oui
/wi/
The English word 'yes' is translated into French as oui.
oui is a particle used to indicate agreement or acceptance. It can also be used as an interjection to express pleasure, joy or great excitement.
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)
Which one should you use?
While oui is the standard word for yes, it is used specifically to answer a question that was phrased positively, such as 'Do you want coffee?' In contrast, if you are contradicting a negative statement or question, you should use si to mean 'yes'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/wi/
Did you know?
- In some regional dialects and older forms of French, the word oui was replaced by oïl, which created a linguistic divide known as the langue d'oïl versus the langue d'oc.
- The word oui is etymologically linked to the word for 'he', which is il. It likely originated from a phrase meaning 'that is he' or 'it is he'.
- Repeating the word as oui, oui does not necessarily mean 'yes, yes' in an emphatic way, but can actually signal that the listener is following the conversation and wants the speaker to continue.
Examples in context
- Oui ou non ?Yes or no?This sentence is useful for asking a binary question with oui.Tatoeba #569861 by sacredceltic, translation #562905 by kebukebu
- Il a dit oui.He said yes.This sentence shows how to use oui as a noun representing the answer 'yes'.Tatoeba #7528060 by Micsmithel, translation #2845863 by AlanF_US
- Eh bien oui !Well yes!This sentence shows an enthusiastic use of oui.Tatoeba #9025676 by Micsmithel, translation #8856267 by moxy
- 559 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- HugoTu veux aller au cinéma ?Do you want to go to the cinema?
- LéaOui, avec plaisir !Yes, with pleasure!
- HugoOn y va à quelle heure ?What time are we going?
- LéaÀ dix-huit heures, c'est parfait.At six p.m., it's perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries oui, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oui, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
