Different Ways to Say Yes in French

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Aside from oui, what are the different ways to say yes in French? Learn all about how to say yes in French in this article!

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The Basic Yes in FrenchSuper Informal Ways to Say Yes in FrenchThe Unsure Yes in FrenchA Related Reaction: Ouah! (Wow!)The Annoyed Yes in FrenchThe Casual Ways to Say Yes in FrenchThe Contradictory Yes in FrenchYes, Please in FrenchWith Pleasure in FrenchThat’s Right in FrenchWhy Not? In FrenchOther Ways to Say Yes in FrenchConclusionHere are some FAQs about Yes in French

When you’re speaking in your native language, I would imagine that you have various ways of saying yes. In English, you’d say “sure”, “why not?”, “of course!”, “yep!”, “absolutely!” and so many other variants of yes. All of which mean yes, but with different nuances for each.

It’s the same thing in French. You can get by with just saying oui each time you want to say yes in French language, but it gets old quickly.

How about a yes when you’re super enthusiastic?

Or a happy yes?

Or if you’re not so sure but you’re agreeing nonetheless, how can you show your ambivalence?

There are different ways on how to say yes in French in certain scenarios and today, we’ll be learning about it.

The Basic Yes in French

Oui is the standard way to say yes in French. It works for most affirmative answers. To contradict a negative question or statement, French usually uses si, explained below.

• ouiyes

Example:

« Tu peux venir ici, s’il te plaît ? » (“Can you come here, please?”)

« Oui, j’arrive ! » (“Yes, I’m coming!”)

Super Informal Ways to Say Yes in French

When you’re with close friends, it’s fine to take things easy and talk in an informal manner. Just be careful with saying these in formal situations though—it won’t go well!

• ouaisyeah
• ouaipyep
• ouepyep
• bah ouiyeah

Ouep is often used as a way to sound cool. So if you’re a teenager or you just want to add a coolness factor to your French, feel free to use this one.

Now for some examples:

1. Tu veux venir jouer à la console chez moi samedi ?  (Do you want to come over to play video games on Saturday?)

 Ouais pourquoi pas ! (Yeah why not!)

2. Alors, tu l’as vue ? (So, did you see her?)

Ouaip. Tu as raison elle ressemble vraiment à cette actrice. (Yep. You’re right she really does look like this actress.)

3. Ouah tu as eu un nouveau skate pour Noël ?  (Wow you got a new skateboard for Christmas? )

Ouep ! Il est beau hein ? » (“Yep! It’s beautiful isn’t it?”)

4. Tu pensais vraiment qu’il fallait cuire ça au four ?! » ( “Did you really think you had to bake it in the oven? “)

Bah oui. Ce n’est pas comme ça qu’on fait ? » ( ” Yeah. Isn’t that how we do it? “)

The Unsure Yes in French

Let’s say someone asked if you want to hit the beach but you’re uncertain if you really want to. How do you say yes to that?

In English, you’d probably mumble an unenthusiastic “um yeah”. There’s a way to do that in French, too. You say mouais. You can use mouais when you’re unsure or unconvinced or you want to stay noncommittal.

• mouaisum, yeah; kinda; sorta

Here’s an example of a conversation using mouais.

« Tu veux venir au bowling ce soir ? » (“Do you want to go bowling tonight?”)

« Mouais…je ne suis pas très motivé en fait. » (“Well yeah… I’m not very motivated actually.”)

A Related Reaction: Ouah! (Wow!)

Ouah ! means “Wow!” and expresses surprise or admiration. It is not a way to say yes. To agree enthusiastically, say Oui !, Oh oui !, or Avec plaisir ! when accepting an offer.

• Ouah !Wow! (surprise, not agreement)

« Ouah ! Comment tu as fait ça ?! » (“Wow ! How did you do that ?!”)

« Des années d’entrainement… » (“Years of practice…”)

The Annoyed Yes in French

Mais oui and ben oui can express an emphatic yes. Depending on tone and context, they may sound reassuring, obvious, or impatient; they are not automatically annoyed replies.

Pay attention to tone. A warm Mais oui ! can reassure someone, while a sharp delivery can sound impatient.

Here are some examples of their usage:

1. Ah je devais prendre le bus de 10h ?  (Ah, I should have taken the 10:00AM bus?)

Mais oui ! Ils t’attendent tous maintenant ! (Of course! They’re all waiting for you now!)

2. Sérieusement ? Vous mangez la pizza avec des couverts ici ? » (“Seriously ? You eat pizza with a knife and a fork here?”)

Ben oui ! Sinon on s’en met plein les doigts c’est dégoutant.  (Sure we do! Otherwise we get it on our fingers; it’s disgusting.)

The Casual Ways to Say Yes in French

When you’re in an informal setting with your French friends, here are the kinds of yes that you could say.

• D’accord !Okay! / Alright!
• Ça marcheOkay / Got it / That works for me
• CarrémentSure!

Now for some examples:

1. Tu trouveras ton dîner dans le frigo. (Your dinner will be in the fridge.)

D’accord ! (OK!)

2. Quand tu auras fini de ranger tout ça tu viendras me voir, ok ?  (When you’re done tidying up all of this, come and see me, OK?)

Ça marche!  (Got it!)

3. Alors, tu veux venir avec nous ?  (So, do you want to come with us?)

Carrément ! Ça va être génial ! (Definitely! It will be awesome!)

The Contradictory Yes in French

Let’s say someone asked you a question and you want to say yes while contradicting his statement. You do that with si.

• SiBut yes / actually, yes

Tu as l’air fatigué, tu n’as pas assez dormi cette nuit ?  (You seem tired, you haven’t slept enough last night?)

Si j’ai assez dormi. Je suis juste fatigué du voyage. (Yes, I did. I am just tired from the trip.)

Yes, Please in French

Want to learn more French ways to say yes? Yes, please. In French, you say volontiers.

• VolontiersYes, please / willingly / gladly

Un thé ? (A tea?)

Volontiers.  (Yes please.)

With Pleasure in French

Use this when you want to express that not only are you agreeing to something, it also brings pleasure for you to do so.

• Avec plaisirWith pleasure

Je vous montre l’appartement ? (Shall I show you the flat?)

Avec plaisir.  (With pleasure.)

That’s Right in French

To say this in French, you can go with either of the following:

1. Donc tu ne peux pas venir car tu dois emmener ton chat chez le vétérinaire ?  (So you cannot come because you need to take your cat to the vet? )

C’est ça. (That’s right.)

2. Donc d’après votre CV vous avez travaillé pour notre fournisseur?  (So according to your resume you have worked for our supplier?)

Tout à fait. Pendant 3 ans.  (Yes that’s right. I worked there for 3 years.)

Why Not? In French

To say “Why not?” in French, you say pourquoi pas?

• Pourquoi pas?why not?

Other Ways to Say Yes in French

These expressions can confirm, agree, or accept something in the right context. They are not interchangeable with oui in every sentence.

• CertainementCertainly

Vous voulez du sucre avec votre café ? (Do you want sugar with your coffee? )

Certainement ! Je ne peux pas en boire sans sucre.  (Certainly! I can’t drink it without sugar.)

• En effetindeed

La côte est cassée, docteur ? (Is the rib broken, doctor?)

En effet, la côte est cassée. (Yes, the rib is broken.)

• Parfaitperfect

Comment trouves-tu la décoration du gâteau ?  (How do you find the cake decoration?)

C’est parfait !  (It looks perfect!)

• Très bienVery well

Je ne veux pas y aller.  (I don’t want to go.)

Très bien, j’irai toute seule alors. (All right, I will go alone then.)

• Bien sûrOf course

Je peux t’emprunter ton stylo ?  (Can I borrow your pen ?)

Bien sûr, tiens. (Sure, here.)

• ÉvidemmentObviously / of course

Tu as emmené ton chien avec toi en vacances ? (Did you take your dog on holiday with you?)

Évidemment ! (Of course!)

• Exactementexactly

Si j’ai bien compris le résultat est toujours 10 ? (If I understood well, the result is always 10?)

Exactement. Je pense que tu as compris le principe.  (Exactly. I think you got it right.)

• Absolumentabsolutely

Vous restez dîner?  (Would you stay for dinner?)

Absolument ! Il me tarde de goûter à votre fameuse tarte Tatin. (Absolutely! I can’t wait to taste your famous tarte Tatin.)

Conclusion

Here are some FAQs about Yes in French

How do you say “yes” in French?

Oui is the basic and standard way to say “yes” in French. Like “Oui, c’est lundi!” (Yes, it’s Monday!) And oui is pronounced /wi/, like how you would say the word we in English.

How do you spell “yes” in French?

“Yes” in French is spelled o-u-i.

How do you say “yes, sir” in French?

“Yes, sir” in French is “Oui, monsieur!”