# French pronunciation question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492 "2014-11-24T16:50:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/1 "2014-11-24T16:50:34Z")
I don’t speak French, but many years ago I came across this saying: _Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte._ (It is only the first step that costs.) ISTR that it’s pronounced something like ‘snek le prim-YAY pah kee coot’. Is that correct? If not, how is it properly pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/2 "2014-11-24T16:59:35Z")
Try entering it in [translate.google.com](http://translate.google.com) and click the Listen icon. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/3 "2014-11-24T18:08:25Z")
Suh-ney-kih-leh-prem-yay-pa-key-coot ---
**Author:** ![Vashbul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Vashbul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vashbul)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/4 "2014-11-24T18:15:03Z")
Using your made-up phonetic system, I’d say closer to “snay kuh luh prem-YAY pah kee coot”. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/5 "2014-11-24T18:23:28Z")
I’d say close enough. St Denis et Montmartre, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/6 "2014-11-24T18:27:53Z")
Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte. Say nes kuh luh premeeaire pah key koot. (Premier has three syllables , but just barely: prem-ee-aire. And both Rs are pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/7 "2014-11-24T18:33:21Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I don’t speak French, but many years ago I came across this saying: > > _Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte._ > (It is only the first step that costs.) > > ISTR that it’s pronounced something like ‘snek le prim-YAY pah kee coot’. Is that correct? If not, how is it properly pronounced? Correct, just don’t stress the “yay”. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/8 "2014-11-24T19:19:01Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Ce ne est que le premier pas qui coûte. > > Say nes kuh luh premeeaire pah key koot. (Premier has three syllables , but just barely: prem-ee-aire. And both Rs are pronounced. No, it’s “prem-yay”: only the first R is pronounced. The feminine, \*première \*, does have both Rs pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/9 "2014-11-24T19:22:43Z")
> [@Heracles](#): > > No, it’s “prem-yay”: only the first R is pronounced. The feminine, \*première \*, does have both Rs pronounced. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/10 "2014-11-24T20:44:54Z")
“Ce ne est” isn’t correct. It’s “Ce n’est” But anyway, the saying is : “ **Il n’y a** que le premier pas qui coûte” . Googling, I find “ce n’est” for this sentence only in English sources (French-English dictionnaries and articles). Can’t help with the pronounciation, since my english pronounciation is atrocious, I couldn’t give an equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/11 "2014-11-24T20:49:22Z")
Your written English is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-pronunciation-question/705492/12 "2014-11-25T01:49:45Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Try entering it in [translate.google.com](http://translate.google.com) and click the Listen icon. I just tried this with the correct “Il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte” and I think that’s the best answer. Google’s pronunciation is robotic but correct. The transliterations into pseudo-English can only give you at best a terrible approximation. > **[Google Translate](https://translate.google.com/#auto/en/Il%20n'y%20a%20que%20le%20premier%20pas%20qui%20co%C3%BBte)** > > Google's service, offered free of charge, instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages.