How to Say Yes in Chinese: 10+ Ways to Say Yes in Mandarin (Beyond 是)

Here's the thing: if you're learning Chinese and someone told you "是 (shì) means yes," they lied to you.

Well, okay, they didn't lie exactly. But they gave you maybe 20% of the story, and the other 80% is going to trip you up constantly until you figure it out.

Let me guess what happened. You asked "How do I say yes in Mandarin?" Your textbook or app said "是 (shì)," you memorized it, and now you're getting weird looks from native speakers. Or maybe you're watching Chinese shows and people are saying random words when they obviously mean "yes."

That's because Mandarin Chinese doesn't have a single word for "yes."

I know. Frustrating as hell.

The Real Way to Say Yes in Chinese (And Why Nobody Explains It Right)

Unlike English, Chinese uses what linguists call an "echo response system." That's a fancy way of saying: you repeat the main verb from the question to affirm it.

Someone asks "你吃饭吗？" (Do you eat rice?) You don't say "yes." You say "吃" (eat). That's your way to say yes.

They ask "你会说中文吗？" (Can you speak Chinese?) You say "会" (can). That's how you say yes in that context.

This isn't some weird exception. This is the system. Every verb can be used to affirm. That's why people say Chinese has "hundreds of ways to say yes"—because it kind of does.

Now, 是 (shì) gets taught as the common way to say "yes" because it's the most frequent verb in identity questions. "你是学生吗？" (Are you a student?) → "是" (Yes/I am). But 是 literally means "to be." You're not saying "yes," you're saying "am." It just functions like "yes" in that specific context.

This is why beginners sound robotic—they're using 是 for every situation when Chinese speakers are using the actual verb from the question.

Common Ways to Say Yes in Chinese (The Ones You'll Actually Use)

Okay, so the echo response thing is the real system. But there are some common ways to say yes in Mandarin you'll hear constantly. Here's what actually works in different contexts:

是 (shì) — The Basic "Yes"

Usage: Use this when the question has 是 in it. More formal than casual. Works for confirming identity or facts.

Example: "你是美国人吗？" (Are you American?) → "是。"

Frequency: You'll use shì constantly, but remember—it's not universal like the English "yes."

对 (duì) — "That's Right" / "Correct"

Usage: Means "correct" or "right." Super useful because you can use it to agree with something someone said, not just answer questions. Less formal than 是.

Example: "你在学中文，对吗？(對嗎?)" (You're learning Chinese, right?) → "对 (對)。"

Why it's useful: 对 is probably the closest thing Mandarin has to a casual "yeah" that works in many different situations.

是的 (shì de) — The Polite "Yes"

Usage: More polite and formal than just 是. Use it when talking to someone senior to you—boss, teacher, older person.

Example: When your Chinese teacher asks if you finished homework → "是的。"

Cultural note: This shows respect. 是的 is the version Chinese speakers use when they want to sound professional or deferential.

好 (hǎo) — "Okay" / "Sure"

Usage: This is your go-to way to agree to do something or accept invitations. Literally means "good/okay."

Example: "明天一起吃饭好吗？" (Want to get food tomorrow?) → "好。"

Why you need it: 好 (hǎo) is how you say yes in Chinese when someone's suggesting something. Using 是 here would sound weird.

好的 (hǎo de) — The Polite "Okay"

Usage: More polite than just 好. You'll hear this constantly from restaurant staff, hotel employees, and in any service context.

Example: Server at restaurant when you order → "好的。"

Another way to think about it: 好的 (hǎo de) is the professional version of 好.

嗯 (ēn / èn) — "Mm-hmm" / "Yep"

Usage: The ultra-casual affirmative sound. Use it among friends, never with your boss or anyone you're trying to impress.

Example: Friend asks if you're coming → "嗯。"

Warning: This is extremely casual. Don't use 嗯 with anyone you need to show respect to. I learned this the hard way when I used it with my Chinese teacher. She didn't say anything, but I got a look that made it very clear I'd screwed up.

有 (yǒu) — "Have" / "There Is"

Usage: When someone asks if you have something with 有 in the question, you answer with 有 (yǒu).

Example: "你有笔吗？" (Do you have a pen?) → "有。"

The pattern: This is the echo response system in action. Question has 有? Answer is 有 or 没有 (méi yǒu - don't have).

行 (xíng) — "Works for Me" / "That's Fine"

Usage: Casual way to say something works or is acceptable. Common in daily conversations.

Example: "这样行吗？" (Is this okay?) → "行。"

Vibe: 行 (xíng) has a laid-back feel. It's another way to say yes that's more casual than 是.

可以 (kěyǐ) — "Can" / "It's Possible"

Usage: Means something is possible or you're giving permission to do something. Used to confirm that someone can do what they're asking about.

Example: "我可以用你的电脑吗？" (Can I use your computer?) → "可以。"

When to use it: 可以 (kěyǐ) is how you affirm ability or grant permission. It literally means "can" or "may."

当然 (dāngrán) — "Of Course" / "Certainly"

Usage: Strongly affirmative way to say yes. Shows confidence and enthusiasm.

Example: "你喜欢中国菜吗？" (Do you like Chinese food?) → "当然！"

Tone: This is emphatic. 当然 means you're not just saying yes—you're saying "hell yes" or "obviously yes."

没问题 (méi wèntí) — "No Problem" / "No Worries"

Usage: Casual and reassuring way to agree. Like saying "sure, no problem" in English.

Example: Friend asks you to help → "没问题。"

Another common one: 没错 (méi cuò) means "that's right" or "no mistake"—used to confirm something is correct.

Look, I could list 15 more ways to say yes in Mandarin Chinese, but honestly? These are the common ways to say yes you'll actually use. The rest you'll pick up naturally once you understand the echo response system.

The A-not-A Thing (Because Learning Mandarin Makes Everything More Fun)

Oh, and just when you thought you had it figured out, Chinese has another question format that's super common: A-not-A questions.

Instead of adding 吗 to make a question, you just present both options: "你吃不吃？" (You eat-not-eat?) Literally asking "Do you eat or not eat?"

The most common ways Chinese speakers ask these:

How do you say yes in Mandarin to these? Same way—repeat the verb. Someone asks "你喜欢不喜欢中国菜？" (Do you like Chinese food or not?) You answer "喜欢" (like) or "不喜欢" (bù xǐhuan - don't like).

The beautiful thing is, once you understand the echo response principle, A-not-A questions make perfect sense. You're just choosing which option applies to express agreement or disagreement.

Why Different Ways to Say "Yes" Matter Depending on the Situation

Here's something that'll save you from embarrassing yourself: these different ways to say yes have formality levels that matter in Chinese culture.

Casual and formal settings require different responses:

In casual settings with friends:

In formal or professional contexts:

Want to sound like a native speaker? Pay attention to who's talking to whom. Chinese speakers adjust their way to say yes based on the relationship and context. This kind of nuance is impossible to learn Chinese properly from a grammar book alone. You need to hear it used in different contexts—who's saying what to whom, in what situation.

What Actually Works When Learning Mandarin

Look, you could study a 5,000-word guide on different ways to say yes in Chinese, or you could just expose yourself to the language in context and let your brain figure it out.

I'm not saying skip the grammar explanation—you need to understand the echo response system. But after that? The fastest way to want to learn these patterns is through immersion. Watch Chinese shows. Listen to Chinese podcasts. Read Chinese content. See these responses happening naturally, thousands of times, until you stop thinking about it.

That's genuinely how this stuff sticks when you learn Chinese. Not flashcards of "是 = yes, 对 = correct, 好 = okay" but actual exposure to conversations where people use these words naturally in every situation.

If you're interested in how Japanese handles the same problem differently, we've got a whole post on saying yes in Japanese—the systems are completely different, which is pretty fascinating if you're into this kind of thing. And if you're curious about other basic Chinese phrases, we've covered those too.

The Real Way to Learn Chinese (Stop Memorizing Lists)

Here's the honest truth about learning Mandarin: you don't need to memorize 20 different forms of "yes." You need to hear them used correctly, hundreds of times, in real contexts.

That's exactly what makes textbook learning fall flat with Chinese. You can't just memorize "是 = yes" and move on. You need to see hundreds of real exchanges where people use different verbs to affirm different questions. You need to hear the natural rhythm of 对 versus 是的 versus a casual 嗯. You need to understand when 可以 works better than 行, and why 没问题 sounds friendlier than just 好.

That kind of pattern recognition—the stuff that makes you sound like you actually speak the language—only comes from immersion. Actual exposure to how Chinese speakers talk, not manufactured textbook dialogues.

Want to actually use these different ways to say yes in Mandarin instead of just memorizing them? Migaku's browser extension lets you watch Chinese shows and read Chinese content with instant word lookups—so when someone responds with 有 or 对 or 当然 or whatever matches the context, you can see exactly what's happening. The words you look up automatically turn into flashcards with the full sentence context, so you're learning these patterns the natural way they're actually used in daily conversations.

Plus, everything syncs across your phone, so you can review while you're on the bus or wherever. The whole point is to make immersion learning actually practical instead of tedious. You'll pick up not just the common way to say "yes" but when each variation fits naturally.

There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out. Way more effective than drilling "yes = 是" over and over. You'll be recognizing these patterns and using them correctly in different contexts way faster than you would with traditional methods.