French Filler Words
Listen to any French conversation and you will hear them everywhere: bon, ben, du coup, quoi. Textbooks rarely teach them, yet they are a big part of why native speech sounds natural. Here is what they mean and how to use them without overdoing it.
In this guide
Why filler words matter
Filler words give you time to think, soften what you say and show how you feel about it. They are the reason two sentences with the same words can sound robotic or completely natural:
- Je ne sais pas. Je pense que c’est trop cher.
- Ben… je sais pas, enfin, je trouve que c’est un peu cher, quoi.
Both are correct. The second one sounds like a real person talking.
A word of caution: filler words belong to spoken, informal French. Use them in conversation, not in a formal email or an exam essay. In a speaking test, one or two used naturally help you sound fluent; ten in a row make you sound hesitant.
The essential filler words
Euh
The basic hesitation sound, like um. Use it instead of the English um, which immediately sounds foreign.
- C’était… euh… mardi, je crois.
Bon
Used to start, wrap up or move on. Often means well, right, okay then.
- Bon, on y va ? (Right, shall we go?)
- Bon, ce n’est pas grave. (Well, never mind.)
Ben (or bah)
A conversational interjection, often associated with spoken bien (as in eh ben). It introduces an answer that seems obvious, a hesitation or a reaction. Like well. It does not replace the adverb bien: you cannot say il parle ben.
- Tu viens ce soir ? — Ben oui ! (Well, yes, of course!)
- Bah, je sais pas.
Du coup
Means so, as a result. It is one of the most used expressions in modern French, sometimes so much that people tease each other about it.
- Il pleuvait, du coup on est restés à la maison.
Genre
Informal, and especially frequent among younger speakers. It means like, either to give an approximation or to report what someone said.
- Il est arrivé genre une heure en retard.
- Et lui, il me dit, genre, « c’est pas mon problème ».
Quoi
Placed at the end of a sentence, it adds emphasis or sums things up. A bit like you know or basically.
- C’était super, quoi.
- Il est gentil, mais un peu lent, quoi.
Enfin
In conversation, enfin often corrects or softens what you just said: I mean, well.
- Il est grand, enfin, plus grand que moi.
- Enfin, c’est mon avis.
Bref
Means anyway, in short. Use it to cut a long story short.
- On a raté le train, il pleuvait, mon téléphone était mort… bref, une journée horrible.
Tu vois / tu sais
Like you see, you know. Checks that the listener is following.
- C’est le genre de film, tu vois, où il ne se passe rien.
En fait
Means actually, in fact. Often used to correct or add precision. (Remember: actuellement means currently.)
- Je pensais qu’il était canadien, mais en fait il est belge.
Voilà
At the end of an explanation, it means that’s it, there you go.
- Donc on prend la deuxième à gauche, et voilà, on est arrivés.
Bah oui / ben non
Strong, slightly informal ways to say well, yes! and well, no!
- Tu as fini ? — Bah oui, depuis une heure !
Using them naturally: a quick guide
| Situation | Useful words |
|---|---|
| Buying time before answering | euh, ben, bah, alors |
| Starting or ending a topic | bon, alors, voilà |
| Giving a result | du coup, donc |
| Correcting yourself | enfin, en fait, je veux dire |
| Summing up | bref, quoi, voilà |
| Checking the listener follows | tu vois, tu sais |
Common mistakes
- Saying “um” instead of “euh”. It is one of the clearest signs of an English accent.
- Putting du coup everywhere. Used now and then, it sounds natural; in every sentence, it becomes a tic.
- Using genre or quoi in a formal situation. Keep them for friends.
- Writing them in an exam essay. In writing, use proper connectors instead: donc, par conséquent, en effet, en résumé.
Practice
Choose the best filler word.
- ______, je crois que c’est tout pour aujourd’hui. (Bon / Genre)
- Le magasin était fermé, ______ on est rentrés. (du coup / quoi)
- Tu as aimé le film ? — ______ oui, c’était génial ! (Ben / Enfin)
- Il est sympa, mais un peu bizarre, ______. (quoi / voilà)
- Je pensais que c’était lundi, mais ______ c’est mardi. (en fait / actuellement)
Show the answers
- Bon
- du coup
- Ben
- quoi
- en fait
Frequently asked questions
Are filler words rude?
No, but some are informal. Genre, quoi and bah are fine with friends and colleagues you know well, less so in a job interview.
Should I use them in the TEF or TCF speaking test?
A few natural ones (bon, alors, en fait, voilà) can make you sound fluent. Avoid very informal ones like genre, and never use them to fill long silences.
Do Canadians use the same filler words?
Mostly, yes. Some are especially frequent in Québec, such as genre and là at the end of sentences (Je suis fatigué, là.), though both are heard elsewhere too.