sí, claro
/ˈsi ˈklaɾo/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "yeah right" is sí, claro.
The phrase sí, claro is used to show sarcasm or disbelief when you do not believe what someone has said. While the words literally mean "yes, of course", the phrase is frequently used to imply that the speaker thinks the other person is lying.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsi ˈklaɾo/
Did you know?
- The word sí in Spanish is actually a 'reflexive' word that can mean 'himself', 'herself', or 'itself'. It comes from a Latin root meaning 'self', whereas the 'yes' meaning comes from a different Latin word.
- Depending on the intonation, ¡Claro! can swing from being a sarcastic 'yeah right' to an enthusiastic 'of course!', making tone more important than the word itself.
- While claro means 'clear' or 'of course', the same word is used in Spanish to describe a 'light' shade of a color, such as azul claro for 'light blue'.
Examples in context
- "¿Mary es tu novia?" "No, nomás somos compas." "Sí, claro, ¡como si nunca hubiera visto la manera en la que se abrazan!" "¿Acaso nunca abrazas a tus amigos?""Is Mary your girlfriend?" "No, we're just buddies." "Yeah, right, as if I've never seen the way you two hug each other!" "Don't you ever hug your friends?"This sentence is useful for seeing how to use sí, claro to react to a claim one finds unbelievable.Tatoeba #10602961 by DJ_Saidez, translation #10603529 by DJ_Saidez
- Voy a llegar puntual al trabajo mañana. – Lo dudo.I will arrive at work on time tomorrow. – Yeah right.
- Voy a presentar mi propia película. – ¡Ni de broma!I'm going to release my own movie. – Yeah right.
- Voy a ganar la lotería mañana. – Ya, claro.I'm going to win the lottery tomorrow. – Yeah right.
- Sí, claro, tú eres el más inteligente de la clase.Yeah right, you are the smartest person in the class.
- ¿Vas a limpiar toda la casa hoy? Sí, claro.Are you going to clean the whole house today? Yeah right.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are talking about Javier's ability to wake up early.
- LucíaMañana voy a correr a las cinco de la mañana.Tomorrow I am going to go running at five in the morning.
- JavierSí, claro, si siempre te despiertas tarde.Yeah right, since you always wake up late.
- Lucía¡Esta vez es en serio, Javier!I am serious this time, Javier!
- JavierNo te creo nada.I don't believe you at all.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sí, claro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries claro, sí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
