Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| già | /ˈd͡ʒa/ |
| sì | /ˈsi/ |
While the standard way to say 'yes' is sì, the word già can function as an informal 'yeah' in casual speech to express agreement or acknowledgment. If you want to express joy or excitement like a celebratory 'yeah!', you might use evvai or vai instead.
Which one should you use?
The word già literally means 'already', but in many contexts of casual conversation, it is used to mean 'yeah' to signal agreement. In contrast, sì is the standard word for 'yes'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form già is considered informal. For more enthusiastic or informal agreement, you can use Assolutamente to emphasize your point or Certo to mean 'sure' or 'of course'. For expressing pure joy, such as a celebratory 'yeah!', use evvai.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdʒa/
When do people say it?
When expressing excitement or a victory, Italians may use the interjection evvai (similar to 'yay') or use vai as an exclamation of encouragement, similar to saying 'Go for it!'
Did you know?
- The Italian word sì is a distant relative of the English word 'sic', used in writing to indicate a quoted word is exactly as it appeared in the original.
- When using già to mean 'yeah', Italians often elongate the vowel to sound like giààà, which signals a deeper sense of shared resignation or 'I know, right?'
- In some regional dialects, Italians may use a sound like eh or uh-huh instead of sì or già to signal they are listening during a long story.
Examples in context
- Sì, ce l'ho da sempre.Yeah, I've had it forever.This example shows the use of sì to confirm possession.Tatoeba #10490747 by Guybrush88, translation #72118 by ddnktr
- Sì, è quello che farei.Yeah, that's what I'd do.This example uses sì to express agreement with an intention.Tatoeba #5708952 by Guybrush88, translation #3825306 by CK
- Sì, qualcosa del genere.Yeah, something like that.This example uses sì to confirm a general description.Tatoeba #5959195 by Guybrush88, translation #4055102 by soobee620
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are discussing a movie they have both seen.
- MatteoHai visto il nuovo film di fantascienza?Did you see the new sci-fi movie?
- SofiaGià, l'ho guardato ieri sera.Yeah, I watched it last night.
- MatteoTi è piaciuto il finale?Did you like the ending?
- SofiaSì, era davvero sorprendente.Yes, it was really surprising.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yeah” translations and entries già, sì, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries già, sì, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
