Hi and welcome!

Don't let this scare you off. There's not soooo much French that you couldn't just skim right over it if ya wanted. Also, hey, I don't know French! This is collected from books, around the web, and some help from fellow writers/readers.

It is Cajun French, so it diverges a bit from modern French spoken on the Continent. Where I've figured this out, I try to explain.

Tips:New French is posted here and at the bottom of the post it appears in for the first time. If you want a quick reference open the glossary in one tab and open the story in another. I find flipping easier than scrolling.

Happy reading!

P.S. Also, I am missing some accent marks and have some other weird things. I will go back and fix this sometime. Probably.

Glossary

Alohrs Pas—Of course not

Ami—friend

Arrete, toi—Stop, you

Assez—Enough

Belle—Pretty

Bon—Good

Bonhomie—geniality; pleasant disposition

Bonne fête—Happy Birthday

Catin—doll (in Cajun French); in France it has come to mean prostitute but Cajun French adheres to an older tradition

Ce n'est pas ma faute — It's not my fault.

C'est tout—That's all

Cher—masculine for dear

Chère—feminine for dear

Chien—dog

Comment les affaires?—How are things?

couillon—fool (not particularly harsh and can even be used affectionately)

désolé—Sorry (masculine)

En sa beauté gît ma mort et ma vie.— In her beauty rests (both) my death and my life. Quote from Maurice Scève, French poet

envie—hunger or craving for something; said to a person it would mean sexual desire e.g. J'ai envie de toi. (I want you. Note: A way of saying it with warmth, not vulgarly.)

exactement—exactly

famille— family

Fils de putain—son of a bitch

Gaienne—Girlfriend

Homme—man

Je t'aime — I love you.

Je t'adore — I adore you.

jolie fille—pretty girl; doll

la petite morte— literally: the little death; figuratively it is a reference to orgasm

Le Bon Dieu!—The Good God

Le Diable Blanc—The White Devil, one of the names Remy has been known by as his eyes 'cause people to think him demonic

ma— my (feminine)

Mais—well or of course, for emphasis

make themisère(or, make the misery)—to cause trouble for

mon—my (masculine or preceding a word beginning with a vowel)

mon ami—my friend

mon amour—my love

mon chou— my cabbage (French term of endearment)

mon coeur—my heart

mon loup — my wolf (French term of endearment)

non—no

Ouah!— Yes. More casual that oui, rather more like "yeah"

oui—yes

père — father

petite—Little (little girl)

petite bouche—little mouth

Pop chock—small brown bird

Qui—in this case, who (I am not getting too in depth on French grammar as apparently qui and que are interchangeable depending on whether they are a direct or an indirect objects)

Salope!—Bitch

Savate—French Kick Boxing, one of the styles of fighting Remy is known for

'tite chatte—little cat

Viens ici—Come here