How to Say Yes in French

Co-authored by Lorenzo Garriga and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: October 24, 2024 References

Knowing how to agree with someone is very important, and it’s a great way to dip your toe into learning a tough language like French. You might know the basic “oui” as a way to say “yes,” but there are actually many ways to agree with someone or confirm information based on what you’re talking about, what mood you’re in, and what tone you’d like to convey. Getting familiar with the various French words for “yes” can help you pick the best one for you!

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Basic Yes

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1
Say “oui” for a simple “yes.” You can use this word in almost any circumstance, no matter how formal or informal it is. Pronounce this word by saying “wee.”^{[1]
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- If you want to make this response more polite, you can add the French equivalent of “mister,” “missus,” or “miss” to the end of the term.
  - Monsieur, pronounced muh-see-euh, translates into “mister.” Oui, monsieur.
  - Madame, pronounced mah-dehm, translates into “missus.” Oui, madame.
  - Mademoiselle, pronounced mah-dehm-mwah-zel, translates into “miss.” Oui, mademoiselle.
2
Politely offer “oui, merci.” This phrase means “yes, thanks.” It’s a great way to accept an offer politely. You should pronounce it like, “WEE, mare-SEE.”^{[2]
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- Merci means “thanks” or “thank you.”
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3
Reply with “oui, s'il vous plaît.” This is another polite phrase. It means “yes, if it is pleasing to you,” or “yes, please.” Pronounce it like, WEE, sill voo PLEH.^{[3]
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- S'il means “if.”
- Vous means “you.”
- Plaît means “please.”

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Informal Yes

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1
Casually respond with “ouais.” This is the French equivalent of the English “yeah.” Pronounce it like oo-way.^{[4]
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- You should only use this in informal situations, like when you’re talking to your friends.
2
Use “ouaip” instead. This is the French equivalent of the English “yep.” It should be pronounced like oo-wayp.^{[5]
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- This word is slightly less informal than the one above, but it’s still only good for casual situations.
- You can also say “oeup” if you want to sound like a cool teenager.
3
Say “bah oui” for another way to say “yeah.” You can never have too many ways to informally agree, right? Another phrase, pronounced bah WEE, is another casual affirmative.^{[6]
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- There’s no difference between this phrase and “ouais,” so you can use them interchangeably.
4
Use “mouais” if you’re not sure. This phrase best translates to “um, yeah,” or “kinda sorta.” Pronounced mwé, you can say it when you’re not super sure if you want to say yes or not.^{[7]
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- You might use this phrase if someone invites you to a party but it doesn’t sound very fun.
5
Say “ouah” if you’re passionate about your “yes.” Using this word adds an exclamation point onto your agreement. Pronounce it like wa, or the first part of the word “wow.”^{[8]
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- You can use this to show your enthusiasm if you’re really excited about something.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Firm Affirmations

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1
State “évidemment.” This translates into “obviously.” Pronounce this French word as eh-vee-dah-mo(n). The N is silent!^{[9]
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- This is a slightly sassy way to confirm something, so use it sparingly.
2
Say “certainement.” In English, this means “definitely” or “surely.” You should pronounce this French term as sir-ten-mo(n). Again, the N is silent!^{[10]
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- This also roughly translates to “of course.”
3
Respond with “carrément.” This word translates into the English word “firmly.” This French word should be pronounced as “kah-ray-mo(n).” ^{[11]
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- It can also mean “absolutely.”
4
Reply with “tout à fait.” This phrase means “quite,” “completely,” or “altogether.” Pronounce this French phrase as too tah feh.^{[12]
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- Tout means "all" or "whole."
- The French à means "with," "to," "by," or "in" when translated into English.
- Fait means "fact," "event" or "occurrence."
5
Answer with "en effet." This translates loosely into “indeed” or “in fact.” Pronounce this French phrase as on -ay-feh.^{[13]
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- En means "in."
- Effet means "effect."
6
Exclaim “bien sûr!” This phrase loosely translates into “of course!” This French phrase should be pronounced as byahng soor.^{[14]
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- Bien means “good” or “well.”
- Sûr means “sure” or “certain.”
7
Use “exactement” when you’re sure about something. This French word translates to “exactly.” It’s pronounced as exacta-mah.^{[15]
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- You can also use it when talking about something precise.
8
Say “absolument” when something is possible. You can use this word when you mean “completely.” Pronounce it as ab-so-loo-mah.^{[16]
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- Even though there’s a “T” on the end of the word, you don’t pronounce it.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Contradictory Yes

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1
Use this “yes” to say yes while also contradicting a statement. It seems confusing, but there may come a time when you want to answer in the affirmative but not agree with the whole statement. You can use the contradictory yes to still agree while adding on information.^{[24]
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- Literally, it means “but yes” or “actually, yes.”
2
Say “si” for a contradictory yes. You can pronounce this word like see. It’s a quick, small word, so it can get lost in conversation.^{[25]
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- It’s pronounced the same way as “yes” in Spanish.
3
For example: If someone asks, “You seem tired. Did you not sleep enough last night?” You might answer, “Yes I did sleep enough last night, I’m just tired from the trip.” This is a case where you would use the contradictory yes.^{[26]
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- In French, your answer would be, “Si j’ai assez dormi. Je suis juste fatigué du voyage.”

Community Q&A

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Question

How do I say "I love you" in French?

Community Answer

Je vous aime (group of people or formal/respectful situation) or je t'aime (one person, informal).

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Is there a site where I can hear the French pronunciation?

Dodo47

Top Answerer

You can hear good pronunciation of words on Wordreference.

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I was taught that "ça va" meant "how are you?" It apparently means "okay", and "comment ca va?" is "how are you?" Which is right?

Community Answer

Just "ça va" is informal, similar to how English speakers say, "You okay?" or "You alright?" The distinction between the two is the following: "Comment ça va?" is formal, or introductory, while just "ça va" is informal, or quick.

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