Dialogue
Entendu or bien reçu? Practise short French message replies
Use bien reçu for a message that arrived and entendu for an instruction or plan. Practise a twelve-line exchange and distinguish receipt from completion.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Bien reçu means “received / message received”. Entendu means “understood / okay / agreed” after an instruction or proposal. Add the next action to make your reply useful: Bien reçu, je le lirai cet après-midi or Entendu, je serai là à dix heures.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
- Lina
Bonjour, je t’envoie le programme de demain.
English
Hello, I’m sending you tomorrow’s programme.
- You
Bien reçu, merci. Je le lirai cet après-midi.
Acknowledge receipt and say when you will read it.
English
Received, thanks. I’ll read it this afternoon.
- Lina
Tu peux vérifier l’heure de la réunion ?
English
Can you check the meeting time?
- You
Entendu. Je te répondrai avant dix-huit heures.
Say you understand and will reply before six.
English
Understood. I’ll reply before six.
- Lina
On garde la réunion à dix heures ?
English
Shall we keep the meeting at ten?
- You
Entendu pour dix heures. Je serai là.
Agree to ten o’clock and commit to being there.
English
Agreed for ten. I’ll be there.
- Lina
Merci. Il faut aussi ajouter Paul à la liste.
English
Thanks. Paul also needs to be added to the list.
- You
Entendu, je le ferai cet après-midi.
Acknowledge the instruction and say you will do it this afternoon.
English
Understood, I’ll do it this afternoon.
- Lina
Tu as pu ajouter Paul ?
English
Were you able to add Paul?
- You
Oui, c’est fait. J’ai ajouté Paul à la liste.
Report completion, naming the completed action.
English
Yes, it’s done. I’ve added Paul to the list.
- Lina
Parfait. Je t’envoie la nouvelle version du programme.
English
Perfect. I’m sending you the new version of the programme.
- You
Bien reçu, merci pour la nouvelle version.
Acknowledge the new version and thank Lina.
English
Received, thanks for the new version.
What do entendu and bien reçu mean in a message?
| French reply | English | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Bien reçu. Je vais le lire. | Received. I’m going to read it. | The message arrived; reading comes next. |
| Entendu. Je le ferai demain. | Understood. I’ll do it tomorrow. | The instruction is acknowledged; action comes later. |
| C’est fait. J’ai ajouté le nom. | It’s done. I’ve added the name. | The action is complete. |
In a short message, bien reçu can also feel like “got it”. Entendu can acknowledge the message too. The following sentence is the best guide to what happens next: je vais le lire, je le ferai and j’ai terminé tell you more than either brief reply alone.
J’ai bien reçu votre message. Je vous répondrai demain.
I’ve received your message. I’ll reply tomorrow.
This fuller version works when you address someone with vous. It gives both receipt and a reply time.
Entendu pour l’heure ; je dois encore vérifier le lieu.
Understood about the time; I still need to check the place.
You can acknowledge one detail and keep another open. Entendu is useful before naming that remaining question.