2/28/2021 Like... Huh?

10 French Filler Words to Make You a French Conversation Master

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Check out these 10 filler words to, like, uh… fill up your French and sound
like a real French native in no time!

1. Alors
Our first word is none other than the French word alors, or “well” in English.
Alors is probably the most common filler word, and in fact, it’s so common
that it can be heard in French classrooms all around the world—and not just
from students.

The best thing about alors is that it’s often not regarded as an “informal”
filler word. Along with teachers, this word can be heard in speeches, business
presentations and even in political proceedings. In fact, you can even use it
in formal writing!

Translated as “so” or “well,” alors is often used as a transition word at the

beginning of a sentence to draw attention to a topic or a change of topic.
Check out this example:

Alors, comment ça va ? (So, how’s it going?)

Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? (It’s going well, thanks. And you?)

Alors can also be used in place of the English expression “So what?” In this
sense, it asks for clarification of a previous statement, often in a rude or
sarcastic way:

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J’ai déjà lu ce livre. (I already read that book.)

Et alors ? (So what?)

2. Euh
Euh is the French equivalent of the English word “uh” or “um,” and the good
news is that it’s used pretty much the same way. Like in English, euh is
generally used as a pause or a moment to think. Along with alors, euh is
extremely common, but unlike alors, it’s very informal:

Est-ce que je peux avoir, euh… un stylo ? (Can I have, uh… a pen?)

Euh, oui. (Uh, yes.)

3. Quoi
Quoi is perhaps the most confusing filler word to beginner French
learners. Technically, it translates to “what” in English, and it’s used to ask
questions:

Tu as fait quoi ? (You did what?)

As a filler word, quoi better translates as “you know?” or the British “innit?”

In fact, it’s used to give weight or highlight what you’re saying:

C’est une belle tour, quoi ? (It’s a beautiful tower, you know?)

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4. Hein
Related to quoi, hein is another popular French filler word. Hein translates
to the English word “huh,” and it can be used in many ways. Firstly, it can be
used to indicate that you don’t understand something that has been
previously said. However, be aware that this is regarded as very rude:

Dépêche-toi ! Tu vas rater le train ! (Hurry up! You’re going to miss the
train!)

Hein ? (Huh?)

J’ai dit que tu vas rater le train ! (I said that you’re going to miss the
train!)

Secondly, you can use hein to mean “right?” or in place of the French n’est-ce
pas ? (Isn’t that right?):

C’est un bon livre, hein ? (It’s a good book, right?)

Euh, oui. (Uh, yes.)

5. Bref
The filler word bref translates to “brief” in English, and its function as a filler
word is pretty self-explanatory. It’s the English equivalent of “basically” or
“long story short,” and it’s generally used to sum up a long explanation and
give the “low-down” on a particular topic:

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Bref, j’ai raté l’interro de chimie. (Basically, I failed the chemistry test.)

Pronunciation tip: While you might be tempted to not pronounce the “f”
at the end of the word bref, it actually is pronounced. In theory, the French
word bref should rhyme with the English name “Steph.”

6 & 7. Ben oui, ben non

The next filler words on our list, ben oui and ben non, are a little bit
confusing and there is some debate as to their exact meaning and
function. We know the word oui means “yes,”and non means “no,” but the
word ben can be seen as an informal version of the French word bien (well).

Together, these two expressions translate to “well, yes” or “well, no.”

Basically, they’re used as an affirmation or negation of a previously stated
topic:

Est-ce que tu veux un boisson ? (Do you want a drink?)

Ben, oui. (Well, yes.)

Et un croissant ? (And a croissant?)

Ben, non. (Well, no.)

8. En fait
En fait literally translates to the English “in fact,” and like alors, its use in
different social contexts is quite flexible. In fact, it can be used in formal

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French speech as well as in formal French writing. In the informal way, en

fait means “actually.” It can be used when changing your mind or trying to
clarify what you’re trying to say:

J’ai conduit pendant cinq heures. En fait, c’était six ! (I drove for five
hours. Actually, it was six!)

Pronunciation tip: Like bref, the “t” at the end of the expression en fait is
pronounced to rhyme with the other French word fête (party).

9. Genre
Perhaps the most confused filler word for beginners is genre. First of all, it
technically means “type” or “gender,” but in informal French, it translates
more to the English filler word “like.” In fact, it’s used in the same way “uh”
or “like” is used in, like, English.

Pronunciation tip: Keep in mind that this filler word is often pronounced

very quickly in informal situations, so it can sound like jor instead of what
we’d expect: jen-ruh.

Je voudrais, genre, un autre crayon. (I want, like, another pencil.)

10. Quand même

Last but not least, the expression quand même is a filler word with two
meanings in French. First of all, it has a formal meaning of “even though” or
“still,” but as a filler word, it can translate as “Wow!” or “No way!” In this
sense, it’s used to show surprise or excitement about a given topic or
revelation.

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J’ai eu l’examen ! (I passed the exam!)

Quand même ! (Wow!)

Perhaps the best way to understand these French filler words and to use
them naturally is to hear them used regularly by speakers. First of all, check
out this great video to hear these filler words further broken down for
English speakers. Next, see if you can find the filler words in action with
native French speakers and YouTubers, Cyprien and Natoo!

So, like, get out there and, uh, master French filler words, you know?

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