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

2. ENTOUOR MÉ
La deuxième léçon

3. Lesson learning objectives
To be able to say where you live and ask others where they live
To be able to say your nationality and what language you speak
To introduce the question words où est qu’ (where) and tchi qu’ (which)
To introduce the verb d’meuthe (to live) in the present tense

4. Où’ est qu’ tu d’meuthes?
Granmaithe
How to say the question word ‘where’ in Jèrriais
Où’ est qu’ tu d’meuthes?
Où’ est qu’ tu d’meuthes?
Where do you live?
Verb d’meuther (to live)
You are also very likely to come across the following alternative ways of saying ‘where’:
Ioù qu’ tu d’meuthes? (Where do you live?)
Éyou? (Where?)
jé d’meuthe
I live
tu d’meuthes
you live
i’ d’meuthe
he lives
ou d’meuthe
she lives
jé d’meuthons
we live
ou d’meuthez
you live (plural)
i’ d’meuthent
they live
Granmaithe
In Jèrriais the word for I is the same as the word for we. The word for both personal pronouns is Jé (short form J’).

5. Jé d’meuthe en Jèrri I live in Jersey
Granmaithe
As in French, all nouns (things, people, places) in Jèrriais are either masculine or feminine.
Jé d’meuthe en Jèrri
I live in Jersey
Jé d’meuthe en Angliétèrre I live in England I’ d’meuthe en Êcosse He lives in Scotland Ou d’meuthe au Pays d’Galles She lives in Wales Jé d’meuthons ès Îsles d’la Manche We live in the Channel Islands
Granmaithe
How to say in a country:
When talking about feminine countries use the preposition en
When talking about masculine countries use the preposition au
When talking about a country that is referred to in the plural use the preposition ès
The masculine/feminine rule does not apply when talking about the Channel Islands. For each of the islands use the preposition en:
en Jèrri in Jersey
en Dgèrnésy in Guernsey
en Auregny in Alderney
en Sèr in Sark
en Hèrme in Herm

6. Jé d’meuthe à Ste Mathie
I live in St Mary
Granmaithe
How to say in a parish:
When talking about towns, cities and parishes use the preposition à:
à St Jean
à St Hélyi
à St Cliément
à Grouville
Jèrri a douze pâraisses.
Jersey has twelve parishes.

7. Où’ est qu’ tu fus né(e)? Where were you born?
Granmaithe
The additional e is added to the word né when referring to a feminine subject.
For example, I am female so I would write:
J’fus née en Jèrri
Où’ est qu’ tu fus né(e)?
Where were you born?
J’fus né(e) en Jèrri I was born in Jersey J’fus né(e) en Angliétèrre I was born in England Tu fus né(e) en Irelande You were born in Ireland I’fut né en Polongne He was born in Poland Ou fut née au Portûnga She was born in Portugal
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8. Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ tu’es?
Pronunciation tips…
l followed by i and another vowel makes a y sound:
Cliément
Angliais
Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ tu’es?
What nationality are you?
J’sis Jèrriais(e) I am a Jersey person J’sis Angliais / Angliaîche I am English J’sis Portûndgais(e) I am Portuguese J’sis Polonnais(e) I am Polish
Granmaithe
Again, the endings of the adjectives above change according to whether you are referring to a male or female subject.
Click here for more…

9. Tchi langue qu’ tu pâles?
What language do you speak?
Jé pâle lé Jèrriais I speak Jèrriais Jé pâle l’Angliais I speak English Jé pâle lé Portûndgais I speak Portuguese Jé pâle lé Polonnais I speak Polish
Pronunciation tips…
A letter with a circumflex makes a long sound.
pâle
Click here for more…

10. 📘 Liéthe Read the following and answer the questions:
Bouônjour, man nom est Matchi. Jé d’meuthe en Jèrri á St Hèlyi. J’sis Angliais. J’fus né en Angliétèrre. Jé pâle lé Jèrriais et l’Angliais.
Where was Matthew born?
What nationality is Matthew?
Where does Matthew live?
What languages can Matthew speak?
Click here for the answers…

11. 👂🏼Êcouter
Listen to the short monologue and answer the questions:
Monologue
What nationality is Daisy (Mèrgot)?
Where does Daisy live?
What languages does she speak?
Click here for the answers…
Click here for the transcript…

12. Pâler Say the following en Jèrriais... Hello, my name is…
Where do you live? (To someone you know.)
I live in Jersey in St Ouën.
Where were you born? (To someone you know.)
I was born in England.
I am a Jersey person. (Remember to use masculine or feminine.)
What language do you speak?
I speak English and Portuguese.
Click here for the answers…

13. 🖋 Êcrithe Write the answers to the following questions en Jèrriais:
Tch’ est qu’ est tan nom?
Où’ est qu’ tu d’meuthes?
Où’ est qu’ tu fus né(e)?
Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ tu’es?
Tchi langue qu’ tu pâles?
Click here for the answers…

14. 🔤 Vocabulaithe
où’ est qu’ where ioù qu’ where éyou where tchi, tchil, tchille which, who d’meuther to live jé d’meuthe I live en/au in Jersey/in a country à in a parish/town/city ès in a place (plural) l’Angliétèrre England l’Êcosse Scotland la France France l’Irlande Ireland
lé Pays d’Galles Wales
la Polongne Poland
lé Portûnga Portugal
la Romanie Romania
les Îles d’la Manche Channel Islands
Jèrri Jersey
Dgèrnésy Guernsey
Auregny Alderney
Sèr Sark
Hèrme Herm
pâraisse Parish
St Brélade St Brelade
St Cliément St Clement

15. 🔤 Vocabulaithe
Grouville Grouville St Hèlyi St Helier St Jean St John St Louothains St Lawrence St Martîn St Martin Ste Mathie St Mary St Ouën St Ouen St Pièrre St Peter St Saûveur St Saviour La Trinneté Trinity né(e) born jé fus né(e) I was born nâtionalité nationality
Angliais/Angliaîche English
Êcossais(e) Scottish
Français(e) French
Gallouais(e) Welsh
l’Irlandais(e) Irish
Jèrriais(e) from Jersey
Polonnais(e) Polish
Portûndgais(e) Portuguese
Romain(e) Romanian
langue language
pâle speak
jé pâle I speak

16. Liéthe: Answers Matthew was born in England. He is English.
He lives in Jersey in the parish of St Helier.
He can speak Jèrriais and English.
Go back…

17. Êcouter: Answers Daisy is Welsh.
She lives in Jersey in the parish of St Lawrence.
She can speak English, Welsh and Jèrriais.
Go back…

18. Êcouter: Transcript
Bouônjour. Man nom est Mèrgo et j’sis Gallouaise. Jé d’meuthe en Jèrri à St Louothains. Jé pâle l’Angliais, lé Gallouais et lé Jèrriais etout.
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19. Pâler: Answers
Masculine Feminine
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20. Êcrithe: Answers Man nom est..... Jé d’meuthe en….. à…..
J’fus né(e) en…..
J’sis…..
Jé pâle…..
Go back…

21. Good manners!
When speaking to a new acquaintance or elder it is polite to use the second person plural:
Où’ est qu’ tu d’meuthes? → Où’ est qu’ ou d’meuthez? Where do you live?
Où’ est qu’ tu fus né(e) → Où’ est qu’ ou fûtes né(e)? Where were you born?
Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ tu’es? → Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ ous êtes? What nationality are you?
Tchi langue qu’ tu pâles? → Tchi langue qu’ ou pâlez? What language do you speak?
Go back…

22. Où’ est qu’ tu fus né(e)?
J’fus né(e) en Êcosse I was born in Scotland J’fus né(e) au Pays d’Galles I was born in Wales Tu fus né(e) en France You were born in France Tu fus né(e) en Roumanie You were born in Romania I’ fut né ès Êtats Unis He was born in the United States Ou fut née en Italie She was born in Italy
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23. Dé tchi nâtionalité qu’ tu’es?
J’sis Êcossais(e) I am Scottish J’sis Gallouais(e) I am Welsh J’sis Irlandais(e) I am Irish J’sis Français(e) I am French J’sis Italien(ne) I am Italian J’sis Roumain(e) I am Romanian
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24. Tchi langue qu’ tu pâles?
Jé pâle lé Gaélique I speak Gaelic Jé pâle lé Gallouais I speak Welsh Jé pâle I’Irlandais I speak Irish Jé pâle lé Français I speak French Jé pâle l’Italien I speak Italian Jé pâle lé Roumain I speak Romanian
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