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How to Say ‘Oh really? Why?’ in French

Ah bon ? Pourquoi ?

Ah bohn poor-kwah

[Ah bohn poor-kwah]

Phrase Breakdown

Ah bon ?

Ah bohn

Really?

Shows surprise. Use a rising tone, with a nasal 'bon'.

Example

Ah bon ? Tu es sûr ?

Really? Are you sure?

Words in this phrase

[Ah]

An exclamation expressing various emotions.

Example

Ah, je comprends maintenant.

Ah, I understand now.

bon

[bohn]

really? / is that so?

A common reaction showing surprise, interest, or asking for confirmation.

Example

Bon, vous avez déjà essayé de réinitialiser l'appareil ?

Well, have you already tried resetting the device?

Pourquoi ?

poor-kwah

Why?

Say 'poor-kwah', with the stress on the last syllable.

Example

Pourquoi tu ris ?

Why are you laughing?

Words in this phrase

Pourquoi

[poor-kwah]

Why

Used to ask for a reason or explanation.

Example

Pourquoi es-tu triste?

Why are you sad?

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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