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How to say yes and no in European Portuguese

What people say, and how it sounds.

The answer
yessim/ˈsĩ/
no, and notnão/ˈnɐ̃w̃/

The short answer

Sim is yes and não is no, and não is also not, placed before the verb: não sei, I don't know.

The Portuguese habit is to answer a question with its verb rather than with sim: Tens fome? gets Tenho, I have. Adding sim after it, Tenho, sim, makes the yes warmer.

sĩ · nãu

Both are nasal, and neither has a consonant at the end: sim is a nasal see, not seem, and não is nãu with the mouth closing on the u. The nasal ão is the sound learners find hardest.

Hear it in a sentence

Every line is one the course teaches, with its European Portuguese audio.

sim/ˈsĩ/

yes

Sou, sim.

Yes, I am.

Sim, tenho.

Yes, I do.

Está, sim.

Yes, it is.

não/ˈnɐ̃w̃/

not; right?, isn't it? (tag question)

Não sei.

I don't know.

Oh, não!

Oh no!

a não ser que

unless

People also ask

How do I say yes politely?

Repeat the verb and add sim: Posso, sim. Or com certeza, certainly.

How do I say no thanks?

Não, obrigado or não, obrigada, with a small shake of the head.

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