pouque | a bag |
| énne maonte | a watch |
| aën livre | a book |
| aën cat | a cat |
| aën deigt | a finger |
| aën fossai | a hedge |
| aën baté | a boat |
| en oeu | an egg |
| en endret | a room |
| en épaoule | a shoulder |
| en endret | a room |
| en ougniaon | an oinion |
| en hologe | a clock |
| en aos | a bone |
| la table | the table |
| la mair | the sea |
| lé cabinet | the cupbaord |
| lé mur | the wall |
| l’arbre | the tree |
BEGINNER LESSON 6: Léssaons pour c’menchànts 6
‘Les, des, du’
In the last video, we discussed how we refer to one item — the singular form. Here we’ll talk about how we refer to two or more items of the same kind — the plural form — and also how we refer to a quantity of something, like “some sugar” or “some water”.
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 6
| les peids | the feet |
| les qu’minses | the shirts |
| les païles | the shovels |
| les sôlers | the shoes |
| les cottes | the coats |
| les fourques | the forks |
| les oreilles | the ears |
| les irognes | the spiders |
| des cats | some cats |
| des souoris | some mice |
| des héchets | some (garden) gates |
| des tchians | some dogs |
| des lapins | some rabbits |
| des hougues | some mounds |
| des assiaettes | some plates |
| d’la crôime | some cream |
| d’la viande | some meat |
| d’la flleur | some flour |
| d’la terre | some soil |
| du pôin | some bread |
| du chucre | some sugar |
| du sail | some pepper |
| d’l’aer | some air |
| aën chapé/ des chapiaoux | a hat/ some hats |
| aën vessé/ des vessiaoux | a dish/ some dishes |
| aën morcé/ des morciaoux | a piece/ some pieces |
| aën baté/ des batchiaoux | a boat/ some boats |
| aën marté/ des martchiaoux | a hammer/ some hammers |
| aën couté/ des coutchiaoux | a knife/ some knives |
| lé raté/ les ratchiaoux | the rake / the rakes |
| lé chaté/ les chatchiaoux | the castle/ the castles |
VOCABULARY BEGINNER LESSON 7
| iun | one |
| dauex | two |
| treis | three |
| quatre | four |
| chinq | five |
| six | six |
| saept | seven |
| huit | eight |
| neuf | nine |
| dix | ten |
| aonze | eleven |
| douze | twelve |
| treize | thirteen |
| quatorze | fourteen |
| tchinze | fifteen |
| seize | sixteen |
| dix-saept | seventeen |
| dix-huit | eighteen |
| dix-neuf | nineteen |
| vingt | twenty |
| bille | pound |
| combian | how many |
| an | year |
| j’ai | I have |
| tu as | you have |
| il a | he has |
| alle a | she has |
| nous a | we have |
| vous avaïz | you have |
| il aont | they have |
| Combian d’billes? | How many pounds? |
| J’ai saept billes | I have seven pounds |
| Tu as saept billes | You have seven pounds |
| trente | thirty |
| tchérànte | forty |
| chinquànte | fifty |
| sésànte | sixty |
| septànte | seventy |
