How to say Yes in Chinese can be a little tricky. To respond to questions with ‘yes’ in Chinese could also be tricky. The word ‘yes’ could be used in almost every positive response to various questions, but different words or phrases are used in Chinese in different situations. Mastering “Yes” in Chinese language is important in daily conversation.
In this article, we are going to go through 11 ways to say ‘yes’ in Chinese, to help to learn how to respond to all common situations. Also, an organized table of ‘yes and no’, on how to write them in both traditional characters and simplified characters, their pronunciation (pinyin) and meaning will be provided, so don’t forget to check out! And of course, with the help of some Chinese learning apps, you can improve even faster without a question!
Table of Contents
How to Say Yes in Chinese
Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
是 | shì | yes/to be |
對-对 | duì | correct |
好 | hǎo | good/okay |
可以 | Kě Yǐ | possible/can |
行 | xíng | okay/alright |
沒錯 | méi cuò | correct |
沒問題 | méi wèn tí | no problem |
嗯 | èn | yeah |
正確 | zhèng qùe | correct |
當然 | dāng rán | of course |
There are a lot of Chinese expressions to say yes in Mandarin Chinese. Let’s take a closer look!
是- shì- yes/to be
‘是‘ is one of the most common ways to respond positively. The king of “Yes” in Chinese. The word is usually used to state the statement of the speaker- like ‘to be’. Or it could be used as confirmation of the question. In conclusion, the word could be used in the situation when you want to say ‘yes I am’ or ‘yes it is’.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 你是台北人吗?/你是台北人嗎? | Nǐ Shì Tái Běi Rén Ma? | Are you from Taipei? |
2 | 是,我是台北人 | Shì, Wǒ Shì Tái Běi Rén. | Yes, I’m from Taipei. |
对/對 – duì – correct
’对‘ or ‘對’ means ‘correct’. It could be only used when there is a right or wrong for the question asked, and it sounds more assertive than ‘是‘.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 你是台北人吗?/你是台北人嗎? | Shì Tái Běi Rén Ma? | Are you from Taipei? |
2 | 对/對,我是台北人 | Dùi, Wǒ Shì Tái Běi Rén. | Yes, I’m from Taipei. |
好 – hǎo – good/okay
‘好‘ is a common word used, as its meaning is ‘good’. Not only used as ‘good’, but the word is also commonly used to answer the questions that are asking for your will.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 要出去玩吗?/要出去玩嗎? | Yào Chū Qù Wán Ma? | Do you want to hang out? |
2 | 好! | 好! | Yes! |
可以 – kěyǐ – possible, can
‘可以’ could be used as a substitute for ‘好’, which is also useful when ask about your will or availability. Responding with ‘可以‘ might sound a little more reluctant than ‘好‘, so it is suggested to use the word with a bright tone!
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 要出去玩吗?/要出去玩嗎? | Yào Chū Qù Wán Ma? | Do you want to hang out? |
2 | 可以啊! | Kě Yǐ Ā! | Yes! |
行- xíng-ok, alright
‘行’ is another common usage to say ‘yes’ and ‘okay’ in Chinese, as a replacement of ‘好’. This expression is mostly used in Mainland China, sounding more confident and assertive. It is also sometimes used when asked about your capabilities.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 可以帮我吗?/可以幫我嗎? | Kě Yǐ Bāng Wǒ Ma? | Can you help me? |
2 | 行! | Xíng! | Yes! |
没错/沒錯- méi cuò – not wrong/correct
This expression is used when you want to strongly agree with other people’s statement or opinion, or it could be used when the other person needs your confirmation. it is also sometimes used as a substitution for ’对‘ or ‘對’. In fact, ‘錯‘ or ‘錯‘ means ‘wrong’ and ‘没/沒’ means ‘no’.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 请问车站在那边吗?/請問車站在那邊嗎? | Qǐng Wèn Chē Zhàn Zài Nà Bīan Ma? | Is the station over there? |
2 | 没错!/沒錯! | Méi Cuò! | Yes, that’s right. |
没问题/沒問題 – méi wèn tí – no problem/sure
This expression is also composed by two parts- ‘问题/問題’ means ‘problem’ and ‘没/沒’ means ‘no’. Like in English, this express is commonly used when you are asked to do someone a favor, or when answering to others’ request.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 可以帮我一下吗?/可以幫我一下嗎? | Kě Yǐ Bāng Wǒ Yí Xìa Ma? | Can you do me a favour? |
2 | 没问题/沒問題 | Méi Wèn Tí! | No problem! |
嗯 – èn – yeah
When you are talking to your friends, or someone you are familiar with, it is usually used to just respond simply with a ‘嗯’. This expression could be used as the substitution for ‘yes’ in every situation. But be careful- it is an informal expression, so only use it to people you are close to!
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 星期六有空吗?/星期六有空嗎? | Xīng Qí Lìu Yǒu Kòng Ma. | Are you free on Saturday? |
2 | 嗯 | Èn. | Yeah. |
正確 – zhèng què – correct
The expression is only used as a substitution for ’对/對’, and it might sound a little bit unnatural and aggressive. Only use it when you strongly agree with other people’s opinions.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 这样对吗?/這樣對嗎? | Zhè Yàng Dùi Ma. | Is this right? |
2 | 正確 | Zhèng Què! | Correct. |
当然/當然 – dāng rán – of course
The word ‘当然/當然’ means ‘of course’. Just like in English, it can be used when someone is asking for you will or when someone asks for your favor. Using ‘当然/當然’ may you sounds more delightful and willingly to others’ request or invitations.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 星期六有空吗?/星期六有空嗎? | Xīng Qí Lìu Yǒu Kòng Ma. | Are you free on Saturday? |
2 | 当然有空!/當然有空! | Dāng Rán Yǒu Kòng ! | Of course, I am. |
Other Ways to Say Yes in Chinese:
In Chinese, you can sometimes say ‘yes’ by repeating the verb, adjective, or adverb of the questions. This is often used when asked about your statement or your opinion.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 你吃饱了吗?/你吃飽了嗎? | Nǐ Chī Bǎo Le Ma | Have you eaten? |
2 | 吃饱了!/吃飽了! | CHī Bǎo Le! | Yes I have. |
Also, in Chinese, it is common to add some interjections after a sentence. The interjections add tones to the sentences, and make you sound more natural.
One of the most used interjections is ‘啊’(Ā), you can add it to your ‘yes’, to make you sound more casual and easy-going. To sound more formal and assertive, ‘的‘(De) is usually used in formal situations or mails. If you are not quite sure about your answer, you can show your uncertainty by adding a ‘吧‘(Ba). You can also add ‘喔’(Ō)at the of your sentence, but it sometimes sound sarcastic.
Speaker | Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
1 | 你吃饱了吗?/你吃飽了嗎? | Nǐ CHī Bǎo Le Ma | Have you eaten? |
2 | 吃饱了啊!/吃飽了啊! | CHī Bǎo Le Ā! | Yeah I have. |
Compare No and Yes in Chinese
Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
是 | shì | yes/to be |
對-对 | duì | correct |
好 | hǎo | good/okay |
可以 | Kě Yǐ | possible/can |
行 | xíng | okay/alright |
沒錯 | méi cuò | correct |
沒問題 | méi wèn tí | no problem |
嗯 | èn | yeah |
正確 | zhèng qùe | correct |
當然 | dāng rán | of course |
Simplified/traditional Chinese | Pinyin | English |
不是 | bù shì | No/ not be |
不對 | bù duì | incorrect |
不好 | bù hǎo | not good/ no |
不可以 | bù kě yǐ | no/ cannot |
不行 | bù xíng | no/ cannot |
錯 | cuò | wrong |
有問題 | yǒu wèn tí | there is a problem |
不是 | bù/bù shì | no |
不正確 | bù zhèng qùe | not correct |
不是,不對/不对 | bù shì/ bù dùi | no/ not correct |
FAQs
Shi (是) means “Yes” in Chinese. This is the most straightforward way to say yes in Chinese.
The easiest ways to say Yes and No in Chinese are 是(shi4) or 好(hao3) to say Yes, and for No, simply add a 不(bu) in front of these words, like: 不是(bu2 shi4) or 不好(bu4 hao3).
You can simply say 不會 (bu2 huei4) or 沒事(mei2 shi4) to reply. They mean “It’s nothing” or “No worries”. You can also say 不客氣 (bu2 ke4 chi4) when you do a favor for someone else. This sounds more formal.
Yes! Chinese is All About Being Polite
Learning Chinese is no doubt a challenge, and knowing how to use the right term in the right situation is important for you to sound natural and more importantly, to be polite. Now you already master how say yes in Mandarin, it’s time to learn how to say goodbye in Chinese properly and brush up on your skill of writing chinese characters. Also, it is essential to practice using these terms. The more you use them to communicate, the more natural and better you get! Therefore, feel free to see how the service of AmazingTalker can help you master Chinese! Good luck!
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