How to Say Yes in Chinese

“How do you say yes in Chinese?” If you want to know how to say yes in Chinese, Mandarin Chinese that is, then you need to listen carefully to the context of the conversation.  In order to say yes, you simply answer with the affirmative of the verb.  (See the simple yes in Chinese below).

How to Say Yes in Chinese

So, going from English to Chinese, it would sound something like this:

• Do you like fish?
• “Like.”

• Do you have children?
• “Have.”

• Are you American?
• “Am.”

It’s a little different to get used to, but when you’re listening to the sentence, then it’s not that difficult!  Simply take the first verb (generally) and use it for the answer.

Understanding this also makes it pretty simple if you also want to say no politely.  Of course, you could simply say, “Bù,” but not only is this impolite, sometimes it simply does not match the context of the situation. (For more information, see say no in Chinese).

How to Say Yes in Chinese (Simply)

In learning Chinese, though, there is also a much simpler version of saying yes in Chinese which works in almost every case.  This phrase is really much like our version of okay, which translated might be “fine” or “good” and that would be “Hăo.”

Notice that “Hăo” is said with the third tone which is also known as the falling and rising tone.  To get the general idea of how to say this tone, you would begin at the same pitch as your normal speaking voice, lower the pitch and then raise the pitch over time.  For a more detailed explanation, check out Chinese tones.

Note, though, that answering “Hăo” really tends to only work well for yes or no questions where the English equivalent of okay would work.  For instance, if someone asks you whether or not you are Australian, it would be strange to answer “okay.”  So, keep this general principle in mind when you are answering questions in Chinese.

In review, use the appropriate verb in order to say yes in Chinese.  If all else fails, you can go with “Hăo,” just make sure that it would be appropriate to say “okay” as the response.