g and j

[Patf]

We have english neighbours called Gibbs and the other day our french neighbour asked me "Ou sont les jeebs?" For once I was really stumped, until she mentioned the woman's first name. Then I realised in France an "i" softens a "g".

Also when spelling it's different: j is pronounced g etc. How do you spell g then in french? Got a wrong registration no° on the car from this mistake.

And are there any rules about pronunciation and spelling of the 2 letters?

 

[tuppence]

Hi,

The letter 'g' is softened when it is followed by 'i' or 'e' and hard when followed by 'a'. 'o' and 'u'. The letter 'j' is different as most of the time is pronounced as 'z'. As there are so few words in the French language beginning with 'j', it does sometimes change as in jargon when it is pronounced the same as the English 'j'.

tuppence

[Bernice]

Useful site here - http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/phrases/french/data/the_alphabet.html

Bernice

[Gardengirl]

Our Christian names start with G and J, and French friends found them both very difficult. I always use my shortened name for ease, although those friends I've known forever still use the full version, with huge differences. Since starting to tell French people that my OH's name is the same as Graham Green's, it's been much more recognisable! [:D]

Thanks for that link. [:)]

[allanb]

[quote user="tuppence"]The letter 'j' is different as most of the time is pronounced as 'z'. As there are so few words in the French language beginning with 'j'...[/quote]

Eh?  Jean, Jacques, je, jouer, jamais, joli, juste, jour...  Offhand I can't think of a word in which it's pronounced as 'z'.

I think the OP was also asking about pronouncing the names of the letters, which is a different question, and very confusing.  I try to remember 'g' as in général and 'j' as in jihad.

I've noticed that in French phone text messages 'g' is often used as shorthand for j'ai - that might be another way of remembering it.

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

You might want to remember Voltaire's reply to a dinner invitation: "G a". This decodes as Capital G = “Gé grand”; lower-case a = “a petit” = "j'ai grand appetit" .

[Judith]

Having one of the aforesaid letters in my name (!), I too have spent many happy hours saying the wrong thing.  In the end I have decided that the only way to remember it is to remind myself that j is "gee", and g is "jay", ie the opposite way round from the way we say it.  I still get it wrong though!

[Doodle]

No french person yet has been able to pronounce my name which is nigel so since living in france I now answer to what sounds like knee gel even my mother forgets when she's over here and calls me knee gel!

[confused of chalus]

And my OH Graham has seriously thought of changing his name! Orange fr never got the hang of it so to them he is 'griam', including his email address and he answers to almost anything at the badminton club!

[mint]

Went to an organised lunch yesterday and, when thanks were offered to the "day-gee", it took me a second or two before I realised it was the bloke what was playin' the music!

[Frenchie]

[:)][;-)]

 

[Tricia]

Just had another example of the g/j confusion - a parcel was to be delivered by courier to us in Aujan, and instead was taken to Agen [:@]

 The man rang up to ask me to spell the name and I thought I'd got it right!