The word yes in different languages

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Yes—a word that can mean so much in so few letters. It’s a simple word that we say all the time, to agree with questions, requests, statements and more!

Because of how important “yes” is in English, you won’t be surprised to learn that every language has some way of agreeing with something, but not every language does it in the same way. If you keep reading, you’ll learn a world of ways different languages say “yes,” and (spoiler!) it’s not always as straightforward as you’d expect!

If you are reading this in English, you may know that there are many different ways of saying “yes” — whether that’s “yeah,” “yep,” “of course,” “sure,” or “uh-huh” — and we can use a lot of these pretty interchangeably. In some languages there’s also more than one word for “yes,” but you can’t always use them in the same circumstances. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

«Oui» or «Si»? Some languages have multiple words for yes!

In English, if someone asks you “Are you hungry?” and you are, you’ll say “yes.” Simple, right? Now, if someone asks, “You aren’t hungry?”, what would you say? Just a “yes” or “no” probably isn’t enough, because the asker won’t know if you’re saying “Yes, you’re correct, I’m not hungry” or “Yes, I actually am hungry.” In English, we have to say more to specify what we mean in those cases. We might say, for example, “No, I am” or “Yes, I am hungry” to clarify.

In some European languages, however, like French and German, there’s a word for “yes” when you’re responding to a question that was phrased negatively. In French, for example, in response to “You aren’t hungry?” (Tu n’as pas faim ?) you wouldn’t respond with oui (the French word for yes in most circumstances); instead you would say Si! to say that you actually are hungry. No additional clarification necessary! (Sound familiar? The word for “yes” in Spanish is also sí, though in Spanish, you use sí in either situation!)

Responding “yes” to positive and negative questions in English, French, and German

Language	Do you speak English?	You don’t speak English?
English	Yes (I speak English)!*	Yes, I do (speak English).
French	Oui (je parle anglais).	Si (je parle anglais).
German	Ja (ich spreche Englisch).	Doch (ich spreche Englisch).

*Parentheses indicate that that part of the sentence is optional

Mind your manners!

In some other languages, the exact word you use to say “yes” will depend on who you’re talking to!

In Japanese, for example, you would use the casual form うん (un) to talk to family members or close friends and the polite form はい (hai) with just about anyone else (strangers, coworkers, teachers, bosses, or customers). There’s even a polite form for “no” in Japanese!

Similarly, in Korean, you can say 응 (eung) with friends and 네 (ne) or 예 (ye), which is slightly more polite, in more formal situations!

How to say “yes” in Japanese and Korean

Language	Casual	Polite
Japanese	うん un	はい hai
Korean	응 eung	예 / 네 ye / ne

You can kind of think of this as the same as saying “yes” when you’re trying to be polite and “yeah” when you’re with people you’re on more familiar terms with.

Sometimes it’s just not natural!

Now, in English you might answer a question like “Do you like pizza?” with “Yes, I do” or “Yes, I do like pizza!” or even “I LOVE pizza!!” but it’s also pretty common to just give a simple “yes.” In some other languages, however, answering with just a “yes” is, well, a little weird…

In Japanese, for example, simply answering with a “yes” or “no” might sound like you’re trying to cut a potential conversation topic short, so it’s much more natural to also repeat parts of what was asked in your answer (this is usually the verb). You can think of this as sort of the «key words» of the question, that you use right in the response!

How to say yes in Japanese

Language	Question	Answer	Why?
Japanese	楽しかったですか。 Tanoshikatta desu ka? Was (it) fun?	はい、楽しかったです！ Hai, tanoshikatta desu! Yes, (it) was fun!	By repeating a part of the question in your answer (in this case, the verb and the adjective) you acknowledge the question and open up the conversation for more back and forth instead of cutting it short with a simple “Yes.”

In Russian and Portuguese it’s also more natural to repeat part of the question when answering it, but without including the words “yes” or “no” at all. The most common way to respond is just to use the key word(s) of the question, as you can see in the following examples:

How to say yes in Portuguese and Russian

Language	Question	Answer	Why?
Portuguese	Você é brasileiro? Are you Brazilian?	(Sim, eu) sou. (Yes, I) am.	The natural way to answer this question would simply be “Sou” which just translates to “am.”
Russian	Ты хочешь пиццу? Ty khochesh pitstsu? Do you want pizza?	Хочу. Khochu. (I) want.	Unlike in English, the most natural and common way to answer this question is to respond with the verb or other keyword, in this case “want.”

Answering “Do you want (some) pizza?” with “I want” is really strange in English, but in Russian, it’s the most natural and common way of answering the question! This doesn’t mean you can’t use “yes” at all, though. In Russian, for example, you can start your answer with “yes,” but, in most cases, you would say it while repeating parts of the question too (e.g. “Yes, I speak!”). This usually feels more formal or has just a little more emphasis than just answering with words from the question.

Languages without “yes” or “no”

Did you know that some languages don’t have words for “yes” (or “no”) at all? This is actually the case for many languages around the world, so let’s take a look at how they say “yes” without actually using some version of the word “yes”!

Welsh, for example, doesn’t have a single word for “yes” or “no” but rather a lot of different words used to answer specific questions. Irish, on the other hand, doesn’t have the words “yes” or “no” at all. Instead, Irish speakers repeat the verb for their answer. Chinese languages such as Mandarin Chinese are similar: instead of using a specific word for “yes” or “no” you just repeat the verb!

How to say “yes” in Irish and Mandarin

Language	Question	Answer	Why?
Irish	An bhfuil tú dáiríre? Are you serious?	Tá. (I) am.	Irish doesn’t have words for “yes” (or “no”) so you can answer by repeating the key word(s)!
Mandarin Chinese	你喜欢苹果吗？ Nǐ xǐhuān píngguǒ ma? Do you like apples?	喜欢! Xǐhuān! (I) like!	In Chinese, it’s common to just repeat the verb from the question to say “yes.”

No words needed—how to show agreement

We’ve talked a lot about different ways of saying “yes” in different languages, but how about showing “yes”?

A simple nod is all it takes in most parts of the world! Usually, it involves moving your head up and down by bending your neck, but in some cases, you can “nod” your hand or your finger! In Mexico, for example, you can nod your finger in the same way you might nod your head to say yes! It’s a way you can show agreement if it might be hard to hear someone. Just bend and extend your pointer finger as if it was a head nodding! Be careful, though, because “nods” aren’t necessarily universal: in Bulgaria, for example, you nod your head to say “no” and shake your head to say “yes”!

Nodding isn’t the only way to show agreement without actually speaking. In India, in addition to nodding, you can use your head to say yes with what is called a “head bobble.” It’s when you tilt your head from side to side to say “yes” or show that you’ve understood something. What it means exactly will depend on the context you use it in. If you’re in Iceland or Sweden, however, while you can nod to say yes, you also might hear someone suck in air really sharply a few times throughout a conversation. This is just one way of saying that they agree with or understand what you’re saying. Just suck in air like you’re slurping a noodle – shoop!

In short, it’s important to know how the language or culture you’re learning about says “yes,” otherwise you might be a little confused if someone you’re talking to sucks in air or shakes their head. They might just be agreeing with you!

There are so many ways to say “yes”!

“Yes” is such an important word in English, but when it comes to translating it, it’s not as simple as the three letter word makes it seem! Whether it’s nodding your finger or repeating parts of the question back to the asker, there are many ways to say “yes” around the world, and we definitely didn’t cover all of them. How do you say “yes” in your language or the language you’re learning?

When studying a new language, how to say “yes” is most likely the very first thing you learn.

Learning how to say “yes” is very important as we use it in everyday conversations. Not a day goes by that we will not mention the word “yes,” that’s for sure.

We use it as an affirmative response to a wide range of questions we encounter every single day, especially to answer close-ended ones.

How To Say Yes In Different Languages

Sure, there are different ways to say yes. In most languages, there are exact equivalents of the English words yeah, of course, and more affirmative terms. 

But to make it easier for language learners, we’ll only be talking about the most standard and basic way to say yes that can be used in both formal and informal conversations.

We’ve put together how to say yes in different languages along with example sentences to help you better understand its context and how it can be incorporated into a sentence.

Afrikaans

The Afrikaans language, also known as Cape Dutch, is one of the many languages spoken in South Africa.

 It is fairly easy to say yes in Afrikaans, simply say “ja.”

“Wil jy saam met my kom?” (Would you like to come with me?)
“Ja, natuurlik!” (Yes, of course!)

Albanian

As its name suggests, Albanian is the official language in Albania. However, it is also an official language in Kosovo and North Macedonia. 

In the Albanian language, yes is po.

“Mund të më ndihmoni?” (Can you help me?)
“Po, si mund t’ju ndihmoj?” (Yes, how can I help you?)

Amharic

The Amharic language, also known as Amarinya or Kuchumba, is an Afro-Asiatic language of the Southwest Semitic group. It is one of the two primary languages in Ethiopia, which is spoken principally in the central highlands of the country.

To say yes in Amharic, you can simply say “āwo,” which is pronounced as ah-ow.

“Mebilati yifeligalu?” (Do you want to eat?)

“Āwo, i’nae irbognal.” (Yes, I am hungry.)

Danish

Danish is a North Germanic language which is spoken primarily in Denmark and the Faroe Islands, and is considered a minority language in Greenland and Germany. It is a language that was heavily influenced by Low German dialects and has later borrowed several French and English words.

There are a lot of ways to say yes in Danish, but the most standard and common is ja.

“Kan du lide dit job?” (Do you like your job?)

“Ja, jeg kan godt lide mit job, fordi det er min lidenskab.” (Yes, I like my job because it is my passion.)

If you’re talking to close friends and family or engaging in a casual conversation, you can opt for “ja-da” instead, which is literally the equivalent of the English word yeah.

Finnish

Finnish is a Finnic language that is primarily spoken in Finland and Sweden. There are also a number of Finnish speakers present in Estonia, Norway, and Russia. This language makes use of its own unique 29-letter alphabet, an interesting combination of Roman and Swedish letters.

Kyllä is the equivalent of yes in Finnish. Its pronunciation is a bit complicated so you might want to check out the video below to hear how a native Finnish speaker pronounces the word kyllä.

“Matkustatko usein?” (Do you travel often?)
“Kyllä, matkustaminen on harrastukseni.” (Yes, traveling is my hobby.)

French

French is arguably the most internationally renowned Romance language in the world. It is recognized as the official language of more than 25 countries, securing its position as the fifth most spoken language in the world based on the total number of speakers. 

While there are a lot of ways French locals say yes, oui is the most standard affirmative response in French. Since the French word oui is a very neutral expression, it can be used in both formal and casual conversations.

“Est-ce que vous parlez anglais?” (Do you speak English?)

“Oui, je parle anglais.” (Yes, I speak English.)

If you want to make it sound more polite and respectful, you can add formalities. For example:

“Oui, mademoiselle/madame/monsieur.” (Yes, miss/ma’am/sir.)

“Oui, s’il vous plait.” (Yes, please.)

German

German is spoken in Germany and Austria and one of the official languages in Switzerland. The German language exists in several dialects, most of which belong to either High German (Hochdeutsch) or Low German (Plattdeutsch) dialect groups.

Ja, pronounced as yaa, is the standard form of yes in German.

“Bist du beschäftigt?” (Are you busy?)

“Ja, ich habe noch viel zu tun.” (Yes, I still have a lot of work to do.)

Greek

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European language and is primarily spoken in Greece. It boasts an extensive and well-documented history, which spans over 34 centuries, making it an extremely significant language.

The standard way to say yes in Greek is to say nαί, which is pronounced as neh.

θα θέλατε να πάτε σε εστιατόριο για δείπνο “Tha chelate na pate se estiatorio ya deepno?” (Would you like to go to a restaurant for dinner?)

Ναί, Θα ήθελα να πάω σε ένα εστιατόριο για δείπνο. “Neh, Tha ithela na pow se na estiatorio ya deepno.” (Yes, I would like to go to a restaurant for dinner.)

Hindi

Hindi, a member of the
Indo-Aryan group within the
Indo-Iranian branch of the
Indo-European language family, is the primary official language of India. The Hindi language is spoken by a approximately 615 million speakers, 341 of whom are native speakers, making it the third most spoken language in the world.

हाँ (haan) is the standard way of saying yes in Hindi.

क्या आप सुरक्षित घर पहुंच गए? “Kya aap surakshit ghar pahunch gae?” (Did you get home safely?)

हां, मैंने कैब ली। “Haan, mainne kaib lee.” (Yes, I took a cab.)

Italian

Italian is a Romance language primarily spoken in Italy. It can also be heard in Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, Slovenia, and Croatia.

If you want to say yes in Italian, simply say sì, which is pronounced exactly as it is written. Easy, right?

“Sei stato in Italia?” (Have you been to Italy?)

“Sì, ci sono stato una volta.” (Yes, I have been there once.)

Japanese

Japanese is considered a language isolate, which means it is a language that isn’t related to any other language. With over 127 million speakers worldwide, it is no wonder that it is one of the world’s major languages.

はい (Hai) is the standard form of yes in Japanese. It is a neutral way of expressing agreement or affirmation, so it is generally acceptable to say under any circumstance.

東京に行ったことがありますか。”Toukyou ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?” (Have you ever been to Tokyo?)
はい。行ったことがあります。”Hai, itta koto ga arimasu.” (Yes, I’ve been.)

Korean

Korean is an East Asian language spoken by approximately 77 million people worldwide. It uses its own alphabet, which is called Hangeul. The Korean language used in South Korea differs from the one being used in North Korea.

네 (Ne) is the standard form of yes in Korean, so it can be used both formally and informally without offending anyone. Also, this one should be easy for you to remember since it sounds like the English word “yeah”.

김치를 좋아하세요? “Gimchireul joahaseyo?” (Do you like gimchi?)

네, 좋아해요. “Ne, joahaeyo.” (Yes, I like gimchi.)

Portuguese

Portuguese is a Romance language that is primarily spoken in Portugal, Brazil, and other Portuguese colonial and formerly colonial territories. With over 234 million speakers, approximately 221 of whom are native speakers, the Portuguese language secures a spot in the rankings of the most spoken languages in the world.

Saying yes in Portuguese is relatively easy and straightforward, you simply say “sim”. Its pronunciation is pretty obvious too, so you can utter the Portuguese yes effortlessly for sure!

“Você sabe como dirigir?” (Do you know how to drive?)

“Sim, eu sei dirigir.” (Yes, I can drive.)

Russian

Russian is an Eastern Slavic language spoken primarily in Russia and other countries such as Ukraine, Belarus, and more. It is spoken by approximately 258 million people, 154 million of whom are native speakers, making the Russian language one of the most spoken languages in the world.

To say yes in Russian, simply say dah.

“Vam nravitsya puteshestvovat’?” (Do you like to travel?)

“Dah, mne nravitsya puteshestvovat’ po raznym ugolkam mira.” (Yes, I like to visit different parts of the world.)

Watch the video below to learn how to pronounce the Russian word dah properly.

Spanish

Spanish is a Romance language that is spoken by over 534 million speakers, 460 million of whom are native speakers. With these massive numbers, it is no surprise that Spanish is among the most spoken languages worldwide.

Sí is yes in Spanish. It is pronounced exactly as it is written so it should be easy for you to say yes in Spanish fluently.

“Hoy hace buen tiempo, ¿no te parece?” (The weather is great today, don’t you think?)

“Sí, los días soleados son mis favoritas.” (Yes, sunny days are my favorite.)

Swahili

Swahili, also known by its native term Kiswahili, is a Bantu language spoken either as a mother tongue or second language on the east coast of Africa, spanning the Lamu Island, Kenya, and in the north to the southern border of Tanzania in the south.

If you want to say yes in Swahili, you can say ndio (en dee yo).

“Una uhakika tunakwenda katika mwelekeo sahihi?” (Are you sure we’re going in the right direction?)

“Ndio, nina hakika.” (Yes, I’m sure.)

Vietnamese

Vietnamese belongs to the Vietic branch of the Austroasiatic language family. It is mainly spoken in Vietnam, Guangxi Province in southern China, Cambodia, and Laos. There are also a significant number of Vietnamese speakers in France, Australia, and the USA.

To say yes in Vietnamese, simply say “vâng.” It is pronounced exactly as it is written, except that it is pronounced a little bit faster.

“Bạn ngủ ngon không?” (Did you sleep well?)

“Vâng, tôi đã có một giấc ngủ ngon và dài.” (Yes, I had a good and long sleep.)

Conclusion

At this point, you already know how to say yes in different languages—17 languages, to be exact. That is a huge achievement for a language learner like you!

So whether you’re talking to a Spanish, German, or Italian speaker, you know how to say yes—a very important word most commonly used in everyday conversations.

You may also want to learn how to say
hello in different languages, which may also come in handy.

Learning how to say yes is a great introduction to a new language. With over 74 languages to choose from, Justlearn is an excellent platform to learn a new language of your choosing.

With the help of Justlearn’s tutors, you will be fluent in the language you want to learn in no time.