ah bon
/a bɔ̃/
In French, "oh really" is expressed as ah bon.
The phrase ah bon is used to show interest or surprise when receiving new information. Depending on your intonation, it can convey different meanings: use a rising intonation to express surprise or a falling intonation to show mild interest or skepticism.
Which one should you use?
While ah bon is a general response, you might use C'est vrai? to ask "Is it true?" or the more informal Nan, sans blague? to mean "No, kidding?" when expressing disbelief.
How do you pronounce it?
/a bɔ̃/
Did you know?
- The word ah in ah bon evolved from the Old French a!, which was originally an exclamation used to express woe or grief.
- In certain French contexts, a very short, clipped Ah bon can actually signal that you are bored or no longer interested in the conversation.
- In French, the phrase ah bon can be used sarcastically to indicate that the information was completely obvious, similar to saying 'no kidding' in English.
Examples in context
- Ah bon ? Il est parti quand ?Oh, really? When did he leave?This example shows how to use ah bon to follow up on news about someone leaving.Tatoeba #372391 by nimfeo, translation #322145 by Eldad
- Ah bon ? Il travaille ici ?Oh really? He works here?
- Ah bon, je ne le savais pas.Oh really, I didn't know that.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new coworker.
- LucasMarc a démissionné ce matin.Marc resigned this morning.
- LéaAh bon ! Pourquoi ?Oh really! Why?
- LucasIl a trouvé un meilleur emploi.He found a better job.
- LéaC'est une bonne nouvelle pour lui.That is good news for him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ah bon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ah, bon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
