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French filler words: bah, du coup and en fait

By Jibber Jabber · Updated

Answer in brief

Small expressions such as bah, du coup, and en fait can help speakers respond, connect ideas, or revise a point. Their meaning depends on context, so avoid giving each one a single English equivalent.

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Scope: This guide is a practical starting point, not a complete course.

A French example

Il pleut, du coup je reste ici. means ‘It is raining, so I am staying here.’ En fait, je pars demain. can mean ‘Actually, I am leaving tomorrow.’

How to practise

Listen to the sentence before and after the expression. Decide whether it introduces a result, a correction, or a hesitation.

What to keep in mind

These expressions have other uses. A literal translation may sound unnatural in English.

Sources for this entry

  1. Jibber Jabber French language guide Related guide from this site's publisher.

Continue this reading path

  1. Why is spoken French hard to understand? French words often join in speech, and spelling does not show every sound directly. Familiar written words can therefore be hard to recognise in a continuous sentence.
  2. French liaison and elision by ear Liaison links a normally silent final consonant to a following vowel sound. Elision removes a vowel in writing and speech before another vowel, as in l’ami.

Connected entries

  • Why is spoken French hard to understand? French words often join in speech, and spelling does not show every sound directly. Familiar written words can therefore be hard to recognise in a continuous sentence.
  • French liaison and elision by ear Liaison links a normally silent final consonant to a following vowel sound. Elision removes a vowel in writing and speech before another vowel, as in l’ami.
  • French silent letters in listening Many final letters in French words are not pronounced, but they can still show grammar or become audible in another form. Learn them in phrases rather than applying one rule to every word.

How the related sites connect

This guide is one of a coordinated collection of comprehensible input guides published by Jibber Jabber. They share one publisher and are not independent endorsements. See Related websites or visit the Jibber Jabber official site.

Cite this entry

Jibber Jabber. "French filler words: bah, du coup and en fait." Comprehensible Input French, updated 2026-11-09. https://comprehensibleinputfrench.com/french-filler-words/