How to say yes and no in 99 real languages and 8 fictional ones

In some situations, you may need to say “yes” or “no” to someone who doesn’t speak English or your native language. Maybe it’s while traveling to a different country, exploring a new culture, or simply having a conversation with someone who speaks a different language.

Just imagine yourself strolling through the bustling markets of Marrakech, and a friendly vendor asks if you'd like to buy some hand-made Moroccan lamps. You can confidently respond with a "نعم" (Na'am) for "yes" or "لا" (La) for "no" in Arabic, making the negotiation part of the adventure.

Either way, learning how to say “yes” and “no” in other languages isn’t only useful, but also fun! So, in this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 100 ways to say “yes” and “no” in different languages.

Updated: December 2025 (Originally published in July 2025)

Table of Contents

• Yes and No in Different Languages
• Yes and No in Constructed Languages
• Yes and No in Fantasy Languages
• 29 Ways to Say Yes Without Saying "Yes"
• 29 Ways to Say No Without Saying "No"
• Say Yes to Life!
• Key Takeaways

 

Yes and no in different languages

Learning how to say “yes” and “no” in over 100 different languages may seem pointless. But the truth is, you never know when it may come in handy!

Who knows if one day you may need to know a few words in Vietnamese because you found yourself in the middle of a lonely, dusty road in the Vietnamese countryside where no one speaks a word of English? Yes, it’s a true story that happened to yours truly sometime in 2015.

To help you prepare for any situation, we’ve compiled this list of how to say “yes” and “no” in 99 languages.

 

Language	Yes	No
Afrikaans	Ja	Nee
Albanian	Po	Jo
Amharic	አዎን (Awoon)	አይ (Ay)
Arabic	نعم (Na'am)	لا (La)
Armenian	Այո (Ayo)	Ոչ (Voč)
Aymara	Aru	Mana
Azerbaijani	Bəli	Xeyir
Basque	Bai	Ez
Belarusian	Так (Tak)	Не (Nie)
Bengali	হ্যাঁ (Hyã)	না (Na)
Bosnian	Da	Ne
Bulgarian	Да (Da)	Не (Ne)
Cantonese	係 (Hai)	唔係 (M4 hai)
Catalan	Sí	No
Cebuano	Oo	Dili
Chichewa	Ee	Ayi
Corsican	Sì	No
Croatian	Da	Ne
Czech	Ano	Ne
Danish	Ja	Nej
Dutch	Ja	Nee
English	Yes	No
Estonian	Jah	Ei
Ewe	Ɛ̃ (ee)	Hɔ (ao)
Farsi (Persian)	بله (Bale)	نه (Na)
Fijian	Io	Sega
Filipino	Oo	Hindi
Finnish	Kyllä	Ei
French	Oui	Non
Gaelic (Irish)	Tá	Níl
Galician	Sí	Non
Georgian	კი (Ki)	არა (Ara)
German	Ja	Nein
Greek	Ναι (Ne)	Όχι (Ohi)
Guarani	Hẽ	Ajejá
Haitian Creole	Wi	Non
Hawaiian	ʻAe	ʻAʻole
Hebrew	כן (Ken)	לא (Lo)
Hindi	हाँ (Haan)	नहीं (Nahi)
Hmong	Yog	Tsis
Hungarian	Igen	Nem
Icelandic	Já	Nei
Igbo	Ee	Mba
Ilocano	Wen	Saan
Indonesian	Ya	Tidak
Italian	Sì	No
Japanese	はい (Hai)	いいえ (Iie)
Kazakh	Ия (Iya)	Жоқ (Joq)
Khmer	បាទ (Baht)	ទេ (Tei)
Kinyarwanda	Yego	Oya
Korean	네 (Ne)	아니요 (Aniyo)
Kurdish	Bella	Na
Lao	ໂດຍ (Doi)	ບໍ່ (Bo)
Latin	Ita	Minime
Latvian	Jā	Nē
Lithuanian	Taip	Ne
Luxembourgish	Jo	Nee
Macedonian	Да (Da)	Не (Ne)
Malagasy	Eny	Tsia
Malay	Ya	Tidak
Maltese	Iva	Le
Mandarin	是 (Shì)	不 (Bù)
Maori	Āe	Kāore
Mongolian	Тийм (Tiim)	Үгүй (Ügüi)
Myanmar (Burmese)	ဟုတ် (Hote)	မဟုတ် (Ma hote)
Nahuatl	Quin	Axi
Navajo	Hózhǫǫ́	Hózhǫ́ǫ́go
Nepali	हो (Ho)	होइन (Hoina)
Norwegian	Ja	Nei
Pashto	هو (Hu)	نه (Na)
Polish	Tak	Nie
Portuguese	Sim	Não
Punjabi	ਹਾਂ (Haan)	ਨਹੀਂ (Nahi)
Quechua	Arí	Mana
Romanian	Da	Nu
Russian	Да (Da)	Нет (Net)
Samoan	Ioe	Leai
Sepedi	Ee	Aowa
Serbian	Да (Da)	Не (Ne)
Sesotho	Ee	Ha
Slovak	Áno	Nie
Slovenian	Da	Ne
Somali	Haa	Maya
Spanish	Sí	No
Swahili	Ndiyo	Hapana
Swedish	Ja	Nej
Tagalog	Oo	Hindi
Taiwanese	有 (Ū)	無 (Bô)
Tamil	ஆம் (Aam)	இல்லை (Illai)
Thai	ใช่ (Chai)	ไม่ (Mai)
Tibetan	ཨོ (O)	མདོ (Mado)
Tongan	ʻIo	ʻIkai
Turkish	Evet	Hayır
Ukrainian	Так (Tak)	Ні (Ni)
Urdu	ہاں (Haan)	نہیں (Nahi)
Uzbek	Ha	Yo'q
Vietnamese	Có	Không
Welsh	Ie	Na
Xhosa	Ewe	Hayi

 

Wondering how to pronounce these yes’s and no’s? Here’s a quick guide on:

• How To Say "YES!" in 40 Different Languages
• How To Say "NO!" in 40 Different Languages

 

Yes and no in constructed languages

Aside from the 7,100+ known languages spoken in the world, some have been created artificially rather than as a result of gradual linguistic evolution. Also known as conlangs, constructed languages were designed to facilitate international communication.

Simply put, they were created to allow us to understand each other without needing to speak various languages. For example, Interlingua is a universal language designed to replace all Romance languages, like Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese (it’s also really easy to understand if you speak at least one of those).

These languages have recently been gaining popularity on platforms like TikTok, with creators teaching Esperanto and Interlingua. According to the internet, there are around 900 constructed languages in the world, with Esperanto at the head of them with approximately 2 million speakers.

So, here’s how to say yes and no in the most popular conlangs.

Constructed language	Yes	No
Esperanto	Jes	Ne
Interlingua	Si	No
Lingua Franca Nova	Si	No

 

Yes and no in fantasy languages

Our favorite fantasy worlds also have their own unique languages. Fantasy and fictional languages have no other mission than immersing us even deeper into the worlds of wizardry, dragons, and mythical kingdoms we all love. They’re part of what makes these worlds feel real to us - at least while we’re engrossed in reading the books or watching the series.

 

If you’re a Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones fan, you’re going to love this part! Here’s how to say “yes” and “no” in various fantasy languages.

Fantasy language	Yes	No
Dothraki	Sek	Vos
Valyrian	Kessa/Issa	Daor
Klingon	HIja'	Ghobe’
Quenya (Elvish)	Ná	Lá
Na’vi	Srane	Kehe

 

29 ways to say yes without saying “yes”

“Yes” is a useful word. You’ll need it in various situations - when arranging a romantic date with your crush, planning your Saturday night with your friends, or agreeing to do someone a favor.

 

And while you can reply with a simple “yes” in all these situations, you may want to be more expressive and find a different way to agree. Unless you’re standing at the altar or you’ve just been proposed to, you can respond in any of these 29 ways to say yes without saying yes.

1. Absolutely.
2. Affirmative.
3. Agreed.
4. Alright.
5. By all means.
6. Count me in.
7. Duh!
8. It's a go.
9. I'm all in.
10. I'm in.
11. Let's do it.
12. Of course.
13. Ok (Okay).
14. Okey dokey.
15. Perfect.
16. Roger that.
17. Sounds good.
18. Sounds great.
19. Spot on.
20. Sure.
21. Sure thing.
22. That's right.
23. Totally.
24. Yup.
25. Yeah.
26. You betcha.
27. You got it!
28. You said it.
29. I'd love to.

 

29 ways to say no without saying “no”

While it may be more difficult to say than “yes”, “no” is an indispensable word in our vocabulary. It can help us escape situations we don’t want to be in, get out of favors we don’t want to commit to, reject unwanted dates, refuse to answer uncomfortable questions during awkward family dinners, and prevent other people from overstepping our boundaries.

Each of these situations will require a different approach and, therefore, a different way to express your disagreement. So, here are 29 ways to say “no” without saying “no.”

1. Absolutely not.
2. Ain't gonna happen.
3. By no means.
4. Certainly not.
5. Count me out.
6. Forget it.
7. I can't.
8. I shall not.
9. I won't.
10. Nah.
11. Nay.
12. Negative.
13. Never.
14. No can do.
15. No thanks.
16. No way.
17. Nope.
18. Not a chance.
19. Not happening.
20. Not interested.
21. Not now.
22. Not possible.
23. Not really.
24. Most certainly not.
25. Of course not.
26. Over my dead body.
27. Sorry, can't do that.
28. Uh-uh.
29. I think not.

 

Say yes to life!

In the movie “Yes, Man,” Carl (played by Jim Carrey) leads a boring life as a loan officer until he participates in a self-help program that challenges him to say “yes” for an entire year. Taking it literally, Carl begins to say yes to everything, leading to funny situations that make the movie hilarious to watch.

But most importantly, he begins to experience the magic of “yes,” watching how his life transforms and opportunities start to flow his way.

Saying “yes” more often than saying “no” can bring a positive change to your life. Still, it’s important to say these two simple words with discernment. Say yes to what you want and no to what you don’t want.

If you haven’t seen this movie, this is your sign to do so!

 

Continue learning with us

Your oyster no matter what language you’d like to learn. Check out our free language blog for more educational and fun resources.

Key Takeaways

• "Yes" and "No" Are Your Travel Survival Kit: Learning these two words in 100+ languages isn't pointless—it's practical insurance for real-world situations. Whether negotiating in Marrakech markets with "نعم" (Na'am) and "لا" (La) in Arabic, or finding your way on Vietnamese dusty roads with "Có" and "Không," these simple words open doors, prevent misunderstandings, and show respect for local culture. They're the universal keys to basic communication anywhere.
• Beyond Natural Languages—Conlangs and Fantasy Worlds: Language learning extends beyond the 7,100+ natural languages to include constructed languages (conlangs) like Esperanto (2 million speakers), Interlingua, and Lingua Franca Nova designed for international communication, plus fantasy languages like Dothraki, Valyrian, Klingon, Quenya (Elvish), and Na'vi that deepen immersion in beloved fictional worlds. Each has its own "yes" and "no," proving language creativity knows no bounds.
• Variety Transforms Communication: English offers 29+ alternatives to "yes" (absolutely, count me in, roger that, you betcha) and "no" (absolutely not, no can do, over my dead body, not a chance), each carrying different tones—from casual to emphatic to polite refusal. Mastering these variations elevates communication beyond basic agreement/disagreement into nuanced expression that matches context, relationship, and intention. The right word at the right moment makes all the difference.