Agreeing & disagreeing in Chinese 同意和反对
tóngyì hé fǎnduì
I agree in Chinese is 我同意 (wǒ tóng yì).
Also searched for as: I agree, I disagree, agree, disagree, you're right, agree to disagree.
Nodding along, or pushing back politely. 15 essential agreeing & disagreeing words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
To agree in Chinese is 同意 (tóng yì), but in conversation people more often show agreement with quick reactions like 没错 (méi cuò), exactly, or 你说得对 (nǐ shuō de duì), you're right. Disagreeing tends to be softer and more indirect than in English: phrases such as 不见得 (bù jiàn de), not necessarily, and 话是这么说 (huà shì zhè me shuō), "that's true, but…", let you push back without causing offence.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 同意 | tóng yì | to agree |
| 你说得对 | nǐ shuō de duì | you're right |
| 没错 | méi cuò | exactly; that's right |
| 就是 | jiù shì | exactly!; that's what I'm saying |
| 有道理 | yǒu dào li | makes sense; fair point |
| 我也这么想 | wǒ yě zhè me xiǎng | I think so too |
| 那倒是 | nà dào shì | that's true, I suppose |
| 不同意 | bù tóng yì | to disagree |
| 反对 | fǎn duì | to oppose; to be against |
| 我不这么认为 | wǒ bù zhè me rèn wéi | I don't think so |
| 不见得 | bù jiàn de | not necessarily so |
| 我保留意见 | wǒ bǎo liú yì jiàn | I'll reserve judgement; I'm not convinced |
| 话是这么说 | huà shì zhè me shuō | that's true, but… |
| 争论 | zhēng lùn | to argue; to debate |
| 各有各的看法 | gè yǒu gè de kàn fǎ | everyone has their own view |
Usage tips
- Chinese speakers often agree first and then disagree: 有道理，不过…… (yǒu dào li, bù guò...), fair point, but..., sounds much softer than a blunt 我不同意 (wǒ bù tóng yì).
- 就是 (jiù shì) said emphatically on its own means "Exactly!" and is very colloquial, while 那倒是 (nà dào shì) concedes a point a little reluctantly, like "well, that's true".
- 反对 (fǎn duì) is strong, like "to be against" or "to oppose"; it suits plans and proposals, not a friend's opinion about a film.
Common mistakes
- Answering a negative question the English way: to 你不同意吗？ (nǐ bù tóng yì ma?), "Don't you agree?", replying 对 (duì) means "Right, I don't agree" → if you do agree, say 不，我同意 (bù, wǒ tóng yì) or simply 我同意.
- Saying 我不这么认为 (wǒ bù zhè me rèn wéi) to a boss or elder can sound blunt → try 我有一点儿不同的看法 (wǒ yǒu yī diǎnr bù tóng de kàn fǎ), I see it slightly differently.
Mini dialogue
- A我觉得我们应该坐飞机去，快多了。Wǒ jué de wǒ men yīng gāi zuò fēi jī qù, kuài duō le.I think we should fly, it's much quicker.
- B有道理，不过飞机票太贵了。Yǒu dào li, bù guò fēi jī piào tài guì le.Fair point, but plane tickets are too expensive.
- A那倒是。坐高铁呢？Nà dào shì. Zuò gāo tiě ne?That's true, I suppose. What about the high-speed train?
- B没错，高铁又便宜又方便！Méi cuò, gāo tiě yòu pián yi yòu fāng biàn!Exactly, the high-speed train is cheap and convenient!
- A好，那就这么定了。Hǎo, nà jiù zhè me dìng le.Great, that's settled then.
Example sentences
- 我完全同意你的看法。I completely agree with you.
- 你说得对，是我错了。You're right, I was wrong.
- 没错，就是这样！Exactly, that's it!
- 就是！我也这么想。Exactly! I think so too.
- 你说的也有道理。What you're saying makes sense too.
- 我也这么想，咱们走吧。I was thinking the same, let's go.
- 那倒是，我没想到这一点。That's true, I hadn't thought of that.
- 这一点我不同意。I don't agree on this point.
- 我反对这个计划。I'm against this plan.
- 我不这么认为。I don't see it that way.
- 贵的就一定好？那可不见得。Expensive means good? I wouldn't be so sure.
- 这件事我保留意见。I'll reserve judgement on this one.
- 话是这么说，可是太贵了。That's true, but it's too expensive.
- 我们没必要为这个争论。There's no need for us to argue about this.
- 这种事大家各有各的看法。Everyone has their own view on this kind of thing.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Agreeing & disagreeing speaking island has 8 everyday questions about agreeing & disagreeing to prepare your own answers to.