ou
/u/
The English word "or" is translated into French as ou.
ou is a conjunction used to link two or more possibilities or alternatives.
Which one should you use?
ou is used to express alternatives, whereas où (with a grave accent) means "where".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern France and parts of Belgium, specifically in regional dialects like Ch'ti, the phrase ou bin is used instead of ou bien in informal conversations.
How do you pronounce it?
/u/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse ou with où. The former means "or" and the latter means "where".
Did you know?
- Despite the similar meaning, ou is a direct descendant of the Latin word aut, whereas the English word 'or' comes from a different Germanic root.
- The phrase ou quoi? is often tacked onto the end of questions in colloquial French to add a tone of impatience, functioning like 'or what?' in English.
- In some French administrative forms, the slash symbol (/) is read aloud as ou, treating the punctuation mark as a literal conjunction.
Examples in context
- Oui ou non ?Yes or no?This sentence shows how to use ou when asking a yes-or-no question.Tatoeba #569861 by sacredceltic, translation #562905 by kebukebu
- Café ou thé ?Coffee or tea?This sentence shows how to use ou to offer choices between two drinks.Tatoeba #1080207 by manuk7, translation #1080170 by shekitten
- Pile ou face ?Head or tail?This sentence shows how to use ou when deciding between two sides of a coin.Tatoeba #1335164 by sacredceltic, translation #1334701 by Vortarulo
- Vous pouvez prendre le métro ou bien le bus pour aller en ville.You can take the metro or the bus to go downtown.
- Tu veux aller au cinéma ou alors manger une pizza chez moi ?Do you want to go to the movies or have a pizza at my place?
- Est-ce que tu veux le chocolat ou bien la vanille ?Do you want chocolate or vanilla?
- Tu peux prendre soit la voie rapide, soit la route panoramique.You can take either the expressway or the scenic route.
- 2355 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are choosing a movie to watch.
- HugoTu veux regarder un film d'action ou une comédie ?Do you want to watch an action movie or a comedy?
- ChloéUne comédie, c'est mieux pour moi.A comedy is better for me.
- HugoD'accord, on regarde une comédie ou un dessin animé ?Okay, shall we watch a comedy or a cartoon?
- ChloéChoisissons une comédie !Let's choose a comedy!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
