OK !

okay

Questions & Answers about OK !

Is OK ! really used in French, or is it just English?

Yes, OK is very commonly used in French. It was borrowed from English a long time ago and now feels very natural in everyday French.

French speakers use OK in many of the same ways English speakers do:

• to agree: OK !
• to confirm understanding: OK, je comprends.
• to say something is acceptable: C'est OK.

So even though it looks English, it is absolutely normal in French conversation.

How do French speakers pronounce OK?

In French, OK is usually pronounced something like oh-kay.

A simple English-friendly approximation is:

• oh-kay

The exact French pronunciation may sound a little more clipped or flatter than in English, but oh-kay is close enough for a learner.

Why is there a space before the exclamation mark in OK !?

This is a standard French punctuation rule. In French typography, you normally put a space before !, ?, :, and ;.

So in French writing, you often see:

• OK !
• Tu viens ?
• Attention !

In English, this space is usually not used, but in French it is normal.