Three registers
A register is not a matter of right or wrong but of fit. English has no tu/vous split, so it carries register mostly through vocabulary and politeness formulas (could you possibly against can you). French also changes the negation, the question form, the pronoun and the vocabulary.
One request on three levels
Auriez-vous l'amabilité de me dire où se trouve la gare ?
Would you be so kind as to tell me where the station is?
Est-ce que vous pouvez me dire où est la gare ?
Can you tell me where the station is?
Tu sais où c'est, la gare ?
Do you know where the station is?
How you hear the register
What changes from level to level
| Feature | Soutenu | Courant | Familier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negation | Je ne sais pas. | Je ne sais pas. | Je sais pas. |
| Question | Où allez-vous ? | Où est-ce que vous allez ? | Vous allez où ? |
| we | Nous partons. | Nous partons. / On part. | On part. |
| Vocabulary | une automobile | une voiture | une bagnole |
Four features that give the register away
The disappearing ne
In relaxed speech the ne of the negation is usually dropped. This is not a mistake but the normal pronunciation of many speakers, including educated ones. You hear it constantly in films and conversation.
Written and spoken
Je ne sais pas où il est.
I don't know where he is. (written)
Je sais pas où il est.
Dunno where he is. (spoken)
Y a personne.
There's nobody there. (from il n'y a personne)
T'inquiète, c'est pas grave.
Don't worry, it's not serious.
Word pairs that give the register away
For many everyday things there is a neutral word and an informal one. The informal words are spoken and harmless, and you will hear them all the time.
The same thing, two levels
| Meaning | Courant | Familier |
|---|---|---|
| car | une voiture | une bagnole |
| work | le travail | le boulot |
| money | l'argent | le fric |
| to eat | manger | bouffer |
| child | un enfant | un gosse |
| tired | fatigué | crevé |
| friend | un ami | un pote |
| a lot of | beaucoup de | plein de |
neutral against familier
The same statement, two levels
Je suis très fatigué, je rentre en voiture.
I'm very tired, I'm driving home.
Chuis crevé, je rentre en bagnole.
I'm knackered, I'm driving home.
