Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نعم | naʔam | /na.ʕam/ | North Levantine Arabic |
| نَعَم | naʕam | ||
| أَجَل | ʔajal | ||
| إِي | ʔī | ||
| أَيْوَة | ʔaywa | Egyptian Arabic | |
| ايوه | ʔaywa | Egyptian Arabic | |
| إي | ī | /ʔiː/ | Gulf Arabic |
| إيوه | īwa | Hijazi Arabic | |
| اِيه | ē | North Levantine Arabic | |
| أيوه | ʔaywa | South Levantine Arabic |
The primary way to indicate agreement or acceptance is by using the particle نعم. To add more emphasis to your agreement, you can use بالتأكيد, which translates to 'certainly' or 'definitely'.
Which one should you use?
While نعم is the standard form in Modern Standard Arabic, أَجَل is used as a more-emphatic or literary way to express agreement. In various spoken dialects, the forms change significantly: أَيْوَة or ايوه are common in informal settings, while إِي is used in Gulf Arabic and إيوه is used in Hijazi Arabic.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
نعم is the standard particle for agreement in formal settings, such as reading news or literature. أَجَل is a formal and respectful way to say yes and carries a more literary tone. In contrast, أَيْوَة is the most common way to say yes in spoken Egyptian Arabic and is considered informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations include أَيْوَة and ايوه in Egyptian Arabic, and أيوه in South-Levantine Arabic. In North-Levantine Arabic, you may hear اِيه. In Gulf Arabic, إِي is common, while إيوه is used in Hijazi Arabic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word نعم can also function as a noun meaning 'an answer that shows agreement or acceptance', with the related forms نَعَمَانِ and نَعَمَات.
How do you pronounce it?
The default form نَعَم is pronounced /na.ʕam/ (two syllables).
Did you know?
- Arabic speakers sometimes avoid using a direct 'yes' or 'no' in favor of phrases like إن شاء الله meaning 'if God wills', which can imply a positive response.
- In some dialects, the word نعم is used as a question meaning 'Excuse me?' or 'What did you say?' when the speaker didn't hear something.
- While نعم is the standard 'yes' in textbooks, using it in a casual street conversation in Cairo might make you sound like a character in a period drama.
Examples in context
- لم لم تقل نعم؟Why didn't you say yes?This sentence demonstrates the use of the particle نعم in a question.Tatoeba #7972726 by OsoHombre, translation #2281851 by CK
- هل ذلك نعم أم لا؟Is that a yes or no?This sentence shows how to use نعم to offer a choice between yes and no.Tatoeba #6679712 by marhabaan, translation #3413247 by CK
- نعم أنا من سابورو.Yes, I am from Sapporo.This sentence shows how to use نعم to answer a question about one's origin.Tatoeba #402732 by saeb, translation #35569 by gin
- نعم، بالتأكيد!Yes, definitely!
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam are discussing a plan for the weekend.
- يوسف Youssefهل ستأتين إلى الحفلة يا مريم؟hal sata'tin ila al-hafla ya Maryam?Will you come to the party, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamنعم، سأكون هناك بالتأكيد.na'am, sa-akunu hunaka bil-ta'kid.Yes, I will definitely be there.
- يوسف Youssefهل تريدين أن نذهب بالسيارة؟hal turidina an nadhhaba bil-sayyara?Do you want us to go by car?
- مريم Maryamنعم، هذا أفضل.na'am, hadha afdal.Yes, that is better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries نعم, إي, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
