yes!

IPA/jes/
IPA/jes/

yes! — adverb

1. said to show that you agree with someone, accept what they offer, or are willing

1.adverbA1
Definition

said to show that you agree with someone, accept what they offer, or are willing to do what they ask.

Example

"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."

Common collocations
  • say yes to
  • answer yes
  • yes please
  • yes sir
Synonyms
  • yeah

    informal, very common in everyday speech

  • sure

    casual, often implies willingness rather than strong agreement

  • of course

    emphasises that the agreement is obvious or expected

  • okay

    neutral acceptance, less enthusiastic than 'yes'

Antonyms
  • no

    direct opposite, used to refuse or disagree

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

Yes, I like.
Yes, I do.' or 'Yes, I like it.
'Yes' alone does not complete a sentence; you must provide a full verb structure when expanding.

2. used to stress that what you just said is true, especially when someone might do

2.adverbB1
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • yes, really
  • yes indeed
  • yes, I mean
Synonyms
  • indeed

    formal, used in writing or careful speech

  • really

    can express surprise or disbelief alongside emphasis

Usage Note

Follow 'yes' with a repeated or rephrased version of the point you are stressing. This pattern is common in both speech and informal writing.

Common Mistakes

It was hot — yes hot.
It was hot
yes, really hot.' — Using 'yes' for emphasis often needs a modifier or restatement, not just a bare repetition.

3. said when someone calls your name or speaks to you, letting them know you have h

3.adverbA1
Definition

said when someone calls your name or speaks to you, letting them know you have heard them and are ready to answer.

Example

"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?"

Common collocations
  • yes?
  • yes, tell me
Synonyms
  • uh-huh

    very informal, a grunt-like sound showing attention

  • right

    used to show you are following what someone is saying

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

Staying silent when someone calls your name.
Saying 'Yes?
In English, 'yes' with a rising tone is the expected way to show you heard someone and are waiting for them to speak.

4. used when someone says something is not true and you want to say firmly that it

4.adverbA2
Definition

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.

Example

"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."

Common collocations
  • yes + pronoun + auxiliary verb
  • yes I can/do/will/have
Synonyms
  • actually

    softens the contradiction, sounds less confrontational

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

You don't like coffee.' 'No, I do.
You don't like coffee.' 'Yes, I do.
In English, use 'yes' to contradict a negative statement, even though the contradiction feels like a 'no' to Chinese speakers.

5. added after a sentence to ask the listener to agree or to confirm that they have

5.adverbB1
Definition

added after a sentence to ask the listener to agree or to confirm that they have understood correctly.

Example

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?

Common collocations
  • , yes?
Synonyms
  • right?

    common in British English, same position and function

  • okay?

    more neutral, also used to check agreement

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

Yes?' at the start of a sentence to mean tag question.
Place 'yes?' only at the end
'You like it, yes?' — The word order matters for correct interpretation.

yes! — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All five words express agreement or acceptance, but they differ in tone and context. 'Yes' is the standard, neutral choice for formal and informal settings — used in job interviews, with strangers, and in polite conversation. 'Yeah' is the common casual spoken form; avoid it in writing or formal speech. 'Sure' sounds willing but slightly less committed than 'yes'; it often implies 'I don't mind' rather than strong enthusiasm. 'Of course' adds the idea that the answer is obvious or expected — useful when someone asks a favour, but it can sound dismissive if used for simple requests. 'Okay' (or 'OK') signals neutral acceptance, often used to acknowledge instructions rather than to show agreement. In a formal vote, only 'yes' (or 'yea') is used; in daily conversation with friends, 'yeah' is the most natural choice.

yes ↗yeah ↗sure ↗of course ↗okay ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • say yes to
  • vote yes
  • answer yes
  • get a yes

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEarly Modern English

The word 'yes' comes from Old English 'gēse' (ġēse), which is thought to be a contraction of 'gēa' (yea) + 'sīe' (third-person singular subjunctive of 'beon', to be). So its literal ancient meaning was something like 'yea, may it be so' — an emphatic affirmation. The spelling settled as 'yes' by the 1500s, replacing the older form 'yea' as the everyday affirmative in spoken English.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun