ouais
casual
The casual way to say "yes" in French is ouais. You also hear the playful ouaip, and carrément for "absolutely". It is also called oui.
Meaning: casual agreement (phrase)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| ouais | casual |
| ouaip | casual, playful |
| carrément | casual, emphatic |
| oui | standard |
Ouais is the everyday spoken form of oui among friends. Carrément answers a question with strong agreement.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In an interview, at work with a client or with older strangers, use oui instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say yes to a negative question, French uses si, as in Tu ne viens pas ? Si !
Did you know?
- The French word si is the special "yes" used to answer a negative question.
Examples in context
- Ouais, bien sûr !Yeah, of course!
- Carrément, je viens.Absolutely, I am coming.
- Tu ne viens pas ? Si !You are not coming? Yes, I am!
Example conversation
Nina asks her friend Karim if he wants to go to a concert.
- NinaTu veux venir au concert ?Do you want to come to the concert?
- KarimOuais, carrément !Yeah, absolutely!
- NinaJe prends les billets.I will get the tickets.
