sim e não
/ˈsĩ ˈɛ ˈnɐ̃w̃/word by word
The English phrase "yes and no" is translated into Portuguese as sim e não.
This phrase is used to indicate that there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer.
Meaning: indicating there is no simple "yes" or "no" answer (phrase)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portuguese from Portugal, the word Pois is used to mean "yes", especially when agreeing with something someone said. In Portuguese from Portugal, É verdade is used to convey agreement.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsĩ ˈɛ ˈnɐ̃w̃/
Did you know?
- The word não descends from the Latin nōn, which was originally a combination of the Proto-Indo-European roots for 'not' and 'one'.
- While sim e não is correct, Portuguese speakers frequently substitute it with depende to express that an answer is not simple.
- In Brazil, people may use a very slight upward tilt of the head to signal sim even when they are not speaking.
Examples in context
- As respostas a essas perguntas são sim e não, respectivamente.The answers to those questions are yes and no, respectively.This sentence shows how to use sim e não when referring to answers to specific questions.Tatoeba #6597977 by piterkeo, translation #5282320 by mailohilohi
- Sim e não.Yes and no.This sentence shows the phrase sim e não used as a standalone response.Tatoeba #4372386 by ajdavidl, translation #51133 by shanghainese
- A resposta para isso é sim e não.The answer to that is yes and no.
Example conversation
Camila and Lucas are discussing if they like their new apartment.
- CamilaVocê gosta do nosso apartamento novo, Lucas?Do you like our new apartment, Lucas?
- LucasSim e não, Camila. É lindo, mas é pequeno.Yes and no, Camila. It's beautiful, but it's small.
- CamilaEu entendo o que você quer dizer.I understand what you mean.
- LucasExato, tem pontos positivos e negativos.Exactly, it has positive and negative points.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes and no” translations and entries sim e não, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sim, e, não) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries e, não, sim, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
