Assez is the most common way to say "enough" in French. But just like in English, there are many nuanced ways to express sufficiency, completion, or even exasperation.

Whether you're ordering food, discussing your workload, or simply expressing you've had it, knowing these variations will make your French sound much more natural.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "enough" in French, so you can pick the perfect phrase for any situation!

The standard 'enough' – assez

The French word assez is a versatile adverb primarily meaning 'enough'.

As an adverb, assez modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate sufficiency or a moderate degree.

When used with an adjective or another adverb, assez is placed before it. For example, assez bon (good enough) or assez rapidement (fast enough).

To express 'enough of something' before a noun, you use the construction assez de (or assez d' before a vowel). For instance, assez d'argent (enough money) or assez de temps (enough time). Note that de remains invariant, it does not change to du, de la, des.

When assez modifies a verb, it is generally placed after the verb. For example, J'ai assez mangé (I have eaten enough) or Tu travailles assez (You work enough).

Assez can also convey the meaning of 'quite,' 'fairly,' or 'rather,' indicating a moderate but not excessive degree. In this context, it often implies a positive or acceptable level, but not necessarily 'sufficient.' For instance, C'est assez bon could mean 'It's quite good' rather than just 'It's good enough'.

The exact meaning ('enough' vs. 'quite') often depends on the context and intonation. If you're talking about a quantity or limit, it's usually 'enough'. If you're describing a quality, it can lean towards 'quite'.

💡 * J'ai assez de pain pour le petit-déjeuner. (I have enough bread for breakfast.)

Elle est assez intelligente pour comprendre. (She is smart enough to understand.)

Nous avons assez travaillé pour aujourd'hui. (We have worked enough for today.)

Ce film est assez intéressant. (This film is quite interesting.)

Il parle assez vite. (He speaks quite fast / He speaks fast enough.)

The 'sufficiently' (often more formal) – suffisamment

Suffisamment is a French adverb that directly translates to 'sufficiently' or 'enough'.

It is used to express that something is present, done, or exists to the required or necessary degree. It can modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

While often interchangeable with assez (enough), suffisamment tends to carry a slightly more formal tone. It emphasizes the adequacy or sufficiency to meet a specific standard or requirement, rather than just a general 'enough'.

Typically, suffisamment is placed after the verb it modifies or before the adjective or adverb it modifies, similar to assez.

You'll often encounter suffisamment in more formal writing, professional discussions, or whenever the exact standard of 'enough' needs to be clearly and precisely stated.

💡 * Il a suffisamment d'expérience pour ce poste. (He has enough experience for this position.)

Tu as suffisamment mangé, n'est-ce pas ? (You've eaten enough, haven't you?)

Cette explication est suffisamment claire. (This explanation is sufficiently clear.)

Nous avons suffisamment de temps. (We have enough time.)

Le rapport n'était pas suffisamment détaillé. (The report was not sufficiently detailed.)

The 'that's enough!' (exclamation) – ça suffit !

The phrase ça suffit ! is a common and versatile French exclamation that directly translates to "that's enough!" It's an essential expression for learners to grasp, as it's frequently used in daily conversation.

Literally, ça means "that" and suffit is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb suffire (to be enough). Together, ça suffit ! functions as a complete thought, indicating a limit has been reached, either in quantity, action, or patience.

One of its primary uses is to demand an end to an action or behavior. If someone is bothering you, making too much noise, or continuing an activity you want stopped, a sharp ça suffit ! can effectively convey your demand.

Beyond simply stopping an action, ça suffit ! can also express exasperation or irritation. When you've had enough of a situation, a person's behavior, or a recurring problem, this phrase perfectly captures the sentiment of being fed up.

It can also be used in a less confrontational way to simply state that a sufficient amount or quantity has been reached. For instance, when serving food or drink, you might say ça suffit ! to indicate you have enough, or that a task is complete.

Grammatically, suffire is often used impersonally, as seen in ça suffit !. This means ça acts as an impersonal subject, making the phrase a fixed expression that doesn't change based on who is speaking or being addressed, though the tone can vary widely.

The tone of ça suffit ! heavily depends on the context and the speaker's delivery. It can be a firm command, a frustrated outburst, or a polite refusal. It's common in family settings, public interactions, and whenever limits need to be clearly communicated.

💡 * Ça suffit ! Arrêtez de faire du bruit. (That's enough! Stop making noise.)

Non, merci, ça suffit pour moi. (No, thank you, that's enough for me.)

Ça suffit les bêtises ! (Enough with the silly behavior! / That's enough nonsense!)

J'en ai assez, ça suffit ! (I've had enough, that's enough!)

Il a mangé trois parts de gâteau. Ça suffit ! (He ate three slices of cake. That's enough!)

The 'that's enough of it!' (more emphatic) – c'en est assez !

The phrase c'en est assez ! directly translates to "that's enough of it!" and is used to express a strong feeling of exasperation, frustration, or finality. It's a declaration that a limit has been reached.

This expression combines c' (a contraction of ce meaning 'this' or 'that'), en (a pronoun referring to the situation or topic at hand, often translated as 'of it' or 'about it'), est (is), and assez (enough). The en is key to its meaning, making it refer specifically to the current ongoing situation.

While ça suffit also means "that's enough," c'en est assez ! carries a much stronger, more emphatic and exasperated tone. It implies that one is truly fed up and can no longer tolerate the situation, demanding an immediate stop or change.

You'll typically hear c'en est assez ! in situations where patience has worn thin: during an argument that has gone on too long, when someone is behaving unacceptably, or when a problem has become unbearable. It's a powerful statement of finality.

💡 * J'en ai marre de vos disputes, c'en est assez ! (I'm fed up with your arguments, that's enough of it!)* C'en est assez de ces mensonges ! Je ne vous crois plus. (That's enough of these lies! I don't believe you anymore.)* Le bruit incessant, c'en est assez ! Je ne peux plus me concentrer. (The incessant noise, that's enough of it! I can't concentrate anymore.)* Après des heures d'attente, elle a crié "C'en est assez !" et est partie. (After hours of waiting, she yelled "That's enough of it!" and left.)

The 'to be fed up' or 'to have had enough' – en avoir marre

The French expression en avoir marre directly translates to 'to have had enough of it' or 'to be fed up with it.' It conveys a strong sense of exasperation or annoyance.

This idiom is very common in everyday French conversation and is considered informal. You'll hear it frequently among friends, family, and in casual settings.

It's built using the verb avoir (to have) conjugated according to the subject, followed by marre. The en pronoun refers to the general situation or thing one is fed up with.

When you use en avoir marre, you're not just mildly annoyed; you're expressing a significant level of frustration, impatience, or weariness with a situation or person.

To specify what you're fed up with, you use the preposition de (of/from) after marre. For example, J'en ai marre de travailler (I'm fed up with working).

💡 * J'en ai marre de la pluie ! (I'm fed up with the rain!)

Elle en a marre de ses voisins bruyants. (She's fed up with her noisy neighbors.)

On en a marre d'attendre. (We're fed up with waiting.)

Vous en avez marre de cette situation ? (Are you fed up with this situation?)

Ils en ont marre de toujours faire la même chose. (They're fed up with always doing the same thing.)

The 'to be fed up' (informal variant) – en avoir ras le bol

In French, to express that you are completely fed up or sick and tired of something, a common and very informal idiom is en avoir ras le bol.

Literally, en avoir ras le bol translates to "to have one's bowl full to the brim." This vivid image perfectly conveys the feeling of having reached your absolute limit, with no more capacity to tolerate a situation or person.

This expression uses the verb avoir (to have), which is conjugated according to the subject. The en refers to the situation or thing you're fed up with, and ras le bol remains fixed. For example, J'en ai ras le bol means "I'm fed up with it."

En avoir ras le bol is a strong expression of exasperation and frustration. It's highly informal and best reserved for casual conversations among friends or family when you want to emphasize your extreme annoyance. It's more intense than simply saying être fatigué de (to be tired of).

💡 * J'en ai ras le bol de ce bruit constant ! (I'm fed up with this constant noise!)

Elle en a ras le bol de ses excuses bidons. (She's sick of his flimsy excuses.)

Nous en avons ras le bol de la pluie. (We're fed up with the rain.)

Tu en as ras le bol de travailler autant ? (Are you fed up with working so much?)

The 'to stop there' or 'to consider it enough' – s'en tenir là

The French expression s'en tenir là literally means 'to hold oneself to that' or 'to stick to that'. It signifies stopping at a certain point, considering something sufficient, or not proceeding further.

You employ s'en tenir là when a decision is made to halt an action, conclude a discussion, or refrain from further engagement. It often implies a conscious choice to stop at the current stage, perhaps to prevent escalation or because the situation is deemed adequate.

This is a pronominal verb (using se) combined with the pronoun en. The en refers to 'that' or 'it', indicating the specific point or matter at which one decides to stop. The verb tenir is conjugated according to the subject.

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Après une longue discussion, ils ont décidé de s'en tenir là. (After a long discussion, they decided to stop there.)

Je vous ai donné assez d'informations ; je vais m'en tenir là. (I've given you enough information; I'll stop there.)

N'allez pas plus loin, contentons-nous de nous en tenir là. (Don't go any further, let's just stop there.)

Elle voulait continuer à discuter, mais il a préféré s'en tenir là. (She wanted to continue arguing, but he preferred to stop there.)

The 'there is enough' or 'we have enough' – il y en a assez

The expression il y en a assez is a common and versatile way to say 'there is enough' or 'we have enough' in French.

This phrase literally translates to 'there is some of it enough.' The key component here is en, which replaces a previously mentioned quantity or object, meaning 'of it' or 'of them.'

It's used to indicate that the quantity of something is sufficient, or conversely, to express exasperation when 'enough is enough!' or 'we've had enough!'

While il y en a assez focuses on a specific, often implied, quantity, you might also hear C'est assez! (That's enough!) used more generally, often to stop an action or conversation.

💡 * Il y en a assez pour tout le monde. (There's enough for everyone.)

Ne t'inquiète pas, il y en a assez. (Don't worry, there's enough.)

Il y en a assez de tes mensonges! (Enough of your lies! / We've had enough of your lies!)

Quand il y en a assez, il y en a assez. (When enough is enough, enough is enough.)

The 'no more is needed' – il n'en faut pas plus

The French expression il n'en faut pas plus literally translates to 'no more of it is needed' or 'it is not necessary to have more of it.' This concise phrase is a powerful way to express sufficiency.

At its heart, il n'en faut pas plus conveys that a particular amount, effort, or situation is perfectly adequate. It implies a sense of satisfaction, suggesting that any additional quantity or action would be superfluous, excessive, or even detrimental. Think of it as saying 'that's enough,' 'just right,' or 'no further input is required.'

You'll frequently encounter il n'en faut pas plus in various everyday contexts. It can be used when you're content with a specific quantity (like ingredients in a recipe), satisfied with an explanation, or simply appreciating a perfect moment where nothing else is needed to enhance it. It's a common expression of contentment and completion.

A key component of this phrase is the pronoun en. Here, en acts as a substitute for a previously mentioned or implicitly understood quantity or item, meaning 'of it' or 'of them.' This makes the expression highly versatile and naturally integrated into conversation, avoiding repetition. The negative construction ne...pas clearly establishes the 'no more' aspect.

Ultimately, il n'en faut pas plus is a beautiful way to express contentment and a rejection of excess. It celebrates the idea that sometimes, less is more, and that true satisfaction comes from appreciating what is already sufficient rather than constantly seeking more.

💡 * J'ai mis juste assez de sucre dans mon café, il n'en faut pas plus. (I put just enough sugar in my coffee, no more is needed.)

Ton explication est claire, il n'en faut pas plus pour que je comprenne. (Your explanation is clear, no more is needed for me to understand.)

Le soleil brille, la musique est douce, il n'en faut pas plus pour être heureux. (The sun is shining, the music is soft, no more is needed to be happy.)

Ne travaille pas trop tard, il n'en faut pas plus pour finir le projet demain. (Don't work too late, no more is needed to finish the project tomorrow.)

Are there other ways to say 'enough' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'enough' in French. However, French, like any language, is rich with nuances. You might encounter variations depending on context, formality, or region.

To explore further, you can do an online search for 'autres façons de dire assez en français' or 'synonymes de assez'.

When you find new terms, always check their definitions carefully and observe how native speakers use them in different situations. Context is key to mastering these subtleties.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, or listening to podcasts — pay close attention to how 'enough' is expressed. You'll naturally pick up more idiomatic and varied expressions.

For a comprehensive look at synonyms and related expressions for 'assez', the WordReference entry for assez is an excellent starting point.

I hope you found this article helpful. Remember, mastering the nuances of a word like 'enough' takes time and practice. As the French proverb reminds us: 'Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.' (Little by little, the bird builds its nest.)

9 ways to say "enough" in French