Yes & No in Chinese 是和不
shì hé bù
Yes / no in Chinese are 是 / 不是 (shì / bù shì).
Also searched for as: yes, no, how to say yes, how to say no.
The smallest words you'll use the most. 15 essential yes & no 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.
There's no single word for 'yes' or 'no' in Chinese. Instead you usually answer by repeating the verb, so 'Do you have…?' gets 有 (yǒu) or 没有 (méi yǒu), and 'Is it…?' gets 是 (shì) or 不是 (bù shì). This list also covers handy replies like 对 (duì), 'right', 好的 (hǎo de), 'OK', and 当然 (dāng rán), 'of course', so you can respond naturally rather than translating word for word.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 是 | shì | to be; yes |
| 不 | bù | not; no |
| 不是 | bù shì | isn't; no |
| 有 | yǒu | to have; there is |
| 没有 | méi yǒu | don't have; there isn't |
| 对 | duì | right; correct |
| 不对 | bù duì | wrong; not right |
| 好的 | hǎo de | OK |
| 行 | xíng | OK; will do |
| 不行 | bù xíng | no way; not OK |
| 可以 | kě yǐ | can; may |
| 当然 | dāng rán | of course |
| 真的 | zhēn de | really; true |
| 也许 | yě xǔ | maybe |
| 没有了 | méi yǒu le | there's none left |
Usage tips
- 不 (bù) changes to bú before a fourth tone, so 不是 (bù shì) is said bú shì and 不对 (bù duì) is said bú duì, even though dictionaries write bù.
- 行 (xíng) and 可以 (kě yǐ) are relaxed ways to say 'OK' when agreeing to a plan, while 不行 (bù xíng) is a firm 'no' or 'that won't work'.
- 好的 (hǎo de) is the everyday 'OK, will do'; in casual messages people often shorten it to just 好 (hǎo).
Common mistakes
- Answering every question with 是 (shì) as if it meant 'yes': to 你喝咖啡吗？ answer 喝 (hē) or 不喝 (bù hē), echoing the verb.
- Saying 不有 for 'don't have': the negative of 有 (yǒu) is always 没有 (méi yǒu).
- Using 不 (bù) for something that didn't happen, as in 我昨天不去: for the past use 没 (méi), 我昨天没去 (wǒ zuó tiān méi qù).
Mini dialogue
- A你有空吗？我们去喝咖啡吧。Nǐ yǒu kòng ma? Wǒ men qù hē kā fēi ba.Are you free? Let's go for a coffee.
- B今天不行，明天可以吗？Jīn tiān bù xíng, míng tiān kě yǐ ma?Today's no good, how about tomorrow?
- A当然可以！明天下午三点，对吗？Dāng rán kě yǐ! Míng tiān xià wǔ sān diǎn, duì ma?Of course! Tomorrow at three in the afternoon, right?
- B对，好的，明天见！Duì, hǎo de, míng tiān jiàn!Right, OK, see you tomorrow!
Example sentences
- 我是学生。I'm a student.
- 我不喝咖啡。I don't drink coffee.
- 他不是老师。He isn't a teacher.
- 我有一个弟弟。I have a younger brother.
- 今天没有课。There's no class today.
- 对，就是这个。Right, it's this one.
- 这个答案不对。This answer is wrong.
- 好的，明天见。OK, see you tomorrow.
- 行，没问题。OK, no problem.
- 今天不行，明天吧。Today's no good, how about tomorrow?
- 我可以进来吗？May I come in?
- 当然可以！Of course!
- 真的吗？太好了！Really? Great!
- 也许他忘了。Maybe he forgot.
- 咖啡没有了。There's no coffee left.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Yes & no speaking island has 8 everyday questions about yes & no to prepare your own answers to.