Expression library « Jaser » To chat.
Familier Short, 1:08. Published Oct 23, 2026.
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Literally
To chatter, like a magpie. It can also mean to gossip.
Means
To chat, and enjoy it. « On a jasé toute la soirée! » : we chatted all evening.
Say back
« Viens jaser avec nous! » Come chat with us!
Play 1:08 , the Short Jaser: in Québec, you chat like a bird, captions on Captions on
Watch on YouTube
Answer in the YouTube comments : Who could you jaser with for hours?
In a French dictionary, « jaser » is first what a magpie does: it chatters. It can also mean to gossip: « ça fait jaser » . In Québec, « jaser » (familier) is simply to chat, and enjoy it: « On a jasé toute la soirée! » A friendly chat is « une jasette » (since 1866), and someone chatty « a de la jasette » . The word goes back to the early 1500s, probably from a sound, through a Norman-Picard word meaning to chirp.
Transcript
Transcript × Every line of the video, as spoken. The narration is in English.
Julie « On a jasé toute la soirée! » Narrator Jaser? Did they chatter like birds all night? Kind of. Narrator In a French dictionary, « jaser » is first what a magpie does: « La pie jase » . It chatters. Narrator It can also mean to gossip: « Ça fait jaser » , that gets people talking. Narrator But in Québec, « jaser » is simply to chat, and enjoy it. Jacob « Viens jaser avec nous! » Narrator « Jaser avec quelqu’un » : to chat with someone.Narrator Add the ending « ette » and you get « une jasette » : a friendly chat. That one’s from 1866. Julie « Tu viens faire un brin de jasette? » Narrator And someone who « a de la jasette » ? A real chatterbox. Narrator Where does it come from? The early 1500s, probably from a sound: a Norman word meaning to chirp. Narrator Your turn: you talked with friends all evening. How do you say it? Julie « On a jasé toute la soirée! » Narrator « Jaser » for chatting is familier: friends and family.Narrator You heard it. Now you know it. When to use it Familier Familier: friends and family. Usito marks this sense Québec French and familiar.
Example lines « Ça fait jaser. » That gets people talking. From the Short « Viens jaser avec nous! » Come chat with us! From the Short « Tu viens faire un brin de jasette? » Coming for a little chat? From the Short
Practise it 2 questions
1. What does « Jaser » mean? Email. To chat. To go shopping. To shop around. 2. Familier or standard? Familier Standard
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Sources Every claim in the video is checked against these.
Usito, entry « jaser » Sense 1, the call of the magpie; sense 2, to gossip; sense 3 (Q/C, familiar), to chat pleasantly; early 16th century, probably from a sound, through Norman-Picard « gaser » , to chirp.
Usito, entry « jasette » Q/C, familiar: a friendly chat (1866); « avoir de la jasette » , to be talkative.
Play 1:08 , the Short Jaser: in Québec, you chat like a bird, captions on Captions on
Watch on YouTube
Answer in the YouTube comments : Who could you jaser with for hours?
In a French dictionary, « jaser » is first what a magpie does: it chatters. It can also mean to gossip: « ça fait jaser » . In Québec, « jaser » (familier) is simply to chat, and enjoy it: « On a jasé toute la soirée! » A friendly chat is « une jasette » (since 1866), and someone chatty « a de la jasette » . The word goes back to the early 1500s, probably from a sound, through a Norman-Picard word meaning to chirp.
Transcript
Transcript × Every line of the video, as spoken. The narration is in English.
Julie « On a jasé toute la soirée! » Narrator Jaser? Did they chatter like birds all night? Kind of. Narrator In a French dictionary, « jaser » is first what a magpie does: « La pie jase » . It chatters. Narrator It can also mean to gossip: « Ça fait jaser » , that gets people talking. Narrator But in Québec, « jaser » is simply to chat, and enjoy it. Jacob « Viens jaser avec nous! » Narrator « Jaser avec quelqu’un » : to chat with someone.Narrator Add the ending « ette » and you get « une jasette » : a friendly chat. That one’s from 1866. Julie « Tu viens faire un brin de jasette? » Narrator And someone who « a de la jasette » ? A real chatterbox. Narrator Where does it come from? The early 1500s, probably from a sound: a Norman word meaning to chirp. Narrator Your turn: you talked with friends all evening. How do you say it? Julie « On a jasé toute la soirée! » Narrator « Jaser » for chatting is familier: friends and family.Narrator You heard it. Now you know it. 
Captions on