If like most young people in Louisiana, you took years of "Perisian" French in high school and felt the disconnect between the class French and the one you heard your parents and grandparents speak at home, this lesson is for you.
I am not an expert in Louisiana French, or a native speaker, but I taught it and have lived among it my whole life. More importantly, I understand the perspective of young Louisianians who would like to learn the "Cajun French" of their grandparents, so that this thing isn't lost.
One thing I noticed is that Louisiana people, myself included, don't like to deal with VERB CONJUGATIONS. I found an easy way to get around that (mostly) and speak Louisiana French more easily.
Using the word APRÈS + VERB INFINITIVE to express action in the process, "-ING" form
How to say things like:
I am doing something.
She is making boudin.
They are acting like the donkey.
What are you doing?
1. First, you have to learn ONE conjugation, just one. In Cajun French.
Etre - To be
j'suis I am
t'es you are
il/elle est he/she is
on est we are
vous-autres est yall are
ils est they are
2. Now a list of a few verb infinitives. These are the "to forms" of the verb, the simplest form. These are the things that you have to conjugate, but here, just learn what they mean. You probably already know them.
manger- to eat
boire- to drink
danser- to dance
faire- to make/do
bouder- to make boudin
faire le bourriquet- to act the donkey
dormir- to sleep
marcher- to walk
charrer- to chat
passer- to pass
3. Now, put it all together: This is the equation:
SUBJECT + ÊTRE* + APRÈS + INFINITIVE = sentence
*conjugate, as above in #1
J' + SUIS + APRÈS + MANGER = I am eating.
T' ES APRÈS BOIRE. = You are drinking.
Il EST APRÈS CHANTER = He is singing.
ON EST APRÈS FAIRE le bourriquet. = We are acting the donkey.
Variations you can read:
Quoi t'après faire? = What are you doing?
QUI t'après faire? = What are you doing? (quoi/qui can mean both mean "what")
J'après faire le bourriquet. I am acting the donkey.
(sometimes, the "etre" is not pronounced much, so "j'après" sounds like "shha pray")
J'suis après manger. I am eating.
J'suis après manger du boudin. I am eating boudin.
C'après mouiller. It is raining.
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When I figured this out the language opened up to me a lot.
In French class, you learn that "après" is a preposition meaning "after". That is right.
So, being a good French student, you would read this sentence:
Moi, J'suis après manger.
as
Me, I am after eating.
And you would be right. In Louisiana, we say we are 'after' doing something. As in, we are in the process of perusing it.
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