是
sī
In Hokkien, the word for yes is 是 (sī).
是 is a particle used to indicate agreement or acceptance. It is often used as a short response to a 'yes/no' question that asks if something 'is' a certain way.
Meaning: word used to indicate agreement or acceptance (particle)
Which one should you use?
While 是 can mean 'yes', it is specifically used to confirm a statement that uses a noun or a state of being, rather than a verb of action.
How do you pronounce it?
sī
Did you know?
- Hokkien has a distinct way of saying 'yes' when agreeing to a request, often using 好 (hó) meaning 'good' instead of the identifying 是.
- In many Hokkien-speaking regions, instead of using 是, speakers will simply repeat the verb from the question to say 'yes'.
- The word 是 is identical in written form to the 'yes' used in Mandarin Chinese, despite the pronunciation being completely different.
Examples in context
- 是！Yes!Tatoeba #13243287 by tsunhua, translation #1148358 by cntrational
- 是。Yes.Tatoeba #13246659 by tsunhua, translation #477086 by soweli_Elepanto
Example conversation
Jianhong asks Meiling if she is ready to go.
- 建宏 Kian-hong美玲，你準備好未？Bí-lîng, lí chuẩn-pī hó bē?Meiling, are you ready?
- 美玲 Mei-ling是，我準備好了。sī, wá chuẩn-pī hó liáu.Yes, I am ready.
- 建宏 Kian-hong咱行出去吧。lán kián chhut-khì pā.Let's go out then.
- 美玲 Mei-ling好。hó.Okay.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
