إي
ēeveryday
In Lebanese Arabic "yes" is إي (ē). The formal word is نعم (naʿam), and أكيد (akīd) means "sure" or "of course".
Meaning: a word of agreement (adverb)
Ways to say it
| Lebanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| إي | ē | everyday |
| نعم | naʿam | formal |
| أكيد | akīd | casual |
إي is the normal answer in daily talk. نعم is polite and also used when someone calls your name and you answer "yes?" "No" is لأ (laʔ).
Which one should you use?
Saying إي والله (ē wallāh) adds emphasis and means "yes indeed".
Did you know?
- The emphatic إي والله (ē wallāh) literally means "yes, by God" and is a very common way to confirm something in Lebanon.
Examples in context
- إي، أنا جاي.ē, ana jāy.Yes, I am coming.
- أكيد، بحبّ القهوة.akīd, bḥebb el-ahwe.Sure, I love coffee.
- نعم، تفضّل.naʿam, tfaḍḍal.Yes, go ahead.
Example conversation
Reem asks her friend Karim whether he is coming to a dinner.
- Reemبتجي عالعشا بكرا؟btījī ʿal-ʿasha bukra?Are you coming to dinner tomorrow?
- Karimإي أكيد.ē akīd.Yes, of course.
- Reemممتاز، منستنّاك.mumtāz, mnistannāk.Great, we will wait for you.
