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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.
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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