ben
Ben (pronounced 'bahn', like 'bain' without the crisp ending) is spoken French for 'well...', 'um', or 'duh, obviously' depending on tone. It's a filler that softens sentences: 'Ben oui !' — well, yes! You won't find it in subtitles or grammar books, yet French people say it constantly.
Where you'll hear it
Ethan
Quel est ton parfum de glace préféré ?
What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
Clara
Eh bien, Ethan, c'est un peu mitigé pour moi. Ben.. j’adore le chocolat, mais j'ai aussi un faible pour la vanille. Et toi ?
Well, E, it's a bit of a mixed bag for me. Ben. I love chocolate, but I'm also partial to vanilla. What's your favorite?
Ethan
Pour moi, c'est la glace à la fraise, sans hésitation. J'en ai l'eau à la bouche rien qu'à y penser !
For me, it's strawberry ice cream, without hesitation. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Clara
Ben vraiment ? Je trouve que la glace à la fraise est un délice, mais seulement quand elle est faite avec de vraies fraises.
Really? I think strawberry ice cream is delicious, but only when it's made with real strawberries.
Clara
Ben ouais.
Yeah that's it.
How it shows up
Ben oui, c'est évident !
Well yes, obviously!
Ben... je ne sais pas trop.
Well... I'm not really sure.
Tu viens ? Ben ouais !
Are you coming? Well yeah!
Related expressions
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