bien sûr
/bjɛ̃ syʁ/
The English phrase "of course" is translated into French as bien sûr.
bien sûr is used to indicate enthusiastic agreement. It can also be used to mean "naturally" in an adverbial sense, similar to the French words bien entendu and naturellement.
Meaning: indicates enthusiastic agreement (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of bien, meaning "well" or "very" and sûr, meaning "sure".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use bien sûr to introduce a subordinate clause, such as in "Of course he is coming", it must be followed by que (forming bien sûr que).
How do you pronounce it?
/bjɛ̃ syʁ/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of sûr, sēcūrus, literally means 'without care' or 'free from anxiety', which is how the sense of 'certainty' developed.
- While bien sûr is common, using the word évidemment can sometimes sound more dismissive or even slightly rude, as if you are saying 'obviously'.
- To express 'of course' in a more formal or administrative context, French speakers often prefer bien entendu, which literally translates to 'well heard'.
Examples in context
- Mais bien sûr !But of course!This example shows how to use bien sûr to express "But of course!" with emphasis.Tatoeba #4891012 by sacredceltic, translation #6994058 by CarpeLanam
- Oui, bien sûr !Yes, of course!This example demonstrates a positive enthusiastic agreement using bien sûr.Tatoeba #6201801 by felix63, translation #5229035 by jaxhere
- Bien sûr que non.Of course not.This example shows how to use bien sûr in a negative context to say "Of course not".Tatoeba #3577601 by gillux, translation #7938269 by Seael
- Pouvons-nous organiser une réunion demain ? Bien sûr !Can we arrange a meeting tomorrow? Of course!
- Veux-tu que je t'accompagne à la gare ? Bien sûr , merci beaucoup !Do you want me to accompany you to the train station? Of course, thank you very much!
- Pourriez-vous me faire parvenir le rapport dès que possible ? Certainement !Could you send me the report as soon as possible? Certainly!
- Tu viens manger chez moi ce soir ? Ben oui !Are you coming to eat at my place tonight? Yeah, sure!
- 149 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma asks Gabriel for help with her luggage.
- EmmaTu peux m'aider avec mon sac ?Can you help me with my bag?
- GabrielBien sûr, je m'en occupe !Of course, I'll take care of it!
- EmmaC'est vraiment gentil de ta part.That is really kind of you.
- GabrielJe t'en prie, Emma.You're welcome, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “of course” translations and entries bien sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
