Québec French swear words (sacres), explained

Québec French swear words, known as sacres, are words from the Catholic church used as interjections [1]. This page is a plain reference for adult learners and newcomers who hear them at work, on TV or in the street. It explains where the best-known sacres come from, how their force has changed, and why a learner should understand them but not use them. To see which French level you are aiming for, read French levels explained. For how long learning takes, see How long does it take to learn French. For the wider picture of Québec usage, read Québec French vs France French and Canadian French.

What are Québec French swear words?

Sacres are Québec’s religious swear words: church vocabulary used as an exclamation [1]. The word sacre itself has been in French since 1649, where it is given as the equivalent of juron (a swear word) or blasphème (blasphemy) [1].

Usito, a dictionary built at the Université de Sherbrooke for French speakers, has a thematic article on them. It calls the sacre certainly the best known, even the most emblematic, feature of Québec French, and says newcomers often try to learn how it works [1]. It also describes the sacre as a mark of identity that lets Québec francophones recognize each other [1].

Why are Québec swear words religious?

Using sacred terms in everyday speech is common in societies ruled by a powerful religious authority [1]. The article describes a tension between respecting what is forbidden and the pull of breaking the rule [1].

French colonists used mainly the names of God and of the Devil, along with many softened forms such as torrieu and parbleu [1]. The article says the Québec sacre is not descended from those older oaths, in language or in history [1]. It dates the distinctive Québec development of religious vocabulary to about the middle of the 19th century, when the clergy held a firm grip on the population and on local institutions weakened by the Conquest [1].

What sets the Québec sacre apart is its range. It draws on religious words beyond the name of God or of the Virgin: the name of the Son of God, objects of worship, sacred places and ritual practices [1]. The article adds that nobody can yet explain why some church words took root and others did not. It asks why hostie and not patène, baptême and not mariage [1].

Which church words are behind the main sacres?

From about fifteen religious words, more than 2,000 words have been recorded [1]. The article lists the main base words as Christ, Vierge, hostie, calice, tabernacle, ciboire, calvaire, sacrement and baptême [1]. The article states three pairs outright. The table gives them, spelled as the article writes them, with what the church word is in church.

The article does not pair the other base words with a sacre spelling, and this page does not either. Two of them have a plain church meaning in Usito. A hostie is the thin round of unleavened bread the priest consecrates at mass [2]. A ciboire is the sacred vessel, shaped like a covered chalice, in which consecrated hosts are kept for communion [5]. The Usito entries for hostie, tabernacle, calice and ciboire define the church objects and send the reader to the sacres article [2][3][4][5].

The change in sound shown in the table is one of four features the article gives for the Québec sacre. Most religious words used as exclamations change from their original pronunciation, which sets their sacred use apart from their profane one [1].

What are the milder forms?

The article describes a multiplication of euphemisms, and names three kinds [1].

• Derived forms. The article gives clif, estic, câline and tabarnanne as examples [1].
• Blends. Câliboire comes from câlisse and ciboire [1].
• Compound expressions. The article lists several built from a sacre and other words [1].

The article does not rank these forms by strength, and it does not say that a changed form is safe to use. Of the taboo vocabulary in general, it says the words keep their taboo and expressive character, and that from blasphemous they take on a tone of vulgarity or coarseness governed by rules of politeness [1].

Many sacres have also moved beyond exclamations. The article shows them working as nouns, verbs, intensifying adverbs and parts of intensifying expressions, with a meaning unrelated to the church word they came from [1]. It says this newer vocabulary keeps a heavy expressive charge and is still judged negatively as vulgar in the 21st century [1].

How has the force of the sacres changed?

Their expressive force has been reduced. Since the middle of the 20th century, the article says, using a sacre is a social transgression more than a religious one [1]. Less clerical power, less religious practice and everyday use have reduced the expressive force of the religious vocabulary, and the sacre no longer prompts new creations [1].

They have not lost their weight. The article says that when breaking a religious rule becomes common and society changes, the religious side fades and the words lose their supernatural force, but they stay taboo and expressive and take on a tone of vulgarity or coarseness, governed by rules of politeness [1]. It adds that sacres share the field of language taboo with sexual and scatological vocabulary, and remain a favourite resource of Québec speakers for expressing emotions [1].

As for register, the same article describes the vocabulary as taboo, with a tone of vulgarity or coarseness [1]. The church words themselves, as defined in their Usito entries, are ordinary vocabulary of worship [2][3][4][5].

Should a French learner use them?

No. Learn to recognize them, and leave them out of your own French. The article describes a taboo vocabulary with a tone of vulgarity or coarseness, whose newer uses keep a heavy expressive charge and are still judged negatively [1]. A learner has little way to tell how a given listener will react.

Avoid them:

• at work, with colleagues, clients or a manager;
• in class and with teachers;
• in an exam, where you speak or write to an examiner you do not know;
• with anyone you do not know well.

When you hear one, the article’s description helps: sacres are a favourite way to express emotion, and in their newer uses the meaning has nothing to do with the original sense of the church word [1]. You do not need to translate it word for word to follow the conversation. If you are preparing a Québec French requirement, TCF Québec explains the test Québec’s immigration ministry lists.

Common mistakes

• Assuming a sacre is mild because it names a church object. The church word is ordinary vocabulary, but the article says the newer sacre uses keep a heavy expressive charge and are still judged negatively as vulgar [1][2].
• Assuming a changed form is safe. The article names euphemisms (derived forms, blends, compound expressions) but does not rate them or say they are acceptable to use [1].
• Using one because you hear it often. The article says the vocabulary is governed by rules of politeness [1].
• Reading a sacre as a statement about faith. The article says the transgression is now more social than religious, and the newer uses have a meaning unrelated to the original sense of the words [1].
• Relying on a list of swear words from a blog, including this one. Dictionary pages change. Check the Usito page’s own date against the date at the top of this one.

Sources