sí o no
/si o no/from spelling rules
The English phrase "yes or no" is translated into Spanish as sí o no.
The phrase sí o no is used when you want to ask for a clear, definitive answer between two opposite choices. While sí is the most straightforward way to say "yes", there are several other ways to express agreement or refusal depending on the context: Claro que sí and ¡Por supuesto! both mean "Of course", while De acuerdo means "Agreed" or "Okay" to confirm consent. You can use Sí, por favor (Yes, please). Conversely, if you are declining, you can say No, gracias (No, thank you). You might also use Está bien to say "It is okay" or "It's fine".
How do you pronounce it?
/si o no/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a quick sí, sí, sí repeated three times can actually signal a hesitant 'maybe' or a polite way to avoid a direct 'no'.
- In certain regions, a common way to avoid saying no directly to a request is to say ahorita, which literally means 'right now' but often implies 'not now' or 'not ever'.
- The word sí is actually a relative of the English word 'self', as it comes from the Latin word for 'to oneself'.
Examples in context
- ¿Sí o no?Yes or no?This example shows how to ask the direct question "Yes or no?" using sí o no.Tatoeba #564505 by Shishir, translation #562905 by kebukebu
- Haz solo preguntas que se puedan contestar con sí o no.Ask only questions that can be answered with yes or no.This sentence demonstrates how to use sí o no when describing the type of questions being asked.Tatoeba #1415437 by Shishir, translation #528880 by darinmex
- Por favor, responda, ¿sí o no?Answer, please, yes or no.This sentence shows how to request a response of sí o no.Tatoeba #12846068 by mexicanhere, translation #11171494 by SunnyMoon
- ¿Vienes a la fiesta esta noche? / Sí, por supuesto.Are you coming to the party tonight? / Yes, of course.
- ¿Puedes ayudarme con esta tarea? / Claro que sí.Can you help me with this task? / Of course.
- ¿Quieres un poco más de comida? / No, gracias.Do you want some more food? / No, thank you.
- ¿Desea algo más? / No, estamos bien.Would you like anything else? / No, we're good.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía asks Javier for a definitive decision about a project.
- Sofía¿Vas a trabajar con nosotros, sí o no?Are you going to work with us, yes or no?
- JavierSí, quiero participar en el proyecto.Yes, I want to participate in the project.
- SofíaMe alegra mucho escuchar eso, Javier.I am very happy to hear that, Javier.
- JavierGracias por la oportunidad, Sofía.Thanks for the opportunity, Sofia.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries no, o, sí, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
