Permis PrêtQuébec expressions at work: entrevue, avantages sociaux, ne pas niaiser
What a newcomer hears at the coffee machine, in an interview and on a construction site.
Short answer : In Québec you go to an “entrevue” (job interview), talk about “avantages sociaux” (benefits) and a “période d’essai” (probation), and at the office a game is “plate” (boring) or you play “pour le fun”. Three dialogues show these words: Hockey talk at the office, Job interview and On the construction site.
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Words and phrases
| Québec | Standard French | English | Dialogue |
|---|---|---|---|
| puis (en début de phrase) | et alors ? | so? (chatty opener) | Hockey talk at the office |
| plate | ennuyeux | boring, dull | Hockey talk at the office |
| pool de hockey | jeu-concours de pronostics | hockey pool | Hockey talk at the office |
| pour le fun | pour s’amuser | just for fun | Hockey talk at the office |
| voyons donc | allons donc | come on! (disbelief) | Hockey talk at the office |
| entrevue | entretien d’embauche | job interview | Job interview |
| avantages sociaux | avantages liés à l’emploi | employee benefits | Job interview |
| assurance collective | assurance de groupe | group insurance | Job interview |
| période d’essai | période d’essai | probation period | Job interview |
| expérience canadienne | expérience de travail locale | local work experience | Job interview |
| ne pas niaiser avec ça | ne pas plaisanter avec ça | not to mess around with that | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
| chantier | chantier de construction | construction site | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
| journalier | manœuvre | laborer | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
| contremaître | chef de chantier | foreman | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
| bottes à cap d’acier | chaussures de sécurité à embout d’acier | steel-toe boots | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
| CNESST | Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail | Québec’s workplace health, safety and labour-standards agency | On the construction site: safety and CNESST |
Two remarks
“Ne pas niaiser avec ça” means not to joke about something serious; “se casser la gueule” is familiar and a bit crude, to recognise but not to use in an interview. The interview register (dialogue 9) is deliberately polished, with few québécismes.
The construction-site dialogue presents the right to refuse dangerous work: it is a listening exercise, not legal advice.
Dialogues to listen to
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Vocabulary fiche. The content is in beta: a review by a native Québécois speaker is under way.