Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 是 | sī / sǐ | /ʂɻ̩⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɹ̩²¹³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
| 對 / 对 | duì | ||
| 啊 | à | /ˀä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /a⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
colloquial |
| 好 | hó | /xɑʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /xau⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
Hokkien |
You might use 对 to mean 'correct' or 'right', or use 好 to mean 'okay' or 'good' when agreeing to a proposal. For a strong positive response, you can use 当然, which means 'of course' or 'certainly'. In informal settings, 可以 (meaning 'can' or 'may') can also function as an affirmative response. If you want to say 'no mistake' in everyday conversation, you can use 没错.
Which one should you use?
Use 是 to affirm a state or identity (is/am/are). Use 对 to indicate that a statement is correct or right. Use 好 to express agreement with a suggestion or to grant permission. Additionally, the Hokkien forms 好 and 是 are available.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a formal or emphatic 'yes', you can use 是的 by adding the particle 的 to 是. The particle 啊 is used in colloquial settings, often added to the end of an affirmative response to make it sound softer or more casual.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms 好 and 是 (pronounced sī / sǐ) are tagged as Hokkien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the particle 的 to 是 to create 是的 makes the affirmative response more formal or emphatic.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 是 is sī / sǐ and the IPA is /ʂɻ̩⁵¹/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 是 as a universal 'yes' for all questions. It should only be used to affirm a state or identity.
Did you know?
- There is a legend that the character 对 was modified by Emperor Wen of Han to include a 'soldier' (士) component because many people's replies were untruthful 'lip service'.
Examples in context
- 是的，當然。Yes, of course.This sentence shows how to use a formal 'yes' with 'of course'.Tatoeba #712982 by egg0073, translation #30530 by Zifre
- 短回答是是。The short answer is yes.This sentence uses the form 是 to provide a short answer.Tatoeba #9953376 by GlossaMatik, translation #4530015 by CK
- 请说”好“！Please say ‘yes’!This sentence uses the form 好 to request agreement.Tatoeba #10266003 by GlossaMatik, translation #408901 by FeuDRenais
- Teacher: 这个答案对吗？
(Zhè ge dá'àn duì ma?)
Student: 嗯，对，完全正确。
(En, duì, wán quán zhèng què.)Teacher: Is this answer correct?
Student: Yes, it's completely correct. - 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang asks Jiayi if she finished the report.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你完成报告了吗？Jiāyí, nǐ wánchéng bàogào le ma?Jiayi, have you finished the report?
- 佳怡 Jiayi是，我已经发给你了。Shì, wǒ yǐjīng fā gěi nǐ le.Yes, I have already sent it to you.
- 志强 Zhiqiang太好了，谢谢你。Tài hǎo le, xièxiè nǐ.Great, thank you.
- 佳怡 Jiayi没关系，不客气。Méi guānxì, bù kèqì.No problem, you're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries 是, 啊, 好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 啊, 好, 對, 是, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
