How to Say Honestly in French: Franchement and Friends
Bonjour ! Amélie here. 👋
French has a whole drawer of words for honestly, and learners tend to grab the one that looks most like English. Sometimes that works. Sometimes it makes you sound like a witness under oath. Here is which word French people actually reach for, and when.
The short answer: In everyday speech, say franchement. It covers honestly and frankly: Franchement, c’était délicieux (honestly, it was delicious). For “to be honest”, say pour être honnête. Honnêtement works too, sincèrement is for when you really mean it, and franchement said alone, with a sigh, means “seriously?!”.
Franchement: the everyday one
If you only learn one, learn franchement. It is the word French speakers use to flag that they are giving you their real opinion, and you will hear it constantly.
- Franchement, c’était délicieux. Honestly, it was delicious.
- Dis-moi franchement ce que tu en penses. Tell me honestly what you think.
- Franchement, tu exagères ! Frankly, you’re going too far!
It usually opens the sentence, like a little drum roll before the verdict. It can also sit in the middle to add weight: c’est franchement pas mal is “it’s honestly pretty good”.
Its second life: “seriously?!”
Now the fun part. Said on its own, with the right face, Franchement ! is pure exasperation. Your flatmate has left the milk out again? Franchement… Someone cuts the queue at the boulangerie? Non mais franchement !
Same word, completely different job. It is not “frankly” any more. It is “seriously?!”, “come on!”, “honestly, the nerve”. Tone does all the work, so listen for the sigh.
Sincèrement: when you really mean it
Sincèrement means sincerely, and it is a notch more earnest than franchement. Use it when you want the other person to know you are not being polite, you are being genuine.
- Sincèrement, merci pour ton aide. Honestly, thank you for your help.
- Je suis sincèrement désolée. I’m truly sorry.
It is less of a conversation filler and more of a hand on the heart. Lovely in an apology. A little heavy if you use it to say the pizza was nice.
Pour être honnête and en toute franchise
Pour être honnête is the direct translation of “to be honest”, and it works exactly the same way: it warns the listener that something slightly awkward is coming.
- Pour être honnête, j’ai pas lu le livre. To be honest, I haven’t read the book.
En toute franchise (in all frankness) is the more emphatic cousin. It sounds a touch more deliberate, which is exactly why people use it before a confession or a strong opinion. You can hear it in a real dialogue on my pote page, where Marine answers a question about her best childhood friend: En toute franchise, c’était une fille qui s’appelait Chloé.
Honnêtement and à vrai dire
Honnêtement is the closest thing to a word-for-word “honestly”. It is perfectly natural and slightly more neutral than franchement, with less attitude.
- Honnêtement, je sais pas. Honestly, I don’t know.
À vrai dire means “to tell the truth” or “actually”. It is softer: you are not confessing, just correcting the picture a little.
- À vrai dire, je préfère rester ici. Actually, I’d rather stay here.
It is the polite way to change your mind without making a scene.
Which one should you use?
| English | French | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| honestly | franchement / honnêtement | everyday, natural |
| frankly | franchement | everyday, a bit blunt |
| to be honest | pour être honnête | a small confession coming |
| in all honesty | en toute franchise | deliberate, emphatic |
| to tell the truth, actually | à vrai dire | soft correction |
| sincerely, truly | sincèrement | earnest, heartfelt |
| seriously?! | franchement ! | exasperated sigh |
When in doubt, franchement. It is the one you will hear most, and the one that makes you sound least translated.
Want something to be honest about? Try these French conversation questions with English translations.
What does franchement mean in English?
Honestly or frankly, when it introduces an opinion: Franchement, c’est bien (honestly, it’s good). Said alone in an exasperated tone, it means “seriously?!” or “come on!”.
Is franchement rude?
No. It is everyday, friendly French, and you can use it with anyone. What can sound rude is what follows it, because franchement announces an unfiltered opinion. And the exasperated Franchement ! is a complaint, so keep it for flatmates, not your boss.
How do you say “to be honest” in French?
Pour être honnête. In conversation, many French speakers simply say franchement instead; for extra emphasis, en toute franchise.
Want to hear these words in the wild rather than in a list? Every week I send a real French dialogue, the way people actually talk, with the English and my notes. Start learning today, or take the free listening test to see where your ear is.
Franchement, c’est pas si compliqué. 💜
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