Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| é | /ˈɛ/ (Brazil) /ˈɛ/ (Portugal) |
|
| sim | /ˈsĩ/ (Brazil) /ˈsĩ/ (Portugal) |
|
| iá | /ˈja/ (Brazil) /ˈja/ (Portugal) |
informal |
Portuguese speakers often use é colloquially to mean 'yeah' in response to a statement. To express joy or encouragement similar to saying 'yeah!' or 'that's it!', you might instead use idiomatic expressions like isso aí!, boa! or é!
What does it mean word for word?
The form é is a colloquial way to say 'yeah' and literally means 'it is'.
Which one should you use?
é is a very common colloquial way to say 'yeah' in response to a statement, though it literally means 'it is'. iá is a highly colloquial, phonetic spelling of how 'yeah' sounds when spoken rapidly.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
é and iá are both informal and colloquial. iá is specifically used in very casual speech or in texting to mimic rapid pronunciation.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛ/
When do people say it?
When you want to express agreement or encouragement, similar to saying 'yeah, that's right!', using the phrase isso aí! is often more natural than using a literal translation of 'yes'.
Did you know?
- The highly colloquial iá is not a native Portuguese development but was borrowed from ya in Ronga, a language spoken in Mozambique, which originally came from the Afrikaans 'ja'.
- In some regions, a speaker might answer a negative question like 'You don't like it?' with sim to contradict the negative and mean 'Actually, I do'.
- The casual é can be stretched in length and pitch to change the meaning from a simple 'yeah' to a skeptical 'yeah, right' or a thoughtful 'yeah, I see'.
Examples in context
- Sim, você está certo.Yeah, you're right.This sentence shows how to use sim to agree with a person.Tatoeba #7968043 by MacGyver, translation #5423332 by CK
- Sim, é o que eu faria.Yeah, that's what I'd do.This sentence demonstrates the use of sim to confirm an action.Tatoeba #6803031 by Ricardo14, translation #3825306 by CK
- Sim, é o que vou fazer.Yeah, that's what I'll do.This sentence shows how to use sim to express intent.Tatoeba #6803029 by Ricardo14, translation #3825299 by CK
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Juliana are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- LucasVamos comer pizza hoje?Shall we eat pizza today?
- JulianaÉ, eu topo!Yeah, I'm in!
- LucasVocê quer de calabresa?Do you want pepperoni?
- JulianaSim, essa é a minha favorita.Yes, that's my favorite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yeah” translations and entries é, sim, iá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries iá, sim, é, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
