Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 是 | shì | /ʂɻ̩⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /sɹ̩²¹³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 對 / 对 | duì | ||
| 啊 | à | /ˀä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /a⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
colloquial |
| 好 | hó | /ho⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /hɤ⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangpu, Kinmen, Lukang, Taipei, Yilan, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
| 是 | sī / sǐ | /si³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese, Sanxia, Hsinchu) /si²¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese, Sanxia, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
There is no single word for 'yes' in Mandarin. Instead, you choose a word based on what you are agreeing to. You can use 是 to confirm identity or facts, 对 to indicate that a statement is correct or 好 to agree to a suggestion or request. For a noun meaning 'an answer that shows agreement or acceptance', use 同意, while a 'vote of support' is called 同意票.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the intent of the response. Use 是 to confirm a statement of identity or a fact, such as answering 'Is this a book?' Use 对 when you mean 'correct' or 'right' in response to a statement. Use 好 to say 'okay' or 'good' when agreeing to a suggestion, request or command.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual agreement, you can use the colloquial particle 啊 to soften your tone or use the expression 是啊 among friends. To express agreement very casually, similar to 'uh-huh' or 'yeah', you can use the sounds 嗯 or 嗯嗯.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms 好 and 是 are also used in Hokkien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In colloquial speech, adding the particle 啊 at the end of a response can soften the tone and make the 'yes' sound more natural or enthusiastic.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 是 is shì.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 是 to answer every single question with 'yes'. In Mandarin, the word used for 'yes' should match the specific verb used in the question being asked.
Did you know?
- According to the Shuowen, one version of the character 對 replaced a 'mouth' radical with a 'soldier' radical because many replies were considered untruthful lip service.
Examples in context
- 是的，當然。Yes, of course.This sentence shows how to use 是 in an agreement.Tatoeba #712982 by egg0073, translation #30530 by Zifre
- 短回答是是。The short answer is yes.This sentence uses 是 to show a short answer.Tatoeba #9953376 by GlossaMatik, translation #4530015 by CK
- 请说”好“！Please say ‘yes’!This sentence demonstrates the use of 好 when asking for agreement.Tatoeba #10266003 by GlossaMatik, translation #408901 by FeuDRenais
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jiayi is asking Wei if he is ready to go.
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，你准备好了吗？Wěi, nǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?Wei, are you ready?
- 伟 Wei是，我已经准备好了。Shì, wǒ yǐjīng zhǔnbèi hǎo le.Yes, I am already ready.
- 佳怡 Jiayi我们要现在出发吗？Wǒmen yào xiànzài chūfā ma?Should we leave now?
- 伟 Wei是，我们走吧。Shì, wǒmen zǒu ba.Yes, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yes” translations and entries 是, 啊, 好, 是, 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.
