Tabarnak! A guide to some of Québec’s best insults and swear words

French is spoken by more than 300 million around the world, and linguists predict that this figure will increase dramatically in the coming years.

Updated for your reading pleasure.

The French Canadian province of Québec alone is home to 7 million native French speakers, making it the third country where French is most spoken, and the cosmopolitan city of Montreal the fourth-largest Francophone city in the world.

So, starting a fight in France wasn’t good enough, now you want to get bruised in Québec? We like the sound of that. (Note: we don’t condone violence, both physical and verbal.)

French insults and curse words are creative over in mainland France, but expletives are just as entertaining on the other side of the Atlantic. When francophone Québécois whack their thumb with a hammer, receive terrible news, or get cut off in traffic, the curses that spew forth are overwhelmingly related to the Catholic Church.

Today, we’re taking you on an unfamiliar journey through some of the most popular insults and swear words used in Quebec that will hopefully get you through the harsh winter, tabarnak!

Disclaimer: Use with caution. We’re not helping in case of fights triggered by words you learned from us, the “Gym” in Gymglish isn’t related to any kind of self-defense lesson. You’re on your own!

1. Ostie or Ostie de…  

We kick off this holier-than-thou guide with one of la belle province’s most popular curse words. Ostie (also written ostie de or sti) is similar to our f-word (and the timeless French interjection putain) and is used to express anger or frustration towards a situation. This profanity stems from the noun hostie which refers to Communion host.

Example: “Ostie qu’il m’énerve !”

Translation: “Fucking hell he’s getting on my nerves!”

Traditional French equivalents: putain

2. Newfie 

Far more prevalent in older generations, the abbreviation Newfie refers to people living in Quebec’s neighboring province, Newfoundland. While the term may not come across as offensive, it is actually a slur depicting people who grew up in the province as stupid and lazy.

Example: “Regarde-moi cette newfie qui n’a pas de manteau !“

Translation: “Look at that Newfie, they aren’t even wearing a coat!”

Traditional French equivalents: crétin, trou du cul, trou de balle, gogol / mongol (historically used, but not anymore!)

3. Gros colon

Many Quebecers won’t condone the use of this next swear word. In Quebec French, gros colon doesn’t refer to a protruding internal organ (spelled côlon), but rather a settler or colonist. It is used to describe someone as “unsophisticated” or “ignorant” (much like the French insult beauf).

Example: “Tu as rencontré le nouveau manager? Il a vraiment l’air d’un colon.“

Translation: “Have you met the new manager? He looks like a right moron.”

Traditional French equivalents: connard, salaud, crétin, con, trou de balle, trou du cul, beauf

4. Tabernac / Tabarnak / Tabernacle

What does tabarnak even mean, tabernak!

Tabarnak is a phonetic rendition of the term “tabernacle”, which refers to the ornamented box in which Communion hosts and wine are kept. In Québec, it has become a very popular swear word used to express anger, annoyance or surprise. “Tabernac” means (more or less) “holy shit” or “holy fuck” in English.

Alternate spellings: tabarnac, tabernac, tabernak

Example: “Nous ne sommes pas parties en vacances depuis plus d’un an, tabernac !“

Translation: “We haven’t gone on holiday for more than a year, holy shit!”

Traditional French equivalents: merde, putain, putain de merde – depending on the situation!

5. Criss or Crisse

A diminutive of Christ, criss (sometimes written crisse) is an immensely satisfying and versatile expletive commonly used as a way to amplify a negative emotion. Think of it this way: criss is to Canadian French what the F-word is to English speakers.

Example: “Ostie de criss de tabernacle, ce plat est immonde.“

Translation: “Holy fucking shit, this Poutine dish is despicable.”

Note: this curse word can be used as a noun, adjective and even as a verb (crisser) like the blasphemous expression criss ton camp (“get the fuck out of here”).
You’ll notice the swear words keep on stacking in Québec, amplifying each other’s cursing power. It’s like putain and merde: it’s all very versatile!

Traditional French equivalents: keeping it original with putain and merde

6. Calisse / Câlice / Coliss

To get in the Quebec spirit of swearing, try the stronger version of criss: calisse (also spelled câlice or coliss). This swear word refers to the holy chalice in which wine is stored in Church. Today, it denotes extreme apathy and suppressed anger or frustration. 

Example: “Calisse je déteste les peintures de cet artiste !“

Translation: “Holy fuck I really hate this artist’s paintings!”

Bear in mind calisse can also be used as a verb, in the profane expressions je m’en calisse (“I don’t give a fuck”) or je décâlisse (“I’m getting the fuck out of here).

Traditional French equivalents: keeping it original once again with putain and merde

7. Tu fais dur

If someone uses this expression in your presence, they simply find you repulsive. Tu fais dur can also refer to an awful-looking place or object.

Example: “Franchement, tu fais dur avec ta chemise à pois.” 

Translation: “Quite frankly, you look positively ghastly in your polka-dot shirt.” 

Traditional French equivalents: “tu fais pitié”

8. Niaiseux / Niaiseuse 

Whether it’s a person, an object, an idea, or a situation, niaiseux (and its feminine form niaiseuse) means “stupid” or “dumb”. It can also be used in a lighter tone, translating as “silly.” 

Example: “Il ne sait même pas placer le Kazakhstan sur une carte ce maudit niaiseux.“

Translation: “This moron can’t even place Kazakhstan on a map.”

Traditional French equivalents: stupide, simplet, ignorant, crétin, con

9. Gros écoeurant

In Quebec slang, the adjective écœurant.e has a different connotation than French spoken in France (which helps refer to something “nauseating”). It can mean anything from “disgusting” to “awful”,  “great” to “wonderful”. Only context will tell. 

In French-French, it’d be equivalent to gros dégoûtant (informal) or gros dégueulasse (very informal).

Did you know? Ecoeurant is also a common slang word for “sick” as in “outstandingly good”.

Example: “Il a fait exprès d’éternuer sur son voisin de train… quel gros écœurant !“

Translation: “He sneezed on the person next to him on the train on purpose – what a disgusting slob.”

Traditional French equivalents: Positive: terrible, horrible, génial, super Negative: terrible, horrible, dégoûtant, dégueulasse

10. Ciboire

Yet another liturgical term akin to our F-word, pepper ciboire onto any negative situation you may encounter in your local Poutine joint and you’ll fit right in. Ciboire translates as “ciborium”, a container in which communion wafers are stored, and is commonly used as an adjective to convey a negative emotion. For maximum cool points, try adding saint to make saint ciboire, the ideal replacement for “holy fuck”.

Example: “Saint ciboire qu’est ce qu’il fait froid aujourd’hui !“

Translation: “Holy fuck, it’s cold out today!”

Traditional French equivalents: putain (yes, we like this word a lot)

Bonus 1: Les nouilles ne sont pas toutes dans la soupe

No matter how much you rack your brain, you’ll never grasp the meaning of this penultimate expression.

Les nouilles ne sont pas toutes dans la soupe (lit. “the noodles are not all in the soup)” is a metaphorical way of describing someone as being stupid. 

Some humorous (but still bad, mind you) alternatives in French:

• C’est pas le pingouin qui glisse le plus loin. They’re not the penguin that slides the farthest.
• Elle n’a pas la lumière à toutes les étages. She doesn’t have lights on every floor.
• Ce n’est pas le couteau le plus aiguisé du tiroir. It’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
• Il n’a pas inventé l’eau chaude. He didn’t invent hot water.

Bonus 2: Etre habillé comme la chienne à Jacques

This last expression is said to come from the term jaque, a leather coat worn by hunting dogs back in the 16th century, which made them look overly ridiculous. Over time, the noun jaque has been confused with the common French name Jacques and today, the expression (lit. “to be dressed like Jacques’s bitch”) refers to a frumpy person. 

Leave Jacques’ dog aside for now. Have you had enough of Québec French swear words yet? If you need a break, feel free to read about the history of the word “fuck”. We swear it’s interesting.

Tabernak, that felt good! Are you ready to start a fight in the streets of Montreal? Don’t forget to make some friends too: check out Frantastique our online French course.

Related articles :

• 7 French idioms explained
• 5 fictional French villages to put on your bucket list
• From apéritif to digestif – a beginner’s guide to drinking in France
• 5 French insults that won’t start a fight but would still be considered rude
• 5 French slang terms to help you sound like a local
• A complete survival guide when in a French bar
• 10 French dishes that you wish you never knew
• A brief history of the French language
• 10 reasons to learn French
• 10 animal-related French idioms you need to know to horse around with the language
• 5 French idioms around food to whet your appetite
• A short guide to French verlan
• A guide to selected untranslatable words in French
• 10 Ways to Say “I Love You” in French
• 6 ways to say Hello in French to greet in any situation