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French Synonyms for Oui
Saying "yes" in French is pretty simple, but there are quite a few synonyms and precisions to be aware of. Check out this lesson to learn how to say yes, yeah, sure, and more – click for sound files.
oui = yes
Oui is the basic, standard French word for "yes":
Par exemple…
| Oui, j’aime les fraises. | Yes, I like strawberries. | |
| – Veux-tu m’épouser ? – Oui ! |
– Will you marry me? – Yes! |
It’s also the best translation of "I do":
Par exemple…
| – Veux-tu épouser cet homme … ? – Oui. |
– Do you take this man …? – I do. |
ouais, ouaip = yeah
Ouais and ouaip are informal equivalents for yes, equivalent to “yeah” or “yep”:
Par exemple…
| Ouais, je sais. | Yeah, I know. | |
| – T’es prêt ? – Ouaip. |
– You ready? – Yep. |
Texting abbreviation: Oué
mouais = um, yeah
Mouais is informal and also a bit uncertain:
Par exemple…
| Mouais, d’accord. | Um, yeah, ok. | |
| – T’es prêt ? – Mouais, attends deux secondes. |
– You ready? – Um, yeah, just a sec. |
ouah ! = yes! yay! wow!
Ouah is an informal word used to express joy or admiration, like “yes!” or “wow!”
Par exemple…
| Ouah ! Je l’ai réussi ! | Yes! I passed! | |
| Ouah, on a gagné ! | Yes, we won! |
si = yes after no
Si is one of my favorite French words, because it’s extremely useful and doesn’t have an English equivalent. It’s used to contradict a negation: to say yes when someone else says no, asks a negative question, or makes a negative statement.
Par exemple…
| – Il n’a pas de sœur. – Si. |
– He doesn’t have a sister. – Yes (he does). |
|
| – N’as-tu pas faim ? – Si. |
– Aren’t you hungry? – Yes (I am hungry). |
More synonyms for oui
| absolument | absolutely | ||
| assurément | sure, certainly | ||
| avec plaisir | with pleasure | ||
| bien entendu | of course | ||
| bien sûr | of course | ||
| bon | fine, ok | ||
| ça marche | (informal) | ok, that works | |
| carrément | (familiar) | totally | |
| certainement | certainly | ||
| c’est ça | that’s right | ||
| c’est exact | that’s right | ||
| d’accord | OK | ||
| effectivement | indeed, quite | ||
| en effet | indeed, quite | ||
| évidemment | of course, obviously | ||
| exact | that’s right | ||
| exactement | exactly | ||
| je ne dis pas non | I wouldn’t say no, I don’t disagree (an unemphatic yes) | ||
| justement | that’s right | ||
| moi aussi | me too | ||
| pouce en haut pouce vers le haut |
thumbs up | ||
| tout à fait | exactly, absolutely | ||
| voilà | that’s right, there you go | ||
| volontiers | with pleasure | ||
Oui is also found in a number of expressions, not all of which are variations on the "yes" theme.
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