How Do You Say “Yes” in French? ✅🇫🇷

If you’re learning French, one of the first and most useful words is “yes.” Let’s look at how to say it naturally.

The Word for “Yes” in French

The word “yes” in French is oui (pronounced wee).

Example

  • Veux-tu m’épouser ? Oui !
    Will you marry me? Yes!



A More Casual “Yeah” in French


Just like English speakers often say “yeah” instead of “yes”, French speakers also have an informal version: ouais (pronounced weh).

  • Oui → “Yes” (standard and polite)

  • Ouais → “Yeah” (casual, informal)


Example

  • C’est ça, ouais.
    Yeah, right. (used when you don’t quite believe what someone is saying)

So, oui means “yes,” and ouais is closer to “yeah.”


🌱 Rooted in Meaning

The word oui comes from Old French, originally a combination of o (from Latin hoc, meaning “this”) and il (meaning “it”). Over time, o-il evolved into oui. So when you say oui, you’re literally saying, “this is so.”



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