Quebecois

Québécois, or Québécoise in the feminine form, is the French demonym for people from the Canadian province of Quebec, or more broadly for residents of Quebec who identify with its culture and language. The term also refers to the distinctive variety of Canadian French spoken in Quebec, commonly known as Québécois French.

Québécois French features distinctive vocabulary and pronunciation compared to metropolitan French; examples include words like char (car), tuque (knitted hat), and magasinage (shopping). The dialect has been reinforced by media, education, and public life in Quebec, contributing to a recognizable regional speech pattern within the wider Francophone world.

Identity in Quebec strengthened during the mid-20th century's Quiet Revolution, and language policy followed with the Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) in 1977, which established French as the official language of Quebec and protected French in education, business, and public life. These developments helped shape a francophone community distinct within Canada.

Most Québécois live in Quebec, though there are communities across Canada and in the francophone diaspora worldwide. The term does not denote a separate nationality; rather, it indicates a regional and cultural identity tied to language, customs, and shared history.

Quebecois culture encompasses literature, music, film, cuisine, and politics; debates around language policy, identity, and the place of French in public life remain central to Quebec society.