How to Say “Yes” in French—Beyond “Oui”

You’d think saying “yes” would be simple.

Not quite.

If you’ve spent more than five minutes listening to actual French speakers, you’ll realize there’s a whole compendium of affirmative French words. From “bien sûr” to “carrément”, French vocabulary has a dozen shades of yes—each with its own vibe.

In this guide, we’ll explore how French people really say yes—casually, enthusiastically, reluctantly, and everything in between. Let’s jump in.

“Oui,” the simplest way to say yes

We have to start with the classic:

It’s the French equivalent of “yes,” and it works in pretty much any context. Whether you’re replying politely to your teacher, ordering croissants, or accepting a marriage proposal, “oui” gets the job done.

While there are many different ways to say yes, “oui” is the ultimate affirmative answer and probably the first word you'll be taught when learning the French language.

If you’ve seen a French rom-com or historical drama, you’ve probably heard “oui” about fifty times in the first scene alone. It’s a small word with an enormous range.

Other spellings for “oui” based on sound

Now that texting and online chatting are so common, people often write “oui” the way it sounds like it should be spelled rather than how it should be spelled. These creative variations on "oui" are usually informal or playful. They can also express modesty when talking about one's own achievements.

Here's a few common ones you'll see:

You might see:

It’s not “real” French grammar you hear about when you learn French, but you’ll see it often—especially among younger speakers. (And your goal is to understand French, right?)

“Ouais,” maybe the most common way to say yes

Let’s be honest: if you only use “oui,” you’ll sound like a textbook.

If you want to sound like a native, start using the casual way to say yes:

It’s casual, easygoing, and used constantly in real-life conversations and informal settings. Friends use it. Co-workers use it. Teenagers use nothing but it. (I jest. Kind of.)

The word ouais has actually been around for centuries. It started showing up in the 15th century, often in plays to mark informal speech or working-class characters. It’s since gone mainstream.

If you watch shows like Dix pour cent or _Lupin*, you’ll hear “ouais” in almost every dialogue. It’s how actual native French speakers talk.

Recent developments: the appearance of “yes”

Here’s something interesting—French people are starting to say “yes”... like, the English word "yes", but in French.

Why?

It’s trendy, casual, and a little tongue-in-cheek. You’ll hear it among younger speakers or online, sometimes as a quick, dramatic reaction—especially on social media.

It’s not a replacement for oui or ouais, but it’s definitely part of modern French, and you'll hear it.

Other ways to show agreement

Beyond “oui” and “ouais,” French has plenty of expressions that signal agreement. Some are polite, some are enthusiastic, and some can even be a bit tricky depending on context.

Let’s take a closer look:

Some example sentences:

Using intonation to show agreement

As in English, the way you say “yes” in French matters. A sarcastic “bien sûûûr” or a hesitant “ouais…” can completely change the meaning.

Here are some tone-based examples:

Pay close attention to how words are said, not just what’s said. The French love using intonation to add layers of meaning.

A more natural way to learn how to say Yes in French

Now that you know all these ways of saying yes, you might be wondering—how can you see them used in real life?

Even just twenty years ago, your only choice would have been to get a visa to France.

For example, imagine you're on YouTube, watching an interview of one of your favorite French actresses—Emmanuelle Béart.

You understand most of the content. Awesome! You're feeling great.

.... and then you stumble upon the French phrase “bien sûr,” which you aren't familiar with.

What will you ever do?

Well, if you use Migaku, you can literally just click on words in subtitles to see what they mean.

You'll see definitions from real French dictionaries—and you can also have AI give you explanations of what a certain word means in the context of a particular sentence.

Anyway, we see that bien sûr means:

And that seems like a super useful thing to know how to say! So you click on the orange button in the top-right corner of the dictionary and create a flashcard in the blink of an eye:

To make the flashcard, we'll take a screenshot and audio snippet from your YouTube show. From there, we'll periodically nudge you to see if you remember what bien sûr means. Each time we do, you'll have the context of your interview to help you recall what it means.

Eventually, you'll just know what it means.

And that's how you learn French.

Saying “oui” is a question of nuances

Learning a language isn’t just about vocabulary lists and grammar rules. It’s about understanding the little things—like how many French expressions there are to say “yes,” and how each one carries its own tone and context.

There's a lot of nuance to wrap your head around...

But:

Bonne chance, and ouais (see what I did there?)—you've got this!