yes!
yes! — adverb
1. said to show that you agree with someone, accept what they offer, or are willing
said to show that you agree with someone, accept what they offer, or are willing to do what they ask.
"Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?" "Yes, I'd love to."
yes + accepting invitation with 'I'd love to'
"Can you finish this report by Friday?" "Yes, no problem at all."
"Is this the right bus for the city center?" "Yes, it goes straight there."
"Do you agree with the new safety rules?" "Yes, I think they are fair."
If you say yes to the invitation, the whole family can come along.
- no
direct opposite, used to refuse or disagree
用法筆記
The most basic way to show agreement in English. In casual conversation, 'yeah' or 'yep' are common alternatives. When offered something, pair 'yes' with 'please' or 'thank you' to sound polite.
常見錯誤
2. used to stress that what you just said is true, especially when someone might do
used to stress that what you just said is true, especially when someone might doubt it or when you want to draw attention to an extreme point.
Learning a new language takes years of practice — yes, years.
yes + repeated word for emphasis
The movie was terrible — yes, I mean absolutely awful from start to finish.
yes + 'I mean' to intensify the claim
Lin won first prize in the national competition — yes, first prize.
The chef himself prepared our meal — yes, the head chef of the restaurant.
用法筆記
Follow 'yes' with a repeated or rephrased version of the point you are stressing. This pattern is common in both speech and informal writing.
常見錯誤
3. said when someone calls your name or speaks to you, letting them know you have h
said when someone calls your name or speaks to you, letting them know you have heard them and are ready to answer.
"Mum, are you listening?" "Yes, sweetheart — go on, tell me what happened."
yes acknowledging a call + asking for more information
"Excuse me, officer." "Yes, how can I help you?"
"Professor Okafor?" "Yes, please come in and take a seat."
Yes, I am listening — please go on with your story.
用法筆記
This sense often overlaps with a polite greeting in service contexts ('Yes, can I help you?'). Rising intonation makes it sound more inviting; flat intonation can sound impatient.
常見錯誤
4. used when someone says something is not true and you want to say firmly that it
used when someone says something is not true and you want to say firmly that it is true, by stating the opposite — the word 'yes' introduces a positive claim that directly contradicts what was just denied.
"You cannot speak Spanish." "Yes, I can — I studied it for three years."
yes + positive verb + evidence/reason
"This plan will never work." "Yes, it will — I checked everything twice."
"Sofia does not like dogs." "Yes, she does — she has two Labradors at home."
"It is not cold enough for a coat." "Yes, it is — you will freeze out there."
- actually
softens the contradiction, sounds less confrontational
用法筆記
Key structural pattern: the listener answers 'yes' + pronoun + positive auxiliary verb that matches the auxiliary in the negative statement. This is different from some languages where a word meaning 'no' would be used to contradict a negative.
常見錯誤
5. added after a sentence to ask the listener to agree or to confirm that they have
added after a sentence to ask the listener to agree or to confirm that they have understood correctly.
You will remember to lock the door, yes?
statement + comma + yes? = checking understanding
You have read through the instructions and they are clear enough, yes?
We are meeting at eight o'clock sharp, yes?
So you press this button first, then enter the code — yes?
用法筆記
This sentence-final 'yes?' functions like a tag question ('isn't it?', 'don't you?', 'will you?') but without matching the auxiliary verb. It is neutral in register but slightly informal compared to standard tag questions.
常見錯誤
yes! — noun
1. a vote that supports a proposal, or a reply that says you accept an invitation o
a vote that supports a proposal, or a reply that says you accept an invitation or agree to do something; the opposite of 'no'.
The proposal received twelve yeses and only three noes from the committee.
countable: yeses/noes in voting context
We need a majority of yeses for the building plan to go ahead.
Auntie Mei sent out twenty wedding invitations and got fifteen yeses.
The final count showed forty yeses against ten noes and five abstentions.
- yea
formal, used in official voting records (e.g. 'yeas and nays')
- affirmative
very formal, used in military or official contexts
用法筆記
The plural is typically 'yeses' (pronounced /ˈjɛsɪz/). 'Yesses' also appears but is less common. Countable — you can have 'one yes', 'two yeses', etc.