How to Say “Yes” in Portuguese

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sim
/ˈsĩ/
The English word 'yes' is translated into Portuguese as sim.
sim is the standard and most commonly used word for 'yes' in Portuguese. It is used as a particle to indicate agreement or acceptance, and it can also function as a noun to refer to a 'yes' (an affirmative answer).
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)

Which one should you use?

While sim is the standard choice, afirmativo is used to mean 'affirmative' in more formal or technical contexts, such as radio communications. sim is also the direct antonym of não (no).

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

In formal or technical situations, you might use afirmativo. For casual agreement, you may encounter the Brazilian slang beleza to mean 'cool' or 'alright' or the informal Brazilian contraction tá (from 'está') which functions like 'yeah' or 'yep'.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Portugal, the phrase está bem is particularly common to express 'alright' or 'okay'. In Brazil, tá is a common casual way to say 'yeah' or 'yep' and beleza is widely used slang meaning 'cool' or 'alright'.

Related words

Expression of pleasure, joy or great excitement (intj): sim!, é!, assim!

Answer that shows agreement or acceptance (noun): sim, afirmativo.

How does it change in a sentence?

When using sim as a noun to mean the answer 'yes', it is commonly used with the verb dizer (to say), as in the phrase dizer sim.

How do you pronounce it?

/ˈsĩ/

Did you know?

  • In Portuguese, you can answer a negative question in the affirmative by using sim, whereas in English you might say 'yes' or 'no' depending on the context of the denial.
  • The evolution of sim traces back to the Latin word sīc, which was used to express 'thus' or 'in this manner'.
  • The Brazilian slang beleza, used as a casual 'yes', literally translates to 'beauty'.

Examples in context

  • Isso é um sim?
    Is that a yes?
    This sentence is useful for asking if a statement constitutes a sim.
    Tatoeba #8539208 by Ricardo14, translation #7812408 by Hybrid
  • O Tom disse sim.
    Tom said yes.
    This sentence shows how to use sim as the object of the verb disse.
    Tatoeba #6781009 by Ricardo14, translation #4394831 by CK
  • Ele já disse sim.
    He has already said yes.
    This sentence demonstrates the use of sim to indicate that an agreement has already occurred.
    Tatoeba #384804 by brauliobezerra, translation #290307 by CK
  • 403 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Camila is asking Rodrigo if he is ready to leave.

  1. Camila

    Rodrigo, você está pronto?
    Rodrigo, are you ready?
  2. Rodrigo

    Sim, eu já peguei as chaves.
    Yes, I already grabbed the keys.
  3. Camila

    Vamos agora?
    Shall we go now?
  4. Rodrigo

    Sim, vamos.
    Yes, let's go.

Sources

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Angela Monica
Angela MonicaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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