sim ou não
/ˈsĩ o(w) ˈnɐ̃w̃/word by word
The English phrase "yes or no" is translated into Portuguese as sim ou não.
The phrase sim ou não is used when asking for a clear, definitive answer between two opposite choices.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsĩ o(w) ˈnɐ̃w̃/
When do people say it?
In Portugal, when saying "yes", speakers may accompany sim with extensions like pois é or exatamente to add emphasis and agreement. To convey a stronger negation in Portugal, some individuals may use não mesmo or de modo algum.
Did you know?
- When answering não to a negative question, such as 'You aren't coming?', a Portuguese speaker may say sim to mean 'Actually, I am coming'.
- In certain regional dialects of Brazil, a high-pitched sim? can function as a question meaning 'what did you say?' rather than an answer.
- The word não shares an ancient ancestor with the English word 'one', stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'not one'.
Examples in context
- Apenas diga sim ou não.Just say yes or no.Tatoeba #1311486 by alexmarcelo, translation #66672 by CK
- Sim, por favor.Yes, please.
- Não, obrigado(a).No, thank you.
- Sim, claro!Yes, of course!
- Eu só quero um sim ou não.I only want a yes or no.
- Responda sim ou não para a pergunta.Answer yes or no to the question.
Example conversation
Rodrigo is asking Camila if she wants to go to a party.
- RodrigoVocê quer ir à festa, Camila?Do you want to go to the party, Camila?
- CamilaEu não sei decidir agora.I don't know how to decide right now.
- RodrigoPor favor, diga apenas sim ou não.Please, just say yes or no.
- CamilaTudo bem, sim!Fine, yes!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sim, ou, não) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries não, ou, sim, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
