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👉 See also: 30 French interjections to sound more natural »
Level A2 (Upper Beginner)
Published January 29, 2026 — Lesson written by French teacher David Issokson for students who want to learn French online, with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a voice artist from France.
The French Word of the Day is “ah bon ?“, an interjection meaning “really?” Today we’ll discover precisely how to use ah bon in everyday conversation and how to avoid a common mistake using vraiment, which also means “really.”
📘 Ah bon meaning in French
Ah bon is a common French interjection translating literally to “ah good” and meaning “really?”, “is that so?”, or “oh, I see,” depending on the tone. For example:
➞ Tu déménages à Paris ? — Ah bon ?
You’re moving to Paris? — Really?
➞ Il a fini le projet hier. — Ah bon ?
He finished the project yesterday. — Is that so?
➞ Le train arrive à 8 heures. — Ah bon.
The train arrives at 8 o’clock. — Oh, I see.
💡 Ah bon vs. vraiment — What’s the difference?
English speakers often default to “vraiment ?” because it feels like a direct translation of “really?” But in everyday spoken French, natives usually say “ah bon ?” instead. “Vraiment ?” exists, but it sounds stronger, more deliberate, or slightly formal — almost like “seriously?”
✅ Je pars demain. — Ah bon ? I’m leaving tomorrow. Really?
❌ Je pars demain — Vraiment ? I’m leaving tomorrow. Really?
🎧 Ah bon pronunciation in French
The pronunciation of ah bon is /a bɔ̃/ (IPA), which sounds roughly like “ah bohn.” Do not pronounce the final -n on bon and do a nasal /ɔ̃/ sound. The inflection of ah bon goes up when it means “really?”
📝 Ah bon usage examples
Elle parle trois langues. — Ah bon ? Elle a beaucoup de talent.
She speaks three languages. — Oh really? She has a lot of talent.
Je pars demain. — Ah bon ? C’est une surprise.
I’m leaving tomorrow. — Oh really? That’s a surprise.
Ah bon ? Je ne savais pas.
Oh really? I didn’t know.
👉 See also: Savoir conjugation chart (to know) »
Il a changé d’avis. — Ah bon. Pourquoi ?
He changed his mind. — Oh really. Why?
Learning interjections is super useful because they can help you to sound more natural, like a native speaker.
👉 See also: 30 French interjections for true fluency »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- vraiment ? — really?
- tiens ! — oh! / look!
- d’accord — okay / alright
- quoi ? — what?
- ah oui — oh yes
- c’est vrai ? — is that true?
- eh bien — well then
- comment ? — pardon? / what did you say?
📚 Related lessons on FrenchLearner!
👉 French interjections and exclamations »
👉 Vraiment — really »
👉 Tiens — oh/look »
👉 D’accord — okay/alright »
👉 Quoi — what »
