ouais

From oui via dialectal variants; also possibly from oyez

Before becoming an informal synonym of oui, the word was exclamatory. According to Auguste Scheler, it could be linked to Indo-European roots: οὐαί (ouaí) in Greek, vae in Latin, uau in Portuguese, wow in English, wau in German, guau in Spanish or vai in Romanian.

• IPA^(key): /wɛ/

ouais

1. (informal) yeah, yep, yup, yes, affirmative expression.

   Synonyms: mouaif (informal, mitigated yes), mouais (informal, mitigated yes), ouaip (informal), oui, ouep (informal), yeah (anglicism), yep (anglicism), yes (anglicism)

   T’as eu ton bac alors ? — Ouais, tranquille.

   You've got your baccalaureate then? Yeah, no problem.

2. (informal) Used to express consent.

   Synonyms: mouais (informal), ouaip (informal), oui, ouep (informal), yep (anglicism)

   Damien est irresponsable. — Ouais ; ça lui jouera des tours.

   Damian is irresponsible. — Yeah; it can play tricks to him in the future.

3. (dated) wow

   Synonyms: oh, ouah, mazette, purée (informal), putain (vulgar), waou, waouh

   • Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris, 1832

     Ouais ! dit le roi en se grattant l’oreille gauche avec la main droite, cela fait un bon bout de ma ville !

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

4. (informal) whoo (expresses joy)

   Synonyms: hourra, yeah, yes, yippie, youpi

   Ouais, on a gagné ! ― Whoo, we / they won!

• Auguste Scheler, Dictionnaire d'étymologie française d'après les résultats de la science moderne, 1862
• “ouais” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).