Don’t say the wrong “OK” in French.

Do you say “D’accord” a lot? I mean in situations like this:

“C’est d’accord si je t’appelle maintenant ?” Is it OK to call you now?

This is a common error many of us make. 

Fortunately, we will be understood, but we want more than that - we want to use the right words in the right situation! You got this! 

In this mini-lesson, you’ll discover:

• How to say OK
• When not to say ‘d’accord’ 
• Examples in context

How do you translate “ok” in French?

Of course, you can say “ok” in French. However, the direct translation is “d’accord”. Now, based on the context, there is a variety of expressions available to you. Here are 8 ways to say ok:

• D’accord

• C’est bon

• Pas de problème

• Pas de soucis

• Ça marche

• Ça roule

• Pas grave

• Entendu

In the following sections, you will learn precisely how to apply each of them. Ok?

How to express your agreement in French.

Whenever you agree with someone about something, the direct translation is: “d’accord” meaning I agree.

Here’s an example:

• D’accord on se revoit demain >>> Ok. I’ll see you tomorrow.

 Note that the final letter “d” is silent.

Oui, “d’accord” is a word but you can also conjugate it with the verb to be like this:

• Je suis d’accord >>> I accept
• Tu es d’accord >>> I accept 
• Il / elle est d’accord >>> S/he accept 
• Nous sommes d’accord >>> We accept 
• Vous êtes d’accord >>> You accept 
• Ils / elles sont d’accord >>> they accept

In context, you could see or hear this:

• Je suis d’accord, si tu veux >>> Ok. If you want.

Therefore, the word “d’accord” is only when you agree and want to say “ok”.

When it works for you, say this in French.

Have you finished something? Does it work for you? Instead of saying the general “ok”, choose “C’est bon” instead. The translation is “It’s good (for me)”.

I have 2 situations for you:

• C’est bon. J’ai fini >>> ok - I’m done.
• Tu aimes cette recette  ? C’est bon pour moi. >>> Do you like this recipe? It’s OK for me.

Intonation matters!

With the previous expression, you should be careful. Why?

Because with another intonation and the exclamation mark, it means something different! Indeed, “C’est bon!” signifies stop.

It would like this instance:

• Ça suffit. C’est bon! >>> That’s enough! Stop!.

So, pay attention to the punctuation and intonation to identify the intention.

When you accept something use this in French.

You don’t mind doing or accepting something and you want to say no problem in French? You’re lucky because the translation is similar: “pas de problème”. This is how you should use the negative. In case, you need to refresh the negative form in French, I have this post for you: 

9 French negatives in different tenses

Be inspired by this example:

• Tu peux finir de passer l’aspirateur ? Ok. Pas de problème.  >>> Can you finish the hoovering? Ok. No problem.

How to say “no worries” in French.

Another version of the previous expression is: “pas de soucis”. It means exactly the same!

Here’s an illustration:

• Je n’ai pas de monnaie.  Pas de soucis.  >>> I don’t have any change. No worries.

2 fun French expressions to say that it works for you.

Let’s have fun and explore 2 French expressions. If something suits you and you like it, there are two similar ways to say it: “ça marche” and “ça roule”. Like for most idiomatic expressions, don’t try to translate them word for word.

Instead, let’s see them in a real context:

• Ça marche. >>> ok - that works.

And the informal version would be:

• Ça roule pour moi ! >>> ok - that’s good for me.

When something doesn’t bother you, choose this French expression.

Once more, if something is insignificant to you, express it with the expression: “pas grave”. I have this example to help you:

• Mince! J’ai oublié mon porte-monnaie.  Pas grave. J’ai le mien.  >>> Damn! I forgot my wallet. OK. No worries. I’ve got mine

By the way, if you are looking for fun French expressions like this one, you’ll love this post:

‘No biggie’ in French - 7 different ways for you to say it! 

How to say “got it” in French.

A final expression to say OK in French is “entendu”. In this context, it means “got it”.

Simply answer like this:

•  Entendu.  >>> OK, got it!

In conclusion, you have discovered various expressions in order to translate the general word  “OK”. Be specific and apply the correct French translation. To do so, there are 8 ways to say it:

•  D’accord >>> I agree

•  C’est bon >>> That’s fine

•  Pas de problème >>> No problem

•  Pas de soucis >>> No worries

•  Ça marche >>> That works

•  Ça roule >>> That works

•  Pas grave >>> No worries

•  Entendu >>> Got it

I really hope it’s OK for you and you have the confidence to vary in each context. Now time for you to practice in every day’s situations! Any questions, I’m always available fo you.