My List of Five Baffling Canadian-English Words

Canada is a bilingual country with a diversed culture. The country has two official languages, despite the fact that many citizens can only pronounce two French words correctly, typically “bonjour” and “fomage”. To add to that, Canadians use certain English words differently. If you are an international student, and find some Canadian word usages puzzling, you are not alone! Here are some examples:

#1 You don’t eat supper all that late

In many Commonwealth countries, supper is a meal that you eat after dinner, generally late at night, anywhere from 9pm — 4am. In Canada, supper is a general evening meal, similar to dinner. I have heard that ‘dinner’ usually means a more formal occassion while a supper is casual.

#2 The word “toilet” is considered vulgar, but “Regina” is not

Canadians frown when you say “I’m going to use the toilet”. The term is apparently considered distasteful. Instead, the terms “bathroom” or “washroom” are used. But every time I heard the name of the capital city of Sasketchewan spoken out loud, I get startled.

The vowel ‘i’ is generally to be pronounced ‘ee’ as in “dinner”, unless superceded by consonant + / e / gh / or preceded by /a/, as in “give”, “sigh” or “aisle”. In a country where swearing on television is not allowed, and addressing someone by body parts is considered rude, this pronunciation is surprisingly easy to be thrown around.

#3 “Goodnight,” says a Canadian, at 5.30pm.

In my culture, “goodnight,” is uttered just before bed, and there is a certain level of intimacy associated with the expression. But in the Great White North, people go around on the streets, in workplaces and in parties greeting each other goodnight at very early hours. Weird.

#4 The word “sorry” becomes very versatile up here

We have all heard this…Canadians say “sorry” all the time. This above graphic by Zept shows some of the general usage. Experiencing it has not ceased to be amusing even after multiple encounters.

The list does not end there. I remember getting the door as a first-time guest at a friend’s house when a frequent guest rang the doorbell. At the sight of an unfamiliar face, the poor lad exclaimed “sorry!” instead of “hello!” I was the only one who laughed. “Sorry” can be a greeting — who would have known!

#5 A twin bed is for a single.

Shopping for your first bedding supplies? Keep in mind that a single bed is called a twin in Canada; while a double bed is called a double. Logic for that is not clear, and it took 2 trips to the bedding store for me to believe the unusual moniker. This may be the most logistically inconvenient term on this list.

I am sure other international students in Canada will share these funny encounters. Comment below if you do!

Find your best school on Zept!