Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 係 / 系 | hai⁶ |
| 唔 | m⁴ |
| 嗯 | ng² |
The primary way to express agreement or acceptance is by using the particle 係 / 系. This is specifically used to answer questions that employ a form of the verb "to be" (e.g., "Is he a student?"). In casual spoken conversation, adding the particle 呀 to create 係呀 makes the affirmation sound more natural and softer. You may also encounter the colloquial expression 係嘅 or the informal 係啫 to express agreement.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers use "yes" for many different types of questions, 係 / 系 is specifically used to answer questions that use the verb "to be".
How does it change in a sentence?
The negative form of 係 is 唔係, which means "is not" or "no".
How do you pronounce it?
hai⁶
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 係 to answer "do" questions (e.g., "Do you like it?"). In Cantonese, you should repeat the main verb of the question instead of using 係.
Did you know?
- In Cantonese, nodding your head while saying 係 can sometimes be interpreted as 'I am listening' rather than 'I agree', depending on the context.
- In some traditional contexts, a very formal way to express agreement or 'yes' is to use 對, which literally means 'correct' or 'matching'.
- The word 係 can be repeated as 係係係 in rapid succession to show that you are following a detailed explanation or are impatient for the speaker to finish.
Examples in context
- 係呀，佢差唔多同我一樣高。Yes, he's almost as tall as I am.This example uses the form 唔.Tatoeba #851663 by nickyeow, translation #65363 by anjin
- 可以話係，亦都可以話唔係。Yes and no.Tatoeba #1569795 by nickyeow, translation #51133 by shanghainese
- 係呀，呢啲嘢耐唔耐會發生。Yes, it happens once in a while.Tatoeba #4544377 by kaenif, translation #703597 by Eldad
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
