mais bien sûr
/mɛ bjɛ̃ syʁ/
The phrase "but of course" in French is mais bien sûr.
mais bien sûr is a phrase used to give strong agreement or to say yes emphatically.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mais (but), bien (well/very) and sûr (sure).
Which one should you use?
While bien sûr means "of course", adding mais to the beginning of the phrase increases the emphasis, making the agreement more assertive or emphatic.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛ bjɛ̃ syʁ/
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, saying mais bien sûr with a specific rising intonation can actually function as a sarcastic way of saying 'obviously' to imply that what was said was actually quite silly.
- The word sûr in mais bien sûr shares its roots with the English word 'secure', as both come from the Latin 'securus' meaning 'without care'.
- If you are in a very formal setting, you might hear people replace the casual mais bien sûr with the more elegant certes, which conveys a sophisticated form of agreement.
Examples in context
- Mais bien sûr !But of course!This example shows the phrase used on its own as an exclamation.Tatoeba #4891012 by sacredceltic, translation #6994058 by CarpeLanam
- Mais bien sûr, c'était il y a longtemps.But of course that was a long time ago.This example shows the phrase used to introduce a statement about the past.Tatoeba #12712 by sacredceltic, translation #39326 by CM
- mais bien sûr, avec plaisir !But of course, it will be my pleasure!This example shows the phrase used to express pleasure in doing something.
- Tu veux assister à la soirée ? Bien évidemment !Do you want to attend the party? But of course!
Example conversation
Chloé asks Lucas if he wants to go to the cinema.
- ChloéTu veux venir au cinéma avec moi ?Do you want to come to the cinema with me?
- LucasMais bien sûr, je serais ravi !But of course, I would be delighted!
- ChloéC'est super, on y va à quelle heure ?That's great, what time are we going?
- LucasOn peut se retrouver vers vingt heures.We can meet around eight p.m.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mais bien sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, mais, sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
