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Why Do French People Say “Ça marche”, “Bof” or “Genre”? Understand Everyday French Expressions

🧠 Are you learning French but feel lost when you hear things like “bof…”, “ça marche !” or “genre…”?

These little expressions are everywhere in real conversations, but they’re often missing from textbooks.

Here’s a fun and clear explanation to help you speak and understand natural French like a native!

🔵 “Ça marche”

Pronunciation: sa marsh

Meaning: “OK”, “That works”, “Sounds good”

Use this to accept a suggestion or say that everything is fine.

🗣 A : On se retrouve à 18h ?
🗣 B : Oui, ça marche !

→ A: Shall we meet at 6 p.m.?
→ B: Yes, that works!

It can also mean something is working or functioning:

“Le micro ne marche pas.” = The microphone doesn’t work.

🟡 “Bof…”

Pronunciation: bof

Meaning: “Meh…”, “Not really”, “I’m not convinced”

🗣 A : Tu veux voir ce film ?
🗣 B : Bof… j’ai pas trop envie.

→ A: Do you want to see this movie?
→ B: Meh… I don’t really feel like it.

It expresses lack of enthusiasm, doubt, or indifference. Often used with a shrug 😐.

🟣 “Genre…”

Pronunciation: jor

Meaning #1: “Like” / “For example”

Je mange pas de viande, genre le poulet, le bœuf, etc.

→ I don’t eat meat, like chicken, beef, etc.

Meaning #2 (informal): Often used to quote someone, add irony or exaggerate

Et là il me dit, genre “j’ai oublié ton anniversaire” !

→ And then he goes, like, “I forgot your birthday!”

Very common among young people in casual speech.

🟢 Bonus: Other Common Little Words

ExpressionEnglish meaningWhen to use it
Euh…Um…To hesitate or think
Bah oui / Bah nonWell yes / Well noNatural answers
Ben…Well…To show uncertainty or start a sentence
Tu vois ?You see? / Right?To check understanding
Ou pasOr notTo add irony or doubt

🧠 Entraîne-toi !

Choisis la bonne expression :

  1. Ton ami te propose une idée et tu es d’accord → tu dis : _______
  2. Tu veux donner un exemple → tu dis : _______
  3. Tu n’es pas sûr(e) → tu dis : _______
  4. Tu veux montrer que tu n’es pas motivé(e) → tu dis : _______

Réponses : 1. Ça marche – 2. Genre – 3. Euh / Ben – 4. Bof

⭐ Quiz

Now it’s your turn — test how well you understand these little everyday French expressions.

“Bof… Ça marche ? Genre ?” Test Your Real-Life French!

1 / 10

Ton ami te dit : « On se voit demain à 10h ? » (Your friend says: “Shall we meet tomorrow at 10 a.m.?”) — What do you reply to say you agree?

2 / 10

Tu veux donner un exemple : « J’aime les fruits, ____ les pommes et les fraises. » (You want to give an example: “I like fruits, ____ apples and strawberries.”)

3 / 10

Quel mot utilises-tu pour montrer que tu n’es pas très motivé ? (Which word do you use to show you’re not very motivated?)

4 / 10

Quel mot utilise-t-on souvent pour hésiter en parlant ? (Which word do people often use when they hesitate while speaking?)

5 / 10

Tu racontes une histoire : « Et là il me dit, ____ ‘j’ai oublié ton anniversaire !’ » (You’re telling a story: “And then he goes, ____ ‘I forgot your birthday!’”)

6 / 10

Ton ordinateur ne s’allume plus. Que dis-tu ? (Your computer won’t turn on. What do you say?)

7 / 10

Quel mot peux-tu utiliser pour dire ‘Well…’ au début d’une phrase ? (Which word can you use to say 'Well…' at the start of a sentence?)

8 / 10

Ton ami te dit quelque chose et tu veux vérifier s’il comprend. Tu dis : (Your friend says something and you want to check if they understand. You say:)

9 / 10

Quel mot peux-tu ajouter à la fin d’une phrase pour ajouter un peu d’ironie ? (Which word can you add at the end of a sentence to add a bit of irony?)

10 / 10

Tu veux répondre de manière naturelle et spontanée : ton ami dit « Tu viens ? » — tu dis : (You want to answer naturally: your friend says “Are you coming?” — you say:)

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If you’d like to go further and practice what you’ve just learned, or simply gain more confidence when speaking, my lessons are the perfect place to start.

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