Learning how to say “right” in French can be very helpful when you are speaking or traveling in French-speaking countries. The word “right” can have different meanings depending on the situation, so it’s important to know how to use it correctly. Whether you’re talking about direction, something being correct, or expressing an agreement, there are several ways to say “right” in French.
In this article, we will explore different ways to say “right” in French and explain when to use each one. We will also go over how to respond to “right” in French and provide you with some practice exercises to help you remember these words. By the end, you will have a good understanding of how to use “right” in many different situations in French.
Ways to say “right” in French
Here are some different ways to say “right” in French, depending on what you mean:
Droit (Pronunciation: drwah) – Used for direction or something straight.
- Meaning: “Droit” refers to straight or direct, often used for directions or alignment.
- In a Sentence:
- “Va tout droit” (Go straight ahead).
- “La route est droite” (The road is straight).
Correct (Pronunciation: koh-rekt) – Used to express something is accurate or true.
- Meaning: “Correct” is used when you want to say something is right or accurate.
- In a Sentence:
- “Ta réponse est correcte.” (Your answer is correct).
- “C’est la bonne réponse.” (That’s the right answer).
Bien (Pronunciation: byan) – Used to mean “right” as in “well” or “good.”
- Meaning: “Bien” can be used to say something is right in the sense of being good or well-done.
- In a Sentence:
- “Tu as fait bien!” (You did it right!).
- “Il a bien répondu.” (He answered correctly).
Exact (Pronunciation: ex-akt) – Used to say something is precise or correct.
- Meaning: “Exact” is similar to saying “exact” in English, meaning very precise or correct.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est exactement ce que je voulais.” (That’s exactly what I wanted).
- “Tu as dit l’exacte vérité.” (You told the exact truth).
À droite (Pronunciation: ah drwaht) – Used when talking about direction (to the right).
- Meaning: This phrase is used when talking about turning or moving to the right side.
- In a Sentence:
- “Tourne à droite.” (Turn to the right).
- “La maison est à droite de la rue.” (The house is to the right of the street).
Juste (Pronunciation: joost) – Used to mean “right” as in fair or just.
- Meaning: “Juste” is often used in moral or fair contexts.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est juste que tu aies gagné.” (It’s right that you won).
- “Il est juste avec tout le monde.” (He is right/fair with everyone).
Exactement (Pronunciation: ex-ak-teh-moh) – Used for emphasizing accuracy or exactness.
- Meaning: This is an adverb meaning “exactly,” often used to stress that something is right.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est exactement ce que je voulais.” (That’s exactly what I wanted).
- “Tu as compris exactement.” (You understood exactly).
Vrai (Pronunciation: vray) – Used when referring to something true or real.
- Meaning: “Vrai” means “true,” so it can be used when something is right in the sense of being true.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est la vraie solution.” (This is the right/true solution).
- “C’est un vrai problème.” (It’s a real problem).
C’est bon (Pronunciation: seh bon) – Used to say something is right in a casual way.
- Meaning: “C’est bon” can mean “it’s good” or “it’s right” in an informal setting.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est bon, on peut y aller.” (It’s right/good, we can go).
- “C’est bon de faire ça.” (It’s right to do this).
Accord (Pronunciation: ah-kord) – Used to indicate agreement, meaning “right” in the sense of being in agreement.
- Meaning: “Accord” is used when you agree with something.
- In a Sentence:
- “Nous sommes en accord.” (We are in agreement).
- “C’est un accord.” (It’s a deal).
Rectiligne (Pronunciation: rek-teel-een) – Used to describe something straight or linear.
- Meaning: “Rectiligne” means straight, without curves.
- In a Sentence:
- “Le chemin est rectiligne.” (The path is straight).
- “La route rectiligne mène à la ville.” (The straight road leads to the city).
Sûr (Pronunciation: soor) – Used to describe something that’s sure or certain.
- Meaning: “Sûr” means certain or sure, indicating something right in the sense of being sure.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je suis sûr de ma réponse.” (I am sure of my answer).
- “C’est sûr que tu as raison.” (It’s certain that you are right).
Raison (Pronunciation: ray-zohn) – Used when referring to the right answer or reasoning.
- Meaning: “Raison” is used to refer to the right reasoning or answer.
- In a Sentence:
- “Tu as la raison.” (You are right).
- “Il a donné la bonne raison.” (He gave the right reason).
Légitime (Pronunciation: lay-zhee-teem) – Used to mean something legitimate or rightful.
- Meaning: “Légitime” means rightful or legitimate.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est une demande légitime.” (It’s a legitimate request).
- “Elle a une raison légitime.” (She has a rightful reason).
Faire juste (Pronunciation: fair joost) – Used to express fairness or doing something the right way.
- Meaning: “Faire juste” means doing something in a fair or right way.
- In a Sentence:
- “Il a fait juste en partageant.” (He did the right thing by sharing).
- “Elle a toujours fait juste.” (She has always done the right thing).
Pareil (Pronunciation: pah-ray) – Used in informal contexts to mean the same or right (as in “the same thing”).
- Meaning: “Pareil” means “same,” and can sometimes mean the right or correct thing to do.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est pareil pour tout le monde.” (It’s the same for everyone).
- “Je pense que c’est pareil ici.” (I think it’s right here).
Valable (Pronunciation: vah-lah-bluh) – Used to describe something valid or correct.
- Meaning: “Valable” means valid or acceptable.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est une raison valable.” (It’s a valid reason).
- “Cette carte est valable.” (This card is valid).
Authentique (Pronunciation: oh-ten-teek) – Used to describe something genuine or real.
- Meaning: “Authentique” means genuine or right in the sense of being authentic.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est une œuvre authentique.” (It’s a genuine work).
- “Elle veut une réponse authentique.” (She wants a real answer).
Précis (Pronunciation: preh-see) – Used to describe something precise or exact.
- Meaning: “Précis” means precise or accurate, indicating correctness.
- In a Sentence:
- “Ta description est précise.” (Your description is precise).
- “Il a donné une réponse précise.” (He gave a precise answer).
Justifiable (Pronunciation: zhoo-stee-ah-bluh) – Used to describe something that can be justified or is right.
- Meaning: “Justifiable” means something that can be defended or proven to be right.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est un acte justifiable.” (It’s a justifiable act).
- “Il a une raison justifiable.” (He has a justifiable reason).
De bon droit (Pronunciation: duh bohn drwah) – Used to express something done in a rightful manner.
- Meaning: “De bon droit” means by right or legally.
- In a Sentence:
- “Il agit de bon droit.” (He acts rightfully).
- “Elle a de bon droit d’être ici.” (She has the right to be here).
À juste titre (Pronunciation: ah zhoost teet-ruh) – Used to express something done for the right reason.
- Meaning: “À juste titre” means for good reason or rightly.
- In a Sentence:
- “Elle a agi à juste titre.” (She acted for the right reason).
- “Tu as raison à juste titre.” (You are right for a good reason).
Équitable (Pronunciation: eh-kee-tah-bluh) – Used to describe something fair or just.
- Meaning: “Équitable” means fair or right, especially in a moral context.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est une solution équitable.” (It’s a fair solution).
- “Ils ont trouvé une solution équitable.” (They found a fair solution).
Légal (Pronunciation: lay-gahl) – Used to mean right in the legal sense.
- Meaning: “Légal” means legal, right according to the law.
- In a Sentence:
- “C’est une action légale.” (It’s a legal action).
- “Il a agi de manière légale.” (He acted legally).
Bien fondé (Pronunciation: byan fohn-day) – Used to say something is well-founded or based on the right reasons.
- Meaning: “Bien fondé” means well-founded or justified, meaning right for a valid reason.
- In a Sentence:
- “Ton argument est bien fondé.” (Your argument is well-founded).
- “C’est une décision bien fondée.” (It’s a well-founded decision).
En accord avec (Pronunciation: ahn ah-kor ah-vek) – Used to express agreement or something right in alignment.
- Meaning: This phrase means “in agreement with” and indicates the right choice based on consensus.
- In a Sentence:
- “Je suis en accord avec toi.” (I am in agreement with you).
- “Les deux parties sont en accord.” (Both parties are in agreement).
Approuvé (Pronunciation: ah-proo-vay) – Used to describe something that has been approved or accepted as right.
- Meaning: “Approuvé” means approved, indicating something right or correct.
- In a Sentence:
- “Cette décision a été approuvée.” (This decision was approved).
- “Ton projet a été approuvé.” (Your project was approved).
Vérifié (Pronunciation: veh-ree-fyay) – Used when something has been verified or checked to be right.
- Meaning: “Vérifié” means verified or checked for correctness.
- In a Sentence:
- “Les informations sont vérifiées.” (The information is verified).
- “Il a vérifié sa réponse.” (He verified his answer).
Dûment (Pronunciation: dew-mahn) – Used to describe something done correctly or appropriately.
- Meaning: “Dûment” means duly or correctly, indicating something right was done.
- In a Sentence:
- “Il a dûment signé le document.” (He duly signed the document).
- “La tâche a été dûment accomplie.” (The task was duly completed).
Other ways to say “right” in French
Here is a table with other ways to say “right” in French, their pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences to help you understand their usage:
| Other ways to say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Droit | drwah | Straight, direct, or right (direction) | “Il faut aller tout droit.” (You have to go straight.) |
| Correct | koh-rekt | Correct, accurate, or true | “Ta réponse est correcte.” (Your answer is correct.) |
| Exact | ex-akt | Exact or precise | “C’est l’exacte vérité.” (That’s the exact truth.) |
| Juste | joost | Fair, right, or just | “Ce n’est pas juste!” (That’s not right/fair!) |
| À droite | ah drwaht | To the right (direction) | “Tourne à droite.” (Turn to the right.) |
| Bien | byan | Well or right (doing something correctly) | “C’est bien fait.” (It’s done right.) |
| Vrai | vray | True or right in the sense of being real or authentic | “C’est un vrai problème.” (It’s a real problem.) |
| Accord | ah-kord | Agreement, in agreement with, or right | “Nous sommes en accord.” (We are in agreement.) |
| Justifiable | zhoo-stee-ah-bluh | Justifiable or defensible, meaning something right to do | “Il a une raison justifiable.” (He has a justifiable reason.) |
| Valable | vah-lah-bluh | Valid or acceptable | “C’est une solution valable.” (It’s a valid solution.) |
| Authentique | oh-ten-teek | Authentic or right in the sense of being genuine | “C’est une œuvre authentique.” (It’s a genuine work.) |
| Précis | preh-see | Precise or exact | “Ta réponse est précise.” (Your answer is precise.) |
| Légal | lay-gahl | Legal, or right according to the law | “Il a agi de manière légale.” (He acted legally.) |
| Sûr | soor | Sure, confident, or certain | “Je suis sûr que c’est juste.” (I am sure it’s right.) |
| Rectiligne | rek-teel-een | Straight, linear (for direction) | “Le chemin est rectiligne.” (The path is straight.) |
| De bon droit | duh bohn drwah | Rightfully or by right | “Il agit de bon droit.” (He acts rightfully.) |
| Bien fondé | byan fohn-day | Well-founded, based on good reasoning | “Ton argument est bien fondé.” (Your argument is well-founded.) |
| En accord avec | ahn ah-kor ah-vek | In agreement with, aligned with | “Nous sommes en accord avec les règles.” (We are in agreement with the rules.) |
| Légitime | lay-zhee-teem | Legitimate or rightful | “C’est une raison légitime.” (It’s a legitimate reason.) |
Response to “right” in French
When someone says “right” in French, you can respond in several ways depending on the context. Here are some common responses:
Oui, c’est ça. (Pronunciation: wee, seh sah)
- Meaning: “Yes, that’s it” or “Yes, that’s right.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Tu as bien compris ?” (Did you understand it well?)
- “Oui, c’est ça !” (Yes, that’s right!)
C’est exact. (Pronunciation: seh ex-akt)
- Meaning: “That’s exact” or “That’s correct.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Il est parti à 8 heures ?” (Did he leave at 8 o’clock?)
- “C’est exact.” (That’s correct.)
Tout à fait. (Pronunciation: too ah feh)
- Meaning: “Exactly” or “Absolutely.”
- Example Sentences:
- “C’est la bonne réponse ?” (Is that the right answer?)
- “Tout à fait !” (Exactly!)
C’est bien ça. (Pronunciation: seh byan sah)
- Meaning: “That’s right” or “That’s correct.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Tu es sûr ?” (Are you sure?)
- “C’est bien ça.” (That’s right.)
Tu as raison. (Pronunciation: too ah ray-zohn)
- Meaning: “You are right.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Je pense que c’est la meilleure option.” (I think it’s the best option.)
- “Tu as raison.” (You are right.)
Absolument. (Pronunciation: ab-so-loo-mahn)
- Meaning: “Absolutely” or “Definitely.”
- Example Sentences:
- “C’est la vérité ?” (Is that the truth?)
- “Absolument.” (Absolutely.)
Exactement. (Pronunciation: ex-ak-teh-mohn)
- Meaning: “Exactly.”
- Example Sentences:
- “On se voit demain ?” (We’ll see each other tomorrow?)
- “Exactement.” (Exactly.)
Oui, bien sûr. (Pronunciation: wee byan soor)
- Meaning: “Yes, of course.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Tu as compris comment ça marche ?” (Did you understand how it works?)
- “Oui, bien sûr.” (Yes, of course.)
C’est juste. (Pronunciation: seh joost)
- Meaning: “That’s right” or “That’s fair.”
- Example Sentences:
- “C’est la meilleure solution ?” (Is this the best solution?)
- “C’est juste.” (That’s right.)
Tout à fait juste. (Pronunciation: too ah feh joost)
- Meaning: “Absolutely right.”
- Example Sentences:
- “C’est ce que je pensais.” (That’s what I thought.)
- “Tout à fait juste.” (Absolutely right.)
Tu as raison, c’est vrai. (Pronunciation: too ah ray-zohn, seh vray)
- Meaning: “You are right, it’s true.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Je crois que ce sera facile.” (I think it will be easy.)
- “Tu as raison, c’est vrai.” (You are right, it’s true.)
C’est juste ce qu’il faut. (Pronunciation: seh joost suh keef-oh)
- Meaning: “That’s exactly what’s needed.”
- Example Sentences:
- “Tu as trouvé la solution ?” (Did you find the solution?)
- “C’est juste ce qu’il faut.” (That’s exactly what’s needed.)
Exercise to practice saying “right” in French
Here is a list of 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises using the different ways to say “right” in French. Each exercise has a sentence in French, and your task is to choose the correct word or phrase to complete it.
Fill-in-the-blank sentences:
- _____! Tu as tout compris. (_____, you understood everything.)
- Elle a trouvé la _____ réponse. (She found the _____ answer.)
- C’est _____ ce que j’ai dit. (It’s _____ what I said.)
- Je pense que c’est _____ que tu fasses cela. (I think it’s _____ that you do this.)
- Il est parti _____ à 9 heures. (He left _____ at 9 o’clock.)
- _____, tu es d’accord avec cela ? (_____, do you agree with this?)
- Tu as _____, c’était une excellente idée. (You are _____, it was an excellent idea.)
- Ce n’est pas _____ de le faire maintenant. (It’s not _____ to do it now.)
- La route est toute _____ vers la gare. (The road is all _____ toward the train station.)
- Ce que tu dis est _____ et exact. (What you are saying is _____ and exact.)
- Nous devons aller _____, puis tourner à gauche. (We must go _____, then turn left.)
- C’est _____ que tu fasses tes devoirs avant de sortir. (It’s _____ that you do your homework before going out.)
Answers:
- Exactement (Exactly! You understood everything.)
- Bonne (She found the right answer.)
- Exactement (It’s exactly what I said.)
- Juste (I think it’s right that you do this.)
- Droit (He left straight at 9 o’clock.)
- Tout à fait (Absolutely, do you agree with this?)
- Raison (You are right, it was an excellent idea.)
- Juste (It’s not right to do it now.)
- Droit (The road is all straight toward the train station.)
- Précis (What you are saying is precise and exact.)
- Droit (We must go straight, then turn left.)
- Bien (It’s right that you do your homework before going out.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “right” in French can be a bit tricky because the word has different meanings depending on the situation. From directions like “droit” to correctness like “correct” or “exact”, and even fairness like “juste”, there are many ways to express this idea. Each term has its own specific context, and knowing when to use them will make your French sound more natural and accurate.
Through practice and exercises, you can become more confident in using these phrases. The more you use them in conversation, the easier it will be to remember which word to choose. Whether you’re asking for directions, agreeing with someone, or explaining something, these expressions will help you communicate more clearly in French. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll feel comfortable using “right” in all sorts of different situations!