Yes in Different Languages
Discover 'Yes' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'yes' is a simple yet powerful expression of agreement, acceptance, and positivity. It holds great significance in every culture and language, signifying approval, consent, or eagerness. Its cultural importance is evident in various traditions, rituals, and gestures worldwide.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'yes' in different languages can be a gateway to exploring new cultures and connecting with people from diverse backgrounds. For instance, 'oui' means 'yes' in French, while 'sí' is its Spanish equivalent. In German, it's 'ja', and in Japanese, it's 'hai'.
Delving into the historical context of the word 'yes' reveals fascinating insights. For example, in Old English, the word 'yes' was 'gea', which evolved over time to become the modern 'yes'. This evolution showcases the dynamic nature of language and its ability to adapt to cultural shifts.
Join us as we explore the many translations of 'yes' in different languages, shedding light on the rich tapestry of linguistic and cultural diversity that exists around the world.
Yes
Yes in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | ja | ||
| The Afrikaans word "ja" derives from the Dutch word "ja", which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic word *aiwa (which can also be seen in the English "aye"). | |||
| Amharic | አዎ | ||
| The word "አዎ" can also be used to express agreement or acknowledgment. | |||
| Hausa | eh | ||
| Derived from Arabic "a'hā" ("aha") | |||
| Igbo | ee | ||
| In Igbo, the word "ee" can also be used as an exclamation of surprise or astonishment. | |||
| Malagasy | eny | ||
| The word "eny" in Malagasy originated from the Proto-Austronesian word "ini", meaning "this" or "here". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | inde | ||
| Some alternate meanings of "inde" include "to agree" or "to consent". | |||
| Shona | ehe | ||
| In Shona, "Ehe" is a borrowing from the Ndebele language where it means "truly" or "indeed". | |||
| Somali | haa | ||
| Sesotho | ee | ||
| The word "ee" is an exclamation used to express strong agreement or excitement in Sesotho. | |||
| Swahili | ndio | ||
| The word 'ndio' is also used in Swahili as a response to a call, meaning 'hello' or 'I'm here'. | |||
| Xhosa | ewe | ||
| The word | |||
| Yoruba | beeni | ||
| Beeni in Yoruba is often mistaken for meaning "yes", but it also means "to see" or "to encounter". | |||
| Zulu | yebo | ||
| The word "yebo" originated from the Nguni-Bantu languages and signifies acceptance or agreement. | |||
| Bambara | awɔ | ||
| Ewe | ɛ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | yego | ||
| Lingala | iyo | ||
| Luganda | yee | ||
| Sepedi | ee | ||
| Twi (Akan) | aane | ||
Yes in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | نعم | ||
| 'نعم' also means 'grace' or 'blessing' in Arabic. | |||
| Hebrew | כן | ||
| "כן" also means "right", "correct", or "proper" in Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | هو | ||
| Arabic | نعم | ||
| 'نعم' also means 'grace' or 'blessing' in Arabic. | |||
Yes in Western European Languages
| Albanian | po | ||
| In Albanian, "po" can also mean "well," "okay," or "that's right." | |||
| Basque | bai | ||
| The Basque term | |||
| Catalan | sí | ||
| "Sí" has the same meaning as the Spanish "si" (if). | |||
| Croatian | da | ||
| In the Chakavian dialect of Croatian, "da" can also mean "indeed" or "certainly." | |||
| Danish | ja | ||
| In some Danish dialects, the word | |||
| Dutch | ja | ||
| The word "ja" can also indicate an affirmation, agreement, or acknowledgement. | |||
| English | yes | ||
| The word 'yes' is derived from the Old English word 'gēse,' which meant 'well then.' | |||
| French | oui | ||
| The word "Oui" is derived from the Latin word "Hoc illae", meaning "this is it". | |||
| Frisian | ja | ||
| Frisian "ja" originates from the Proto-Germanic "ja" which also meant "indeed, truly" and is related to the Latin "quam". | |||
| Galician | si | ||
| The Galician word “si” not only means “yes”, but also “if” and “so”. | |||
| German | ja | ||
| The German word "Ja" is cognate with the English "yea" and the Latin "ita". | |||
| Icelandic | já | ||
| In Old Norse, "Já" is cognate with Old English "gea" and "yea" and is derived from Proto-Germanic *jai | |||
| Irish | sea | ||
| The Irish word "sea" can mean "yes" when used informally and in isolation. | |||
| Italian | sì | ||
| The term "sì" comes from the Latin "sic" or "ita"," which also mean "yes" and "thus". | |||
| Luxembourgish | jo | ||
| The Luxembourgish word "jo" comes from the Proto-Indo-European word *ye- "to go" or "to travel." | |||
| Maltese | iva | ||
| In Maltese, "iva" originated from Arabic and also refers to the affirmative response given by a woman, "iva jien" meaning "yes, I [am]" | |||
| Norwegian | ja | ||
| "Ja" is short for the Old Norse word "já", meaning "indeed," "certainly," or "of course."} | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | sim | ||
| The Portuguese word "sim" has the same root as the Latin word "similis," meaning "similar" or "like." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tha | ||
| The word "tha" in Scots Gaelic can also mean "is" or "there is", similar to its use in Irish and other Celtic languages. | |||
| Spanish | si | ||
| The word "si" in Spanish can also mean "if" or "whether". | |||
| Swedish | ja | ||
| The word 'ja' in Swedish is a loanword from Old Norse 'já', itself derived from Proto-Germanic *jaiza, and is related to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰi̯ḗ | |||
| Welsh | ie | ||
| The Welsh word "ie" is derived from the Proto-Celtic word "*jā", meaning "now". | |||
Yes in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | так | ||
| The word "так" ("yes") in Belarusian is related to the word "то" ("that") in Russian, and can also be used to express agreement or consent. | |||
| Bosnian | da | ||
| In addition to meaning "yes," "da" can also mean "here" or "there" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | да | ||
| The Bulgarian word "да" shares the same root with the Proto-Indo-European "*dáh₁t-ómi". This likely reflects a common word for | |||
| Czech | ano | ||
| The Czech word "Ano" is a derivative of "Anoť", which itself comes from the Old Slavonic "Jino" (other). | |||
| Estonian | jah | ||
| While the Estonian "jah" shares the meaning of the English "yes", it notably derives from an archaic form of "jaa" meaning "or". | |||
| Finnish | joo | ||
| The word "joo" comes from the Swedish word "ja" and, like in some other dialects of Swedish, the vowel changes when stressed. | |||
| Hungarian | igen | ||
| The word "Igen" is also used as a form of agreement or affirmation, similar to the German word "Jawoll". | |||
| Latvian | jā | ||
| Latvian 'Jā' has the same root with 'Jānis' and 'Janis' in other languages which means John. | |||
| Lithuanian | taip | ||
| The word "taip" in Lithuanian derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tew-p_", meaning "to swell" or "to be strong". | |||
| Macedonian | да | ||
| The Macedonian word “да“ comes from Old Church Slavonic and means “indeed”. | |||
| Polish | tak | ||
| The etymology of Polish 'tak' is unclear: some claim it derives from the Proto-Indo-European *k'eh₂, while others trace its origin to the Old Norse 'tækr' signifying "acceptable." | |||
| Romanian | da | ||
| The Romanian word "da" evolved from the Proto-Indo-European "*dʰeh₁" and is cognate with the English "day". | |||
| Russian | да | ||
| In Old Church Slavonic, the word да ("da") could also mean "but" or "yet." | |||
| Serbian | да | ||
| The Serbian word "да" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *da, which also means "therefore" or "so." | |||
| Slovak | áno | ||
| The word can be used to acknowledge that a question has been heard, and does not necessarily indicate agreement or acceptance. | |||
| Slovenian | ja | ||
| In Slovene, 'ja' can mean both 'yes' and 'I' (as in the English 'I am'). | |||
| Ukrainian | так | ||
| "Так" can also mean "so," "such" or "that way" | |||
Yes in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | হ্যাঁ | ||
| "হ্যাঁ" is derived from Proto-Indo-European "h₁yes" (to desire), cognate with Latin "aio" (I say) and Greek "eie" (yes). | |||
| Gujarati | હા | ||
| The word "હા" in Gujarati also refers to gold, wealth, or an affirmation of something. | |||
| Hindi | हाँ | ||
| The word "हाँ" in Hindi comes from an Indo-Aryan root, cognate with words meaning "agreement" in other Indo-European languages. | |||
| Kannada | ಹೌದು | ||
| Malayalam | അതെ | ||
| Marathi | होय | ||
| The Marathi word “होय” can also mean 'to be' or 'to exist' and is derived from the Sanskrit word 'भवति' with the same meaning. | |||
| Nepali | हो | ||
| In old Nepali texts, 'हो' was also used as an interjection to express disbelief or surprise. | |||
| Punjabi | ਹਾਂ | ||
| The word "ਹਾਂ" derives from the Sanskrit word "अथ" (atha) meaning "now" and "then," indicating an affirmation or agreement. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | ඔව් | ||
| Sinhalese "ඔව්" can also mean "hey" or "really" depending on its context. | |||
| Tamil | ஆம் | ||
| ஆம் (ām) has alternate meanings, including assent or presence. | |||
| Telugu | అవును | ||
| Urdu | جی ہاں | ||
Yes in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 是 | ||
| The oracle bone script for 是 resembles one of a hand holding a small stick, which also represents one of the ancient meanings that is to make a plan on bamboo slips. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 是 | ||
| 是, which also means 'to be,' originated from 甲骨文 where it appeared in its early form as a picture of a ritual utensil. | |||
| Japanese | はい | ||
| "はい" can mean "yes" in Japanese, but it can also be used as an interjection to express surprise or agreement, or as a particle to indicate the topic of a sentence. | |||
| Korean | 예 | ||
| "예" (yes) comes from the Middle Korean "ѥ" (yes) or an abbreviation of "어렵지 않다" (not difficult). | |||
| Mongolian | тиймээ | ||
| The Mongolian word "тиймээ" is derived from the verb "тий-" (to agree) and the suffix "-мээ" (expressing emphatic affirmation). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဟုတ်တယ် | ||
Yes in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | iya | ||
| "Iya" can also be used to show politeness, as in "Apakah kamu ingin makan? ( iya)" which translates to "Would you like to eat? (yes)"." | |||
| Javanese | iya | ||
| The Javanese word "iya" is also used as an affirmative in other contexts, such as acknowledging or agreeing. | |||
| Khmer | បាទ / ចាស | ||
| The Khmer word បាទ / ចាស can also be used as a polite way to address someone, similar to "sir" or "madam" in English. | |||
| Lao | ແມ່ນແລ້ວ | ||
| Malay | iya | ||
| The Malay word "iya" not only means "yes," but also serves as an affirmative prefix to verbs and adjectives. | |||
| Thai | ใช่ | ||
| "ใช่" can also mean "that's right" or "correct". | |||
| Vietnamese | đúng | ||
| "Đúng" can also mean "straight", "correct", or "true". | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | oo | ||
Yes in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | bəli | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "bəli" is derived from the Persian word "bali", which means "honey". | |||
| Kazakh | иә | ||
| The Kazakh word | |||
| Kyrgyz | ооба | ||
| The word “Ооба” (“yes”) in Kyrgyz originally came from the Old Turkic word “oba” which meant “hut” or “settlement” or “family” but later took on the additional meaning of “yes”. | |||
| Tajik | бале | ||
| "Бале" is also used to express surprise or astonishment. | |||
| Turkmen | hawa | ||
| Uzbek | ha | ||
| The word "ha" in Uzbek can also be used to indicate agreement or surprise, similar to the English "uh-huh" or "oh". | |||
| Uyghur | ھەئە | ||
Yes in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ae | ||
| The Proto-Polynesian word for yes was *e:, which became ae in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | āe | ||
| The word "āe" can also mean "true" or "indeed" in Maori, and is derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *iya. | |||
| Samoan | ioe | ||
| In Samoan, "ioe" can also mean "to exist" or "to be present". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | oo | ||
| The Tagalog word "oo" is cognate to the Malay word "iya" and the Indonesian word "ya," all meaning "yes." | |||
Yes in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | jïsa | ||
| Guarani | heẽ | ||
Yes in International Languages
| Esperanto | jes | ||
| The Esperanto word 'jes' derives from the Latin 'itaque', meaning 'therefore' or 'so' | |||
| Latin | etiam | ||
| The word etiam can also mean 'furthermore' or 'in addition' in Latin. | |||
Yes in Others Languages
| Greek | ναί | ||
| The Greek word "Ναί" ultimately derives from the Proto-Indo-European word "*h₁nḗ" meaning "indeed". | |||
| Hmong | yog lawm | ||
| In Hmong, the word "yog lawm" is an expression of affirmative agreement used as a response to a question or request and may also be an indication of acknowledgment. | |||
| Kurdish | erê | ||
| The Kurdish word 'Erê' can also mean 'truly', 'certainly', or 'indeed'. | |||
| Turkish | evet | ||
| The word "Evet" is also an acronym for "Evin Erkeği Vatanın Eseri" meaning "The man of the house is the work of the homeland," a slogan used in Turkish nationalist propaganda during the 1930s. | |||
| Xhosa | ewe | ||
| The word | |||
| Yiddish | יאָ | ||
| Yiddish יאָ may also be used to mean a unit of currency and was historically used in the sense of "one." | |||
| Zulu | yebo | ||
| The word "yebo" originated from the Nguni-Bantu languages and signifies acceptance or agreement. | |||
| Assamese | হয় | ||
| Aymara | jïsa | ||
| Bhojpuri | हॅंं | ||
| Dhivehi | އާނ | ||
| Dogri | हां | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | oo | ||
| Guarani | heẽ | ||
| Ilocano | wen | ||
| Krio | yɛs | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | بەڵێ | ||
| Maithili | हँ | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯍꯣꯏ | ||
| Mizo | awle | ||
| Oromo | eeyyee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ହଁ | ||
| Quechua | arí | ||
| Sanskrit | आम् | ||
| Tatar | әйе | ||
| Tigrinya | እወ | ||
| Tsonga | ina | ||