Is there a word for yes in chinese

Yes is a very useful word to learn in any language. You use it to show you agree, to show your enthusiasm, to seal a deal and in many many different situations. As a Chinese learner, you were surely taught that while there is no direct equivalent to Yes in Chinese, 是 is an acceptable substitute. But there is more!

It is, as in this

这是你的书吗? 是的 zhè shì nǐ de shū ma? Shì de Is this your book? Yes, it is.

But if you watch videos and movies in Chinese, you’ll soon come to realize that 是的 doesn’t always pop up in a “yes” situation and that there is a bunch of different ways to say yes in Mandarin Chinese. So why not try new expressions to say yes ? They will make you really sound like a native speaker.

In this article, you’re going to learn 7 easy yet useful ways to say Yes in Mandarin Chinese. These expressions are all very frequently used in everyday life so there’s no doubt that you’ll get to practice them a lot. Just get ready to say yes!

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An easy and basic word to say yes in Chinese: 是

是: ”Shì”; Yes

Let’s start with 是, the word with which you are likely the most familiar. And with reason too, as 是 is the most basic word in Chinese to say yes.

As an adjective, 是 means “right; correct” whether you’re sure about it or just think it might be correct. Nowadays, 是 is mostly used to check things, for example, to ask if somebody did something or to ascertain something.
For instance:

• You’re looking for someone.

请问你是林先生吗
Qǐngwèn nǐ shì lín xiānshēng ma?

是的，我是。
Shì de, wǒ shì.
Yes, I am Mr. Lin.

• You’ve run out of cold milk.

冰箱里的牛奶是谁喝完的？
Bīngxiāng lǐ de niúnǎi shì shuí hē wán de?
Who drunk all the milk in the fridge?

是Linda (喝完的)。
Shì Linda (hē wán de).
Linda did.

Need a quick confirmation? 是  is your guy.

When you want to show your support: 没错 / 对

没错: méi cuò; That’s right.
对: duì; Yes / Right

没错 méi cuò and 对 duì  are 2 expressions to use when you want to show someone they said something you agree with.

对 means « correct » in Chinese, so it is easy to understand why it can be used as a Yes. It’s very similar to « right » in English.

没错, if  translated word by word, means « not wrong ». As such, it is frequently used as a way to say “that’s right”.
In some cases, 没错 and 对 can be used instead of 是. For instance, in the example we used before, the expression « 是的 » can be replaced by 对 or by 没错, because in this case both 对 and 没错 mean the same thing as 是的. Why’s that?

Well, to help you understand the use of  没错 and 对 in this situation, just think of the question “Are you Mr. Lin ?” as the first question of a pop quiz ; to which you give the right answer (yes).
Let’s give 没错 and  对 a try:

请问你是林先生吗？
[py py=”Qǐngwèn nǐ shì lín xiānshēng ma?]
Excuse me, are you Mr. Lin?

对 / 没错，我是。
Duì/ Méi cuò, wǒ shì.
Yes, I am.

See how 没错 or 对 both fit in perfectly instead of 是的?

In what other cases can we use 对 and 没错?

Onto another very frequent use of 对 and 没错.

You’ll find yourself using 对 and 没错 a lot in conversations that contain an exchange of personal opinion (they happen).  In fact, as long as you agree with the other’s opinion, you can use 没错 and 对 all you want to show your approval. And since 对 and 没错 mean pretty much the same thing, the one you choose to use really just depends on your personal preferences.

这件衣服真好看。
Zhè jiàn yīfú zhēn hǎokàn.
This dress is nice.

对/ 没错, 我也觉得。
Duì/ Méi cuò, wǒ yě juédé.
Yes, I think so too.
对 and 没错 are used to support someone’s opinion, or to show others that you agree with them.

It might help you become popular if you try to use more often 对 and 没错 (but of course for opinions that you really approve, we are not suggesting you be a hypocrite ^^), because people love to feel supported or approved.

When someone invites you out and you want to say yes: 行/好/可以

 行: xíng; Ok
好: hǎo; great / good
”[zh kěyǐ; it’s ok.
行/好/可以 are all three very easy to use. All these word means Ok in Chinese and they have similar uses to “Ok, fine, good” in English.

They are mostly used when someone asks for a favor and you don’t mind helping, i.e in situations that contain a request.

As in the following examples:

你需要我帮你带早餐吗?
Nǐ xūyào wǒ bāng nǐ dài zǎocān ma?
Do you need me to bring you breakfast?

好啊，你不介意的话.
Hǎo a, nǐ bù jièyì dehuà.
Sure, if you don’t mind.

你能帮我跟老板请假吗?
Nǐ néng bāng wǒ gēn lǎobǎn qǐngjià ma?
Can you ask the boss for a leave for me?

行, 没问题.
Xíng, méi wèntí.
Ok, no problem.

They can also be used when someone makes an offer you can’t resist. As here:

你今晚想去看电影吗？
Nǐ jīn wǎn xiǎng qù kàn diànyǐng ma?
Do you want to go to the movies tonight?

可以啊，你想看什么电影？
Kěyǐ a, nǐ xiǎng kàn shénme diànyǐng?
Sounds great, what film do you want to see?

Just make sure you don’t use 好/行/可以 instead of 是/对/没错 because they don’t mean the same thing and can’t be used to replace each other in Chinese.

How come, you ask? Well, if someone comes and asks you if you are Mr. Ling, you’re not going to answer with “cool”, or “fine”,  are you? That’s going to sound weird and you will sound silly. Easy.

Use 行/好/可以 to accept your friend’s request or an invitation.

That way, you’ll sound friendly and adorable. Chinese people are usually happy to help others, so if you can show your gentle and helpful side to your Chinese friends, you’ll have a good reputation among them.

What should we say in other situations?

You might find that sometimes, in some conversations, the words that you’ve just learned won’t fit. That’s normal because you‘ll need to give an answer that corresponds to the question you’re being asked so that the conversation can go on smoothly.

But before you get all mad and turn the table over (think of your computer and of your cat sitting on your keyboard), here’s a smart way to say “yes” in all situations, that should come in handy.
Have you noticed that in every Chinese sentence, there is always a main word that holds the important information?

If you haven’t, let’s start with a few examples. The key word is in blue.

你喜欢这双鞋子吗？
Nǐ xǐhuān zhè shuāng xiézi ma? 
Do you like these shoes?

喜欢。
Xǐhuān.
Yes, I like them.

 你觉得这条裤子紧吗？

Nǐ juédé zhè tiáo kùzi jǐn ma?
Do you think these trousers are tight?

紧。
Jǐn.
Yes, they’re tight.

那个男生帅吗？
Nàgè nánshēng shuài ma?
Is that guy handsome?

帅.
Shuài.
Yes, he is.

Did you see how people in these examples responded in a simple but really smart way? All you need to do is to repeat the key word in the question. Cool huh? Short and sweet.

There can be different types of keywords in a sentence: a verb, a noun or an adjective, but once you’ve figured out what the keyword is, pounce on it and reuse it to answer the question. Before long, you’ll realize that you‘re able to have nice fluid conversations in Chinese.

When in doubt, repeat the key word in the question in the positive form and you’ll say “yes”. 

After reading this article, you might be thinking “Dang, so many ways in Chinese to say yes! My 是 wasn’t that bad, after all”. And yes, they might seem like a lot but once you get used to them, they’ll become real simple vocabulary for you. Just watch Chinese TV shows and see how they say yes. Or go talk to native Chinese speakers to practice these new words in real life.
Don’t be shy, yell “yes” to everyone (or not, do listen to the question before yelling “yes”) and you’ll soon find that you’re comfortable with the many way yes in Chinese. 好吗？

Just say “Yes”!

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In every language, there is a word for yes or no, but Mandarin Chinese is an exception. When you learn Chinese, especially at the beginning stage, it’s important to understand that there is no exact word for yes and no to fit in all the situations. We have a particular structure for this. Let’s have a look at them in different scenarios.

1. To say yes

According to the verb used in the previous question, you repeat the verb for yes.

Scenario 1: If someone asks, “Nǐ hē kāfēi ma? 你喝咖啡吗?” (Translation: Do you want coffee?), you would say “Hē, xièxie! 喝,谢谢!”(Translation: Yes, thank you.) And literally, you’re answering «Want, thank you.» In this case, you repeat the verb “hē 喝” for yes.

Scenario 2: Or if someone asks “Nǐ qù le Běijīng ma? 你去了北京吗?” (translation: Did you go to Beijing?), here we can see the verb is “qù le, 去了” indicating an action in the past. So for the answer of yes, we simply repeat “qù le,去了” literally meaning “went”.

Sceanario 3: We’ve seen the verb for present tense and past tense, then let’s see how to say yes if the verb used is in the future tense.
A: Nǐ míngtiān yào kāihuì ma？你明天要开会吗？(Translation: Will you have meeting tomorrow?)
B: Yào kāihuì. 要开会 (Translation: Will have meeting.)
In this case, “yào kāihuì 要开会” is the verb we used and it is in future tense, in which yào is the symbol of future tense. Also, you can just say «Yào» for short.

Scenario 4:
A: Nǐ máng ma? 你忙吗？(Translation: Are you busy?)
B: Máng. 忙。
In the question, the adjective máng functions as a verb. Therefore, in order to answer the question, we repeat «máng».

You probably think these are complicated, now I can offer you simple solution: «是的 shide» for «Yes», and «对 dui» for «right/correct» to affirm a statement. But be careful it may not always be correct to answer all questions. In order to be 100% correct, it’s better to use the methods mentioned in the first 4 scenario.

2. To say No

First thing to know: To say no, you must add a negation word in front of the verb or adjective, either “bù 不” or “méi (yǒu) 没（有）”. We’ll use the first 4 scenario to see how it works.

Scenario 1:
A: Nǐ hē kāfēi ma? 你喝咖啡吗？
B: Bù hē. 不喝。

Scenario 2:
A: Nǐ qù le Běijīng ma? 你去了北京吗？
B: Méi (yǒu) qù.没（有）去。

Scenario 3:
A: Nǐ míngtiān yào kāihuì ma？你明天要开会吗？(Translation: Will you have meeting tomorrow?)
B: Bú yào (kāihuì). 不要（开会）。

Scenario 4:
A:Nǐ máng ma? 你忙吗？(Translation: Are you busy?)
B: Bù máng. 不忙。

From these, we can conclude that to say “no”, to negate the verb in present and future tense, and to negate the adjective, we add “Bù 不” before the verb or adjective, and to negate the verb in the past, we add “Méi (yǒu) 没有” before the verb.

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Last Updated: November 24, 2021 | Author: Bobby Labarge

Is there a word for yes in Chinese?

One way to say “yes” in Chinese is 是, or shì in pinyin.

How do you reply to Xie Xie?

不用谢 bú yòng xiè

As we know, you should answer “bu keqi 不客气” (you’re welcome) when someone said “xiè xie” to you. However, many Chinese answered “bu yong xie” instead. “bu yong xie” means “you don’t need to say thank you to me”.

What is BÚ in Chinese?

When starting to learn Chinese, you should start out by mastering pinyin and the tones so you have a solid foundation for pronunciation. … Another one you’ll soon learn is 不 (bù) , which means “no” or “not”.

What is the meaning of Shi De?

是的 shì de. yes, that’s right variant of 似的[shi4 de5]

Is Gege flirty?

Honestly, depending on the way she says it, it may even be intended as subtly flirtatious. As someone else mentioned, it’s definitely a pretty intimate form of address when used in this context. It does literally mean “older brother,” but it’s definitely not being used like that.

How do you say excuse me in Mandarin Chinese?

What we call Sidi in English?

/sīḍhī/ nf. stair countable noun. A stair is one of the steps in a flight of stairs.

What is the meaning of shied off?

: to try to avoid (something) because of nervousness, fear, dislike, etc. They never shied from publicity. She shies away from making any predictions.

How do you use Shi De?

You can use 是…的to emphasize the time that the action took place. Have a look at some example sentences: 他们是昨天来的。 Tāmen shì zuótiān lái de. They got here yesterday.

… when someone asks you a question, is to repeat the main word (verb or adjective) of the question.

And while this works in pretty much any context, there’s also a number of simple words and phrases you can use to make your response sound even more natural in certain situations — you’ll hear the most common ones in this video:

Let’s Learn How to Say “Yes” in Chinese! If you have just started to learn the Chinese language, first, keep your grip tight on the basics. Learning how to say ‘YES in Chinese’ is the main thing you should learn first. But if you are searching for the literal meaning in English, you might be afraid to know that there is no direct translation.

But in Mandarin, there are so many ways to say ‘YES in Chinese’. We have a bunch of useful phrases and words translated into Chinese, do check it out.

The Simple Word to say and Express YES:

One of the most used and simple words to say yes in Chinese is 是 (shì). It is the same way when we say “Yes, it is” or “Yes, I’m” in English. 是 (shì) is commonly used to show the confirmation of something.

For better understanding, consider this example,

你是美国人吗?  =   Nǐ shì Měiguórén ma? = Are you American?

是 = Shi = Yes, I am.

这是你的背包吗？ = Zhè shì nǐ de bèibāo ma? = Is this your backpack?

是 = Shi = Yes, it is.

How to say ‘YES in Chinese,’ if you want to sound polite?

If you want to sound politer, you can use the variation of 是 (shì) which is 是的 (shìde).

It is used in the workplace, or if you want to say YES to your boss or any senior member position.

Let’s consider an example for better understanding,

你这周是不是要出差? = Nǐ zhè zhōu shìbùshì yào chūchāi? = Are you going on a business trip this week?

是的 = Shìde = Yes, that’s right.

How to say ‘Correct’ in Chinese?

对 (duì) is the word used in Chinese to say Correct or Right. It is just another way to say yes. If the question contains 对 (duì) then the answer should be 对 (duì) as well.

For instance,

这是你的手机，对吗？ =    Zhè shì nǐ de shǒujī, duì ma? = This is your cell phone, right?

对 = Duì = Yes, that’s right.

If you want to express the agreement in words, you can use 对 (duì).

我觉得这朵花很漂亮 = Wǒ juédé zhè duǒ huā hěn piàoliang = I think this flower is really beautiful.

对 = Duì = Yes, I think so, too.

Another variation to say Yes:

没错 (méicuò)

It is another way to say ‘Yes.’ It is used when agreeing with someone else’s opinion. The literal meaning of 没错 (méicuò) is “that’s right” or “that’s true.”

四川人很会吃辣 = Sìchuānrén hěn huì chī là = People from Sichuan really love spicy food.

没错 = Méicuò = Yes, that’s right.

Three Common Variations of Yes

1.     Use the word Hǎo

You can use 好 (hǎo) if you want to say ‘YES.’ The literal meaning of 好 (hǎo) is “good.” It can use if you want to say ‘OKAY’, or ‘FINE’ in English.

Let’s consider an example for better understating:

我们现在去散步 = Wǒmen xiànzài qù sànbù = We’re going for a walk now.

Hǎo. = 好 = OK, sounds good.

But if you want to show excitement, then you will add the particle 呀 (ya).

For instance:

我们明天一起去看电影吧 = Wǒmen míngtiān yīqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ba = Let’s go see a movie tomorrow.

好呀！= Hǎo ya! = OK!

What if you want to show the agreement? You will just add a participle hǎo le 好了.

你还没准备好吗？= Nǐ hái méi zhǔnbèi hǎo ma? = You’re still not ready?

好了，好了，我已经好了= Hǎo le, hǎo le, wǒ yǐjīng hǎo le. = OK, OK, I’m ready now.

2.     行 (xíng)

If someone asks for permission or makes a request, you will use 行 (xíng) which means all right or okay. For instance:

帮我买一瓶水 = Bāng wǒ mǎi yī píng shuǐ. = Buy me a bottle of water, (please)行！= Xíng! = OK!

3.     当然 (dāngrán)

If you want to show the certainty, you can use 当然 (dāngrán) that means ‘of course.’ It is used to show your confidence in your answer.

Let’s consider an example:

你会游泳吗？ = Nǐ huì yóuyǒng ma? = Do you know how to swim?

当然 = Dāngrán = Yes, of course.

Basics Ways to Answer the Questions

If you are a beginner in learning Chinese, you should learn to mention questions and answers. It will make me more confident while speaking Chinese.

• Q 1: 你会做饭吗？ = nǐ huì zuò fàn ma？ = Can you cook?
• Ans: 会 = huì = Yes, I can.
• Q2: 这个菜辣吗？= zhè gè cài là ma？= Is this dish spicy?
• Ans: 辣 = là = Yes, it’s spicy.
• Q3: 你是经理吗？= nǐ shì jīng lǐ ma？= Are you the manager?
• Ans: 是的 = shì de = Yes.
• Q4: 我觉得坐地铁去飞机场最快 = wǒ jué dé zuò dì tiě qù fēi jī chǎng zuì kuài. = I think the fastest way to get to the airport is to take the subway.
• Ans: 对 = duì = Right.
• Q5: 这里有洗手间吗？= zhè lǐ yǒu xǐ shǒu jiān ma？= Is there a washroom here?
• Ans: 有 = yǒu = Yes, there is.
• Q6: 这个星期给我报告行吗？没问题 = zhè gè xīng qī gěi wǒ bào gào xíng ma？= Could you give me the report this week?

Ans: 没问题 = méi wèn tí = No problem

Express ‘YES’ using 嗯(ǹg)

The literal meaning of 嗯(ǹg) is Yeah, right, and um. If you want to answer something positive, you can use 嗯(ǹg). Especially, when you are talking to your close family member or your friend.

I know examples can make your understanding clearer,

丽丽，你写完报告了吗？= Lìli, nǐ xiě wán bàogào le ma? = Lily, did you finish your report?

嗯，写完了 = Ǹg, xiě wán le. = Yes, finished.

咱们是明天上午十点的飞机吧？= Zánmen shì míngtiān shàngwǔ shídiǎn de fēijī ba? = Our flight is 10 a.m. tomorrow, right?

嗯 = Ǹg= Yeah.

How to say ‘Yes in Chinese’ with Emotions

Most of the Chinese repeat the same word to show their emotions and annoyed tone. They usually repeat the same word three times. Like 行行行 (xíng xíng xíng), these words can use to show the annoying behavior, or they are highly irritated with something.

For instance:

A: 哎呀，你得先倒油，然后放土豆，最后放鸡肉

Āiya, nǐ děi xiān dào yóu, ránhòu fàng tǔdòu, zuì hòu fàng jīròu

You have to pour oil first, then put potatoes, and put chicken at last

B:  行行行，我知道了，你去看电视吧

Xíng xíng xíng, wǒ zhīdào le, nǐ qù kàn diànshì ba!

Ok, ok, got it. Just watch TV!

Or if you highly agree with something, you can use the duì word thrice

A: 你说的是《花木兰》吗？

Nǐ shuō de shì 《Huā Mùlán》 ma?

Are you referring to the movie Mulan?

B: 对对对，就是那个电影

Duì duì duì, jiù shì nà ge diànyǐng

Exactly. Just that movie

Most Common Alternative to say ‘YES’:

Chinese natives use the word ‘no problem’ to say ‘YES.’ The Chinese translation of the no problem is 没问题 méi wèn tí.

For example:

A: 我来找王太太。请告诉她我来了

wǒ lái zhǎo Wáng Tàitai. qǐng gàosù tā wǒ lái le

I came to find Mrs. Wang. Please tell her I’m here.

B: 没问题。请稍等

méi wèntí. qǐng shāo děng.

No problem. Just a moment, please.

Saying Yes in other Situations:

There is not just one to say Yes in the Chinese language, but hundreds of alternatives are there to say ‘YES.’ These are most commonly used words to say ‘YES,’ 要 (Yào), 有(Yǒu), 会(huì).

Most common Chinese verbs in action:

1. 你要吃火锅吗？= Nǐ yào chī huǒguō ma? = Do you want to eat hotpot?

要！= Yào! = Yes!

1. 你会说中文吗? = Nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma? = Can you speak Chinese?

会 = huì = Yes

1. 你是中国人吗? = Nǐ shì zhōngguó rén ma? = Are you Chinese?

是 = shì = to be

1. 你在吃饭吗 = Nǐ zài chīfàn ma = Are you eating?

会 = huì = Yes

1. 你有没有吃饭？= Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu chīfàn? = Have you eaten?

要！= Yào! = Yes!

Summary of Ways to Say Yes in the Chinese Language

Hànzì	Pīnyīn	Definition
是	shì	to be (verb); yes (in certain contexts)
是的	shìde	yes, that’s right/correct
对	duì	yes, that’s right/correct
没错	méicuò	yes, that’s right/correct/true
好	hǎo	OK; fine
好的	hǎo de	OK; will do
好呀	hǎo ya	OK! (sounds excited/enthusiastic)
好吧	hǎo ba	OK (sounds reluctant)
好了	hǎole	yep! (positive); OK, OK (sounds exasperated）
可以	kěyǐ	yes, you can
行	xíng	OK; all right
嗯	èn	uh-huh; yeah
没问题	méiwèntí	no problem
当然	dāngrán	of course; certainly
要	yào	to want (verb); yes (in certain contexts)
有	yǒu	to have (verb); yes (in certain contexts)
会	huì	to be able to (verb); yes (in certain contexts)

Conclusion:

There are thousands of variations to say ‘Yes’ in the Chinese language. Learn to say ‘YES’ in the Chinese language is the most important thing for the Chinese language. Now you know many variations of saying ‘YES’ in the Chinese language but do not forget to practice. Because learning a new language depends upon your practice.

Remember one thing,

Practice makes a man perfect.

Try to use the different variations of Yes in your daily Chinese speaking practice. 是 (shì) is the most common variation whereas 对 (duì) use to show the positive agreement. And use 行 (xíng) to say ‘Alright’ or 嗯(ǹg) can use to say ‘Alright.’ Want to Intern in China or study the Chinese Language? Check out our programs