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OUI & NON — 14 ways to say yes and no | Vocabulary

📶 CEFR level: A1 — see all A1 resources

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💬 14 WAYS

OUI & NON

9 ways to say yes, 5 ways to say no — because “oui” gets boring

👍 Dire OUI

1yes (the classic)Oui, bien sûr.
2yeah (casual)Ouais, ça va.
3totally / absolutelyTu viens ? — Carrément !
4of courseBien sûr que oui !
5gladlyUn café ? — Volontiers !
6works for me / dealRendez-vous à 10 h ? — Ça marche.
7OK / agreedD’accord, on fait comme ça.
8why notUn ciné ce soir ? — Pourquoi pas !
9YES after a negative!Tu ne viens pas ? — Si !

👎 Dire NON

10no thank youUn dessert ? — Non merci.
11not at allÇa te dérange ? — Pas du tout.
12meh…C’était bien ? — Bof.
13out of the questionHors de question !
14that won’t be possibleDésolé, ça va pas être possible.
🔊 Tap any word to hear it · learnfrench.co

🎬 The 20-second version

5 quick questions on « OUI & NON » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →

📘 The subtleties

  • SI is the secret third answer: it means YES when contradicting a negative question — Tu n’aimes pas ? — Si ! (Yes I do!). Answering “oui” there is confusing.
  • Ouais is everywhere in speech but never in writing or with your boss’s boss.
  • Volontiers is the elegant yes for offers (food, drinks, help) — instant good manners.
  • Bof isn’t quite no — it’s the famous French shrug in one syllable.
  • Ça va pas être possible is the polite-but-final French no — you’ll hear it in every administration.

🔊 Useful phrases

Tu ne veux pas venir ? — Si, si, j’arrive !Don’t you want to come? — Yes yes, coming!
Encore un peu de vin ? — Volontiers !More wine? — Gladly!
On se fait un resto ? — Carrément !Restaurant tonight? — Totally!

🔊 Example sentences

D’accord, ça marche pour lundi.OK, Monday works.
C’était comment ? — Bof, pas terrible.How was it? — Meh, not great.
Hors de question que je paie encore !No way am I paying again!

✍️ Practice

« Tu n’as pas faim ? » — you ARE hungry. Answer: (the secret yes)

Show answer

Si !

gladly (for offers) = ___ (elegant yes)

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volontiers

the one-syllable French shrug = ___ (meh)

Show answer

bof

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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French

Translate into French: « Don’t you want to come? — Yes yes, coming! » (translation)

Show answer

Tu ne veux pas venir ? — Si, si, j’arrive !

Translate into French: « More wine? — Gladly! » (translation)

Show answer

Encore un peu de vin ? — Volontiers !

Translate into French: « Restaurant tonight? — Totally! » (translation)

Show answer

On se fait un resto ? — Carrément !

Translate into French: « OK, Monday works. » (translation)

Show answer

D’accord, ça marche pour lundi.

Translate into French: « How was it? — Meh, not great. » (translation)

Show answer

C’était comment ? — Bof, pas terrible.

📖

Go further: get the full picture in our guide Your first French conversation — the 4 moves.

Ways to say yes and no in French — FAQ

What are the different ways to say « yes » in French?

Beyond oui, French has many: si (yes, to contradict a negative), ouais (casual yeah), volontiers (gladly), carrément (absolutely), d’accord and ça marche (OK). The poster above shows 9 ways with audio.

How do you say « no » politely in French?

Use non merci (no thanks), pas du tout (not at all), pas vraiment (not really) or a soft bof. Tone matters more than the word — the page above has 5 natural options.

When do you use « si » instead of « oui »?

Use si to say « yes » when contradicting a negative question or statement: « Tu ne viens pas ? — Si, j’arrive ! » Examples above: « Tu ne veux pas venir ? — Si, si, j’arrive ! » (Don’t you want to come? — Yes yes, coming!); « Encore un peu de vin ? — Volontiers ! » (More wine? — Gladly!); « On se fait un resto ? — Carrément ! » (Restaurant tonight? — Totally!).

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