French · Greetings & Essentials

"Of course" in French: bien sûr

bien sûr

Say it: byan SEWRphrase/bjɛ̃ syʁ/

Of course in French is bien sûr. Use the whole phrase to agree or reassure. Évidemment and bien entendu are close cousins.

Helping a friend

Tu peux m'aider ? Bien sûr.
Can you help me? Of course.
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How to pronounce bien sûr

Say it

byan SEWR

/bjɛ̃ syʁ/

byan SEWR. Bien is a nasal byan. Sûr sounds like sewr.

"Of course" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
bien sûrof course

Default agreement.

bien sûr que ouiof course yes

Strong yes.

bien sûr que nonof course not

Strong no.

évidemmentobviously / of course

Slightly stronger tone.

How to use bien sûr in real life

  1. 1Helping a friend

    Tu peux m'aider ? Bien sûr.

    Can you help me? Of course.

    Full phrase as reply.

  2. 2Confirming a plan

    Bien sûr, je serai à midi.

    Of course, I'll be there at noon.

    Bien sûr + promise.

  3. 3Reassuring

    Bien sûr que tu peux venir.

    Of course you can come.

    Bien sûr que + clause.

Mistakes English speakers make with bien sûr

Incorrect: Bien sure.

Correct: Bien sûr.

Sûr keeps the circumflex in the set phrase.

Incorrect: Of course, j'arrive.

Correct: Bien sûr, j'arrive.

Use bien sûr, not English of course.

Good to know

Bien sûr is warm everyday agreement. Said flatly it can sound sarcastic, like English "of course." For softer yes, ça marche or d'accord may fit better.

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Borrowing a charger

  1. ChatPal

    Je peux emprunter ton chargeur ?

    Can I borrow your charger?

  2. You

    Bien sûr, il est sur le bureau.

    Of course, it's on the desk.

  3. ChatPal

    Merci ! Je te le rends ce soir, bien sûr.

    Thanks! I'll give it back tonight, of course.

  4. You

    Pas de souci.

    No worries.

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"Of course" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Of course" in French

How do I say of course?

Bien sûr.

How do I say of course not?

Bien sûr que non.

Is évidemment the same?

Close; it can sound more like "obviously."

How do you pronounce bien sûr?

Byan SEWR.

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