Culture & Etiquette

1. Quinas son las costumas d'aicí?

   What are the customs here?

   Usage

   A question for learning local manners; ask hosts or shopkeepers

   Grammar Note

   quinas agrees with feminine plural costumas. Composed.

2. Aquò es una tradicion d'aicí

   This is a local tradition

   Usage

   What locals say when explaining an event or custom

   Grammar Note

   aquò means "that"; tradicion is feminine. Composed.

3. Qué vòl dire aquela tradicion?

   What does that tradition mean?

   Usage

   Asks what a ritual or decoration you have seen means

   Grammar Note

   qué vòl dire asks "what does it mean"; aquela goes with feminine nouns.

4. Vòli visitar un mercat local

   I would like to visit a local market

   Usage

   For seeing local produce; most towns hold markets in the morning

   Grammar Note

   vòli + infinitive. Composed.

5. Quina es l'especialitat d'aicí?

   What is the local speciality?

   Usage

   Asks about the local speciality, whether food or souvenir

   Grammar Note

   quina is feminine, agreeing with especialitat. Composed.

6. Aimi la cultura occitana

   I love Occitan culture

   Usage

   Showing interest pleases local people; occitan is written in lower case

   Grammar Note

   aimar is an -ar verb with 1st person aimi; occitana agrees with cultura. Composed.

7. Los trobadors an cantat en occitan

   The troubadours sang in Occitan

   Usage

   The language of the medieval poet-singers of southern France; a common point in guided tours

   Grammar Note

   an cantat is the compound past: aver in the present + past participle. Composed.

8. Es una cançon occitana?

   Is this an Occitan song?

   Usage

   About a song playing at a festival or in a shop

   Grammar Note

   ç sounds /s/. Rising intonation makes the question. Composed.

9. Se parla occitan aicí

   Occitan is spoken here

   Usage

   For areas where Occitan appears on signs and in speech; speakers are mainly older people and learners

   Grammar Note

   se parla is the reflexive "is spoken". Composed.

10. Vòli veire una partida de rugbi

    I want to see a rugby match

    Usage

    Rugby is hugely popular in the south-west, and matches in places like Toulouse are a local pleasure

    Grammar Note

    partida is "match, game"; rugbi is rugby. Composed.

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