How to Say Of Course in French: Bien Sûr and Beyond
Of course in French is bien sûr - with évidemment, bien entendu and tout à fait as formal or emphatic alternatives. When to use each.
Of course in French is bien sûr, pronounced /byehn SÜR/. Évidemment is a slightly stronger, more formal option (“obviously”), bien entendu suits written/formal contexts, and tout à fait works more for “exactly right” than a pure “of course.”
Quick answer
Of course in French is bien sûr, pronounced /byehn SÜR/. Évidemment is a slightly stronger, more formal option (“obviously”), bien entendu suits written/formal contexts, and tout à fait works more for “exactly right” than a pure “of course.”
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Bien sûr: the default
Pronounced /byehn SÜR/, the everyday default. Common expansion: bien sûr que oui (of course, yes).
Évidemment: the stronger, more formal option
”Obviously” - slightly more emphatic than bien sûr, implying the answer is self-evident.
Bien entendu: the formal/written alternative
Used in professional writing more than everyday speech - a safe choice for formal emails or documents.
Tout à fait: emphatic agreement (a different job)
Closer to “exactly/quite right” than “of course” - a subtle distinction English blurs. Use it to confirm agreement, not to grant permission.
Casual: carrément
”Totally” - very informal register, common among younger speakers. For the related enthusiastic-yes cluster, see enthusiastic and polite yeses.
| French | Register | English feel |
|---|---|---|
| bien sûr | everyday default | of course |
| évidemment | slightly stronger | obviously |
| bien entendu | formal/written | of course |
| tout à fait | emphatic agreement | exactly right |
| carrément | casual | totally |
For pronunciation help, see the French pronunciation guide; for the register system this ladder belongs to, see what is French register.
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Questions about this note
What's the most common way to say of course in French?
Bien sûr.
Is évidemment stronger than bien sûr?
Slightly - closer to "obviously."
When do you use bien entendu?
More formal or written contexts.
Does tout à fait mean of course?
Close - it's more "exactly/quite right," used to confirm agreement rather than grant permission.
What's a casual way to say "totally, of course"?
Carrément.