oui, bien sûr !
To say yes, of course! In French, use oui, bien sûr !
oui, bien sûr ! agrees warmly with someone or gives permission, for example when a person asks whether they may sit down or borrow something.
What does it mean word for word?
oui means yes and bien sûr means of course.
Which one should you use?
bien entendu is a slightly more formal alternative with a similar meaning to bien sûr. Assurément stresses absolute certainty and sounds formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
In French typography a space goes before the exclamation mark, as in oui, bien sûr !
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not drop the circumflex accent on sûr. Without it the word becomes sur, which means on.
Did you know?
- The word oui is believed to have evolved from the Vulgar Latin phrase hoc ille, which literally means 'that he'.
- French speakers often signal agreement by repeating the verb used in the question rather than saying oui, bien sûr !, a habit that does not exist in English grammar.
- In formal French debates or literature, the word certes is used for 'of course', but it often functions as a trap to concede a point right before introducing a contradiction.
Examples in context
- Bien sûr, je parle couramment l'anglais.Yes, of course, I speak English fluently.
- Bien sûr que oui, j'ai hâte !Yes, of course, I can't wait!
Example conversation
Léa asks Nathan for permission to borrow a book.
- LéaNathan, est-ce que je peux emprunter ce livre ?Nathan, can I borrow this book?
- NathanOui, bien sûr !Yes, of course!
- LéaMerci beaucoup pour ton aide.Thank you very much for your help.
- NathanDe rien, Léa.You're welcome, Léa.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, oui, sûr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
