Bien sûr is probably the first way you learned to say “of course” in French. And, of course, it's perfectly correct! But just like in English, there are many other natural and nuanced ways to express agreement and certainty. As you continue your French learning journey, you’ll find that using a variety of expressions makes your conversations more fluid and authentic. Knowing different ways to say "of course" can help you sound more like a native speaker and understand the subtle differences in meaning. Let’s dive into 9 different ways to say “of course” in French!

Bien sûr – The most common and direct way to say "of course"

Bien sûr – The most common and direct way to say "of course"

The French phrase bien sûr is your most fundamental and widely accepted way to say "of course" or "naturally."

Breaking it down, bien means 'well' or 'good,' and sûr means 'sure' or 'certain.' Together, they literally mean 'well sure' or 'quite certain.'

This versatile expression fits seamlessly into almost any social context, from casual chats with friends to more formal discussions. It's truly the universal 'of course' in French.

Using bien sûr implies a strong sense of agreement, indicating that what's being said is evident, undeniable, or simply expected. It's a confident affirmation.

Often, you'll hear bien sûr used as a standalone reply to a question, akin to saying 'absolutely!' or 'you bet!' when the answer is obvious or wholeheartedly positive.

While synonyms like évidemment (evidently) and certainement (certainly) exist, bien sûr carries a slightly softer, more natural tone in everyday conversation, making it the preferred choice for most native speakers.

You can also use bien sûr que oui or bien sûr que non to add even more emphasis when confirming or denying something, though bien sûr alone is usually sufficient.

💡 * Tu viens à la fête ce soir ? - Bien sûr !

• Bien sûr, je peux t'aider avec ça.
• Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat ? - Bien sûr que oui !
• Il est bien sûr très important de respecter les règles.
• Elle a bien sûr oublié ses clés.

Évidemment – To express that something is obvious or self-evident

The French adverb évidemment is a versatile and frequently used word that directly translates to “obviously” or “evidently.” It’s a powerful way to express that something is self-evident, clear, or goes without saying.

Derived from the adjective évident (obvious, evident), évidemment functions as an adverb, modifying verbs, adjectives, or entire sentences to emphasize the clarity or lack of doubt regarding a statement.

Like many adverbs in French, évidemment is quite flexible in its placement. It can appear at the beginning of a sentence, after the verb (especially in compound tenses), or even before an adjective it modifies, though its most common use is to comment on the entire statement.

Évidemment can convey a range of nuances. While often used neutrally to state the obvious, it can also carry a hint of exasperation, sarcasm, or a gentle reminder, depending on the context and tone of voice. It implies that the listener should already know or understand the point being made.

Other ways to express similar ideas include bien sûr (of course), il est évident que (it is evident that), or sans doute (doubtless), but évidemment often has a more direct and assertive tone.

You'll hear évidemment frequently in daily conversations, in news reports, or in debates, whenever a speaker wants to underscore a point that they believe is undeniable or universally accepted.

💡 * Évidemment, il va pleuvoir aujourd'hui. (Obviously, it's going to rain today.)

• Tu as faim ? Évidemment ! (Are you hungry? Obviously!)
• Elle est très intelligente, évidemment. (She is very intelligent, obviously.)
• C'est évidemment la meilleure solution. (It's obviously the best solution.)
• Nous devons, évidemment, prendre en compte tous les facteurs. (We must, obviously, take all factors into account.)

Naturellement – When something is natural, expected, or logical

The French adverb naturellement is a versatile word that literally translates to 'naturally'.

In its most direct sense, naturellement means 'naturally,' referring to something occurring in a natural way, without artificial intervention, or inherent to a person or thing's nature.

Beyond its literal meaning, naturellement is very commonly used to express 'of course,' 'evidently,' or 'as expected.' It implies that something is obvious, logical, or a foregone conclusion.

As an adverb, naturellement typically modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, providing more information about how an action is performed or the nature of a quality.

It's often used at the beginning of a sentence or as a standalone response to confirm something or to state that a fact is self-evident. For instance, if someone asks 'Are you coming?' you might reply, 'Naturellement!'

When used to mean 'of course' or 'expectedly,' naturellement can also imply that a situation or outcome is the logical consequence of previous events or circumstances.

💡 *Il a naturellement des cheveux blonds. (He naturally has blond hair.)
*Elle a beaucoup travaillé, naturellement elle a réussi son examen. (She worked a lot, naturally she passed her exam.)
*Tu viens avec nous? Naturellement! (Are you coming with us? Of course!)
*Après la pluie, les fleurs poussent naturellement. (After the rain, the flowers grow naturally.)
*C'est un choix logique, naturellement. (It's a logical choice, naturally.)

Certainement – To convey certainty, meaning "certainly" or "definitely"

The adverb certainement directly translates to “certainly,” “definitely,” or “surely” in English. It is used to express strong affirmation, assurance, or conviction regarding a statement or action.

As an adverb, certainement usually follows the verb it modifies in simple tenses (e.g., Je viendrai certainement - I will certainly come). In compound tenses, it typically comes between the auxiliary verb and the past participle (e.g., J’ai certainement oublié - I have certainly forgotten).

Beyond simply confirming, certainement can also be used to add emphasis or to respond emphatically, often standing alone as a single-word answer equivalent to “Absolutely!” or “Definitely!”

💡 * Je viendrai certainement à la fête. (I will certainly come to the party.)

• Il a certainement raison. (He is certainly right.)
• As-tu fini ton travail ? Certainement ! (Have you finished your work? Certainly!)
• Nous avons certainement manqué le bus. (We certainly missed the bus.)
• Elle a certainement apprécié le cadeau. (She definitely appreciated the gift.)

Absolument – A strong affirmation, translating to "absolutely"

Absolument is a versatile French adverb that directly translates to "absolutely" in English, functioning as a strong affirmative.

Its primary use is to express strong agreement, confirmation, or emphatic assent, making it a more forceful response than a simple oui (yes).

You can use absolument as a standalone answer to questions to convey definite certainty, or within a sentence to add significant emphasis to a statement, highlighting conviction or necessity.

To express the opposite, "absolutely not," the phrase absolument pas is used. The addition of pas negates the affirmation, creating a strong denial.

💡 * Es-tu d'accord avec cette décision ? Absolument !

• Je suis absolument certain de ma réponse.
• Il faut absolument que nous partions maintenant.
• Penses-tu que ce soit une bonne idée ? Absolument pas !
• C'est absolument magnifique !

Sans aucun doute – To emphasize that there is no doubt, "without a doubt"

The French expression sans aucun doute literally translates to "without any doubt." It is a widely used adverbial phrase that serves to convey absolute certainty and emphasize a statement.

This phrase is the go-to way to express that something is absolutely true, unquestionable, or undeniable. You can think of it as the French equivalent of English phrases like "undoubtedly," "certainly," "without a doubt," or "for sure."

As an adverbial phrase, sans aucun doute is quite flexible in its placement. It can appear at the beginning of a sentence to set the tone, after the verb it modifies, or at the end for strong emphasis. Its position often depends on the flow and desired focus of the statement.

Sans aucun doute implies a very high level of conviction, stronger than bien sûr (of course) or certainement (certainly), which can sometimes imply a more general agreement or likelihood rather than absolute certainty.

💡 *Sans aucun doute, c'est la meilleure solution. (Without a doubt, it's the best solution.)
*Il viendra sans aucun doute à la fête. (He will undoubtedly come to the party.)
*Elle a sans aucun doute raison. (She is undoubtedly right.)
*C'est sans aucun doute un chef-d'œuvre. (It's without a doubt a masterpiece.)

Bien entendu – A slightly more formal or polite way, meaning "well understood"

The phrase bien entendu literally translates to “well heard” or “well understood.” It's a common and versatile expression in French, similar to saying “of course,” “naturally,” or “understood” in English.

While it conveys the same meaning as bien sûr (of course), bien entendu often carries a slightly more formal or polite nuance. It implies a shared understanding or a natural consequence without being overly assertive.

You'll frequently hear bien entendu when confirming something expected, agreeing to a request, or acknowledging a statement as obvious or logical. It can be used both orally and in written communication.

💡 *Tu viendras à la fête, bien entendu ? (You'll come to the party, of course?)
*Il sera présent à la réunion, bien entendu. (He will be present at the meeting, naturally.)
*Nous respecterons les règles, bien entendu. (We will respect the rules, understood.)
*Pour réussir, il faut travailler dur, bien entendu. (To succeed, one must work hard, of course.)
*La livraison aura lieu demain, bien entendu, si les conditions météorologiques le permettent. (The delivery will take place tomorrow, of course, if weather conditions allow.)

Bien sûr que oui – An emphatic way to say "of course, yes"

When a simple oui or even bien sûr isn't strong enough, the French have the emphatic expression Bien sûr que oui. This phrase translates directly to "of course, yes" or "most certainly yes," conveying absolute agreement and conviction.

The phrase is built upon bien sûr (of course), followed by que (that), and finally oui (yes). The que acts as a connector, intensifying the affirmation and creating a more robust response than just bien sûr on its own.

You'll use Bien sûr que oui when you want to leave no doubt about your affirmative answer. It's often employed in situations where there might have been a hint of doubt, a previous misunderstanding, or when you want to express strong enthusiasm or confirmation.

Just as there's Bien sûr que oui for emphatic affirmation, there's also Bien sûr que non for an equally strong negative response, meaning "of course not" or "absolutely not."

💡 * Tu viendras à la fête ce soir? Bien sûr que oui! (You'll come to the party tonight? Of course, yes!)

• Tu es sûr que tu peux m'aider? Bien sûr que oui, je suis là pour ça. (Are you sure you can help me? Of course, yes, I'm here for that.)
• Est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat? Bien sûr que oui, c'est mon préféré! (Do you like chocolate? Of course, yes, it's my favorite!)
• Tu penses que le projet va réussir? Bien sûr que oui, nous avons travaillé dur. (Do you think the project will succeed? Of course, yes, we worked hard.)

Il va de soi – A more idiomatic expression meaning "it goes without saying"

The French phrase il va de soi is a common idiom used to express that something is obvious or self-evident. It directly translates to 'it goes without saying' or 'it's obvious'.

Unlike some direct translations, il va de soi functions as a fixed idiomatic expression. You wouldn't translate each word literally (e.g., 'il' as 'he', 'va' as 'goes', 'de' as 'of', 'soi' as 'self'). Instead, the entire phrase conveys the meaning of something being inherently understood or evident.

This expression is frequently followed by the conjunction que to introduce a subordinate clause, indicating what exactly 'goes without saying'. For example, Il va de soi que... (It goes without saying that...). It can be used in both formal and informal contexts, although it carries a slightly more formal tone than just saying 'c'est évident'.

While il va de soi conveys a strong sense of obviousness, other phrases like bien sûr (of course) or évidemment (evidently/obviously) can sometimes be used interchangeably, though il va de soi often implies a more fundamental or logical truth.

💡 *Il va de soi que tu dois être poli. (It goes without saying that you should be polite.)
*Pour lui, il va de soi que nous allons réussir. (For him, it goes without saying that we will succeed.)
*Il va de soi que la santé est importante. (It goes without saying that health is important.)
*Il va de soi que la pratique rend parfait. (It goes without saying that practice makes perfect.)

Are there other ways to say 'of course' in French?

Are there other ways to say “of course” in French?

Our list covers the most common and versatile ways to express “of course” in French. However, like any language, French is rich with nuances, regionalisms, and informal expressions that convey similar meanings.

If you're curious about regional variations or more specific contexts, try an online search for “comment dire bien sûr en ___” followed by a particular Francophone country or region, like “comment dire bien sûr en Québecois”.

You might encounter many fascinating alternatives. Always make sure to look up the exact definition and pay attention to how a new phrase is used in different situations before incorporating it into your own speech.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, or listening to podcasts — keep an ear out. You'll naturally pick up on different ways native speakers confirm or agree.

For a deeper dive into synonyms and related expressions, the WordReference entry for bien sûr is an excellent starting point. It often provides a comprehensive list of alternatives and their nuances.

I hope this article has helped clarify the many ways to say “of course” in French. Remember, mastering these expressions will make your French sound much more natural and fluent. Bien sûr, la pratique rend parfait! (Of course, practice makes perfect!)